Effects of vibrotherapy on postural control, functionality and fatigue in multiple sclerosis patients. A randomised clinical trial

Introduction: Postural and balance disorders, functionality impairment and fatigue, are the most incapacitating problems in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Whole Body Vibration (WBV), through the transmission of mechanical stimuli, appears to be a useful therapeutic tool in the treatment of neurological diseases. The objective of this study is to assess the effect of the WBV on postural control, balance, functionality and fatigue in patients with MS. Material and methods: A total of 34 patients with mild-moderate MS were randomised into a control group and an intervention group. For the intervention group, the protocol consisted of 5 consecutive days, daily series of 5 periods of 1 minute of duration of WBV at a frequency of 6 Hz. Posturographic assessment using the Sensory Organization Test (SOT) and Motor Control Test (MCT), the Timed Get Up and Go Test, 10 metres Test, the Berg Balance Scale and Krupp's Fatigue Severity Scale were used before and after intervention. Results: The analysis showed improvements in the intervention group for conditions SOT 1, SOT 3 and latency in MCT. In the comparison between groups, only the latency or reaction time in MCT improved significantly in favour of the intervention group (from 173.78 +/- 12.46 to 161.25 +/- 13.64 ms; P = .04). No side-effects were found. Conclusions: The results of this pilot study show that WBV can improve, in the short-term, the time of response to recover the uprightness after sudden disturbances, appearing as a possible therapeutic tool maintaining balance and posture. (C) 2011 Sociedad Espanola de Neurologia. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.