3RD MEDITERRANEAN CONGRESS of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Athens, 2000;
The Benefits of Whole Body Vibration in the Rehabilitation of a Pediatric Patient with Quadriplegia
Year: 2000
Gianutsos JG, Ahn JH, Oakes LV, Richter EF, Grynbaum BB, Thistle HG
Abstract
A 73-year-old male diagnosed six years earlier was advanced Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), an atypical form of Parkinsonism, had deteriorated over several months despite attemps to adjust medication. He was non-ambulatory, wheelchair-bound and dependent in activites of daily living (ADL). He presented with generalized rigidity and bradykinesia, severe speech impediment, stooped posture, gait freexing and postural instability. His most disabling symptoms were unresponsive to levodopa. Computerized-testing over months of treatment documented change resulting from his participation in our therapeutic ranging/exercise program. During each week one-hour session, his legs were mechanically ranged on a linear displacement device for 15 minutes to increase joint range of motion. Then, he was supervised through an exercise reginmen. Improvement in facial expression, speech volume, and tone were evident by month fout. At 7 months his knees remained flexed, and excessive festination and inadequate stride length continued to render his gait untestable. At 9 months, he could jump, walk on a treadmill, and ambulated with a walker. By eleven months he stood unaided, walked 400 feet with assistance, and stepped adequately to permit computerized gait testing. Over the next 7 months his gait scores improved steadily from an original 40 range to a consistent 80 range.GID: 392; Last update: 10.12.2007
