Effects of Three Weeks of Whole-Body Vibration Training on Joint-Position Sense, Balance, and Gait in Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Randomized Controlled Study

Purpose: To observe the effects of whole-body vibration (WBV) training in conjunction with conventional physical therapy (PT) on joint-position sense (JPS), balance, and gait in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Methods: In this randomized controlled study, 24 children with CP were randomly selected either to continue their conventional PT or to receive WBV in conjunction with their conventional PT programme. Exposure to the intervention was intermittent (3 min WBV, 3 min rest) for 20 minutes, twice weekly for 3 weeks. JPS, balance, and gait were evaluated before and after treatment. Results: Ankle JPS was improved after 3 weeks of WBV training (p = 0.014). Participants in the WBV group showed greater improvements in speed (F-1,F-21 = 5.221, p = 0.035) and step width (F-1,F-21 = 4.487, p = 0.039) than participants in the conventional PT group. Conclusion: Three weeks of WBV training was effective in improving ankle JPS and gait variables in children with CP.