MedPath

Effects of Whole Body Vibration in Subacute Stroke Patients

Not Applicable
Conditions
Stroke
Interventions
Device: Whole body vibration therapy
Other: standing on the vibration platform but no vibration will be applied
Registration Number
NCT00796237
Lead Sponsor
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Brief Summary

The overall aim of the proposed study is to determine whether whole body vibration is beneficial in promoting bone turnover, physical fitness and neuromotor performance in patients with subacute stroke.

Detailed Description

Brief periods of Whole body vibration (WBV) have been shown to improve bone density in post-menopausal women and children with cerebral palsy. In addition to the apparent benefits on bone health, WBV has been shown to increase muscle strength, postural control, muscular blood flow and oxygen uptake in various populations. Therefore, WBV can potentially be used as a tool to improve muscle strength, balance, and cardiovascular performance, especially for those with relatively low level of functioning. Stroke patients are therefore possible beneficiaries of WBV, as they often demonstrate muscle weakness, balance deficits, and poor cardiovascular function, in addition to bone loss. Only one pilot study has examined the effects of WBV in stroke patients. Van Nes et al.showed that postural stability in chronic stroke patients is improved after a few minutes of WBV at 30Hz and 3mm amplitude. The overall aim of the proposed study is to determine whether whole body vibration is beneficial in promoting bone turnover, physical fitness and neuromotor performance in patients with subacute stroke.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
UNKNOWN
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
60
Inclusion Criteria
  • diagnosis of stroke
  • medically stable
  • able to understand simple verbal commands
  • of chinese origin
Exclusion Criteria
  • previous stroke in addition to the current admission
  • other neurological conditions, in addition to stroke
  • significant musculoskeletal or vascular conditions in the lower extremity
  • metal implants in the lower extremity
  • previous fracture in the lower extremity
  • are taking or were taking bone resorption inhibitors

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
WBVWhole body vibration therapyIn their regular physiotherapy sessions, the subjects in the experimental group will receive whole body vibration therapy for a duration of 4 weeks during their stay in the Tung Wah Hospital.
CONstanding on the vibration platform but no vibration will be appliedThe subjects in this group will not receive whole body vibration therapy.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Level of bone resorption marker CTxbaseline, immediately after treatment, and 2-month follow-up
Level of bone formation marker, BSAPbaseline, immediately after treatment, and 2-month follow-up
Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Ankle arm indexbaseline, immediately after treatment, and 2-month follow-up
Six minute walk testbaseline, immediately after treatment, and 2-month follow-up
Functional Ambulation categorybaseline, immediately after treatment, and 2-month follow-up
Leg muscle strength (hand-held dynamometry)baseline, immediately after treatment, and 2-month follow-up
Berg Balance Scalebaseline, immediately after treatment, and 2-month follow-up
Modified Ashworth Scale of Spasticitybaseline, immediately after treatment, and 2-month follow-up
Sensory threshold to light touch in the footbaseline, immediately after treatment, and 2-month follow-up
Fugl-Meyer Motor Assessmentbaseline, immediately after treatment, and 2-month follow-up

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Tung Wah Hospital

🇭🇰

Hong Kong, Hong Kong

© Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved by MedPath