Gait & Posture
Volume 30, Issue 4 , Pages 436-440 , November 2009

Whole-body vibration improves walking function in individuals with spinal cord injury: A pilot study

  • Lanitia L. Ness

      Affiliations

    • The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
    • The Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA
  • ,
  • Edelle C. Field-Fote

      Affiliations

    • The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
    • The Department of Physical Therapy, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author at: The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1095 NW 14 Terr (R-48), Miami, FL 33136, USA. Tel.: +1 305 243 7119; fax: +1 305 243 3913.

Received 28 January 2009 ,Revised 20 May 2009 ,Accepted 26 June 2009.

References 

  1. Ditunno PL, Patrick M, Stineman M, Ditunno JF. Who wants to walk? Preferences for recovery after SCI: a longitudinal and cross-sectional study. Spinal Cord. 2008;46(7):500–506
  2. Perry J. Pathological mechanisms. Gait Analysis Normal and Pathological Function. 1992;p. 169–182
  3. Krawetz P, Nance P. Gait analysis of spinal cord injured subjects: effects of injury level and spasticity. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1996;77(7):635–638
  4. Stein RB, Chong S, James KBCJWM. Devices for improved mobility after spinal cord injury and stroke. In: Proceedings of the 20th annual international conference of the IEEE engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, vol. 20. 1998;p. 2297–2300
  5. Ivanenko YP, Grasso R, Lacquaniti F. Influence of leg muscle vibration on human walking. J Neurophysiol. 2000;84(4):1737–1747
  6. Novak P, Novak V. Effect of step-synchronized vibration stimulation of soles on gait in Parkinson's disease: a pilot study. J Neuroeng Rehabil. 2006;3:9
  7. Gurfinkel VS, Levik YS, Kazennikov OV, Selionov VA. Locomotor-like movements evoked by leg muscle vibration in humans. Eur J Neurosci. 1998;10(5):1608–1612
  8. Kawanabe K, Kawashima A, Sashimoto I, Takeda T, Sato Y, Iwamoto J. Effect of whole-body vibration exercise and muscle strengthening, balance, and walking exercises on walking ability in the elderly. Keio J Med. 2007;56(1):28–33
  9. Roelants M, Delecluse C, Verschueren SM. Whole-body-vibration training increases knee-extension strength and speed of movement in older women. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2004;52(6):901–908
  10. Ahlborg L, Andersson C, Julin P. Whole-body vibration training compared with resistance training: effect on spasticity, muscle strength and motor performance in adults with cerebral palsy. J Rehabil Med. 2006;38(5):302–308
  11. Ebersbach G, Edler D, Kaufhold O, Wissel J. Whole body vibration versus conventional physiotherapy to improve balance and gait in Parkinson's disease. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2008;89(3):399–403
  12. Gianutsos J, Oakes LC, Siasoco V, Appelblatt S, Hamel J, Gold J. Motor rehabilitation of spinal cord dysfunction by means of whole body vibration. In: Abstract presented at 3rd mediterranean congress of physical medicine and rehabilitation. 2000;
  13. van Nes I, Geurts AC, Hendricks HT, Duysens J. Short-term effects of whole-body vibration on postural control in unilateral chronic stroke patients: preliminary evidence. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2004;83(11):867–873
  14. van Nes I, Latour H, Schils F, Meijer R, van KA, Geurts AC. Long-term effects of 6-week whole-body vibration on balance recovery and activities of daily living in the postacute phase of stroke: a randomized, controlled trial. Stroke. 2006;37(9):2331–2335
  15. Ness LL, Field-Fote EC. Effects of whole body vibration on spinal reflex activity and walking function in individuals with chronic, motor incomplete spinal cord injury. In: Neuroscience 2008. 2008;
  16. Field-Fote EC, Lindley SD, Sherman AL. Locomotor training approaches for individuals with spinal cord injury: a preliminary report of walking-related outcomes. J Neurol Phys Ther. 2005;29(3):127–137
  17. Lapointe R, Lajoie Y, Serresse O, Barbeau H. Functional community ambulation requirements in incomplete spinal cord injured subjects. Spinal Cord. 2001;39(6):327–335
  18. Scivoletto G, Romanelli A, Mariotti A, Marinucci D, Tamburella F, Mammone A, et al. Clinical factors that affect walking level and performance in chronic spinal cord lesion patients. Spine. 2008;33(3):259–264
  19. Field-Fote EC, Tepavac D. Improved intralimb coordination in people with incomplete spinal cord injury following training with body weight support and electrical stimulation. Phys Ther. 2002;82(7):707–715
  20. Nash MS, Meltzer NM, Martins SC, Burns PA, Lindley SD, Field-Fote EC. Nutrient supplementation post ambulation in persons with incomplete spinal cord injuries: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled case series. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2007;88(2):228–233
  21. Dobkin BH. Progressive staging of pilot studies to improve phase III trials for motor interventions. Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 2009;23(3):197–206
  22. Marino RJ, Barros T, Biering-Sorensen F, Burns SP, Donovan WH, Graves DE, et al. International standards for neurological classification of spinal cord injury. J Spinal Cord Med. 2003;26(Suppl 1):S50–S56
  23. Tepavac D, Field-Fote EC. Vector coding: a technique for quantification of intersegemental coupling in multicycle behaviors. J Appl Biomech. 2001;17:259–270
  24. Portney LG, Watkins MP. Correlation. Foundations of clinical research. 3rd ed.. 2008;
  25. Perera S, Mody SH, Woodman RC, Studenski SA. Meaningful change and responsiveness in common physical performance measures in older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2006;54(5):743–749
  26. Conforto AB, Kaelin-Lang A, Cohen LG. Increase in hand muscle strength of stroke patients after somatosensory stimulation. Ann Neurol. 2002;51(1):122–125
  27. Hoffman LR, Field-Fote EC. Cortical reorganization following bimanual training and somatosensory stimulation in cervical spinal cord injury: a case report. Phys Ther. 2007;87(2):208–223
  28. Rosenkranz K, Rothwell JC. Differences between the effects of three plasticity inducing protocols on the organization of the human motor cortex. Eur J Neurosci. 2006;23(3):822–829
  29. Verschueren SM, Swinnen SP, Desloovere K, Duysens J. Effects of tendon vibration on the spatiotemporal characteristics of human locomotion. Exp Brain Res. 2002;143(2):231–239
  30. Courtine G, Pozzo T, Lucas B, Schieppati M. Continuous, bilateral Achilles’ tendon vibration is not detrimental to human walk. Brain Res Bull. 2001;55(1):107–115

PII: S0966-6362(09)00193-3

doi: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2009.06.016

Gait & Posture
Volume 30, Issue 4 , Pages 436-440 , November 2009