Effects of Buerger Exercises With Whole Body Vibration on Pain, Balance and Lower Limb Perfusion in Patients With Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

This study, titled "Effects of Buerger Exercises with Whole Body Vibration on Pain, Balance, and Lower Limb Perfusion in Patients with Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy," aims to assess the combined effectiveness of Buerger exercises and Whole-Body Vibration (WBV) therapy in addressing diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). DPN is a common complication of diabetes mellitus, affecting roughly 50% of diabetic individuals globally and leading to sensory impairments, pain, mobility issues, and an elevated risk for severe foot complications. In Pakistan, where a large population suffers from diabetes, there is an urgent need for effective interventions for DPN. Existing research has shown that Buerger exercises alone are beneficial in improving lower limb circulation, the ankle-brachial index, and capillary refill time, while also reducing neuropathy risk by promoting blood circulation to the lower limbs. Separately, WBV therapy has demonstrated improvements in sensory perception, neuropathy scores, balance, and quality of life, as well as enhanced muscle strength and reflex responses through motor unit activation. Despite this evidence, the combined effect of these two interventions has not been studied extensively, creating a research gap regarding their potential synergistic benefits. This study seeks to fill that gap by evaluating outcomes in pain, balance, and circulation among DPN patients receiving both interventions, with the hypothesis that the combination may be more effective than Buerger exercises alone.

This randomized controlled trial (RCT) will be conducted at Civil Hospital Sialkot and Social Security Hospital Sialkot and is expected to last ten months. Participants, aged 50-70 and diagnosed with DPN, will be randomly assigned to two groups: an intervention group that receives both Buerger exercises and WBV therapy, and a control group performing only Buerger exercises. WBV therapy sessions will occur three times weekly at a frequency of 25 Hz, each lasting 12 minutes with a protocol of four 3-minute bouts. The Buerger exercises will be performed daily by both groups, with three cycles per session and three sessions per day. Outcomes will be measured using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) for pain assessment, the Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) for lower limb perfusion, the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) for balance, and the Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT) for functional mobility. Data collection will take place at baseline, the 4th, 8th, and 12th weeks, and there will be a follow-up at the 16th week to determine if the benefits are sustained.

The study will recruit participants who meet specific inclusion criteria, such as having an HbA1c level higher than 6.7 mmol/L and MNSI scores indicating DPN, while excluding those with severe pain, cardiovascular conditions, deep vein thrombosis, or advanced diabetes complications like diabetic foot. A single-blinded approach will be used to ensure that outcome assessors are not aware of the participant's group allocation. Data will be analyzed using SPSS-27, with normality checks via Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk tests. If data is normally distributed, within-group comparisons will use Repeated Measures ANOVA and between-group comparisons will use one-way ANOVA; if data is not normally distributed, the Mann-Whitney U test will be used for between-group comparisons and the Friedman test for within-group comparisons.

This study is significant in that it will address a clinical gap by evaluating the combined impact of Buerger exercises and WBV therapy on pain, balance, and circulation in individuals with DPN. If successful, it could offer a more effective treatment option to improve quality of life and functionality in this patient population. The study timeline includes major milestones such as title approval, synopsis defense, data collection, analysis, and a final report, all aimed at completing the study within ten months after approval. Ethical considerations have been meticulously planned, with informed consent processes in both English and Urdu to ensure participants' understanding and voluntary involvement. This research has the potential to provide meaningful insights into a novel intervention strategy for DPN management, which could be beneficial in both clinical practice and future research applications.