Effect of Whole Body Vibration on Flexibility in Stroke Patients: A Pilot Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12957/bjhbs.2021.63965Keywords:
Whole body vibration (WBV), Stroke, Flexibility.Abstract
Background: The motor consequences of a stroke are mainly
treated with physiotherapy and blood thinning drugs. In
exercise therapy with whole body vibration, studies with
other patient groups show positive effects already after a
single application. In stroke patients, the effectiveness of
whole body vibration is still quite inconsistent. Therefore, the
present study aims to investigate the effectiveness of whole
body vibration on flexibility in stroke patients. Hypothesis:
Whole body vibration has a positive effect on flexibility in
stroke patients. Methods: 13 stroke patients (age 68.23 ± 8.93
years, mean time past since stroke 10.82 ± 8.83 months) were
randomized in two groups subjected to whole body vibration
at 6 and 12 Hz, respectively. Before and after the treatment of 5
x 60 seconds with a break of 60 seconds between each set, the
Sit and Reach test was performed (3 runs each, the respective
mean value was evaluated). Results: Both groups improved
their performance highly significantly from pre- to posttest
(F(1,11) = 9.05; p = 0.01). There is no difference between groups
and no interaction effect for factor time*group. Conclusions:
Even lower application frequencies (6 and 12 Hz) can have a
positive effect on the flexibility of stroke patients. Nevertheless,
further studies must try to develop an optimal training
protocol for this patient group.
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