Vibrotherapy supports the rehabilitation of Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by the typical motor symptoms (tremor, muscle stiffness, bradykinesia) and cognitive impairment. Epidemiological data show that 30% of all PD cases are working people. Presented article focuses on the people with limb tremor (working and employed, in an active and productive phase of their life) and their ability to work, as well as on the efficacy of vibrotherapy in improving this ability. Italian scientists from Tor Vergata University showed here that local vibrotherapy positively influenced the usability of hands and improved the quality of life/ work ability.

• Vibrotherapy improved the hand’s motor functions and also the gait performance having a positive effect on the professional life of the study participants.
• Wrist mobility increased from 0.29 before vibrotherapy to 5.55 after 10 vibrotherapy treatments and remained at the level of 5.00 a month later (UPDRS values).
• There were no negative effects of vibrotherapy.

Prepared on the basis of:

EFFECTS OF LOCAL VIBRATION THERAPY ON UPPER LIMB’S SENSORIMOTOR CONTROL SUFFERING TO PARKINSON’S DISEASE WHO ARE STILL OF WORKING AGE – PRELIMINARY STUDY ON A NEW PREVENTION AND THERAPEUTIC SYSTEM. GENTILI, S., MUGNAINI, S., LANZI, S., RICHETTA et al. (2016). Journal of Disease and Global Health, 8(1),8-17.

Study population

The selection of patients with PD was guided by appropriate criteria, including they had to be working people (but not exposed to vibrations at work), age 50-65. Ten patients were qualified.

Test procedure

Ten sessions of vibrotherapy were performed (description below). The analysis of the swing movements of the arm while walking and the Jebsen Test (assessing the functionality and mobility of the hand), as well as appropriate PD severity evaluation scales, such as UPDRS (Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale) were used during the first and the last session, as well as 30 days after the last session.

Use of vibration in the study

Mechanical vibrations were provided by a mobile device that generates vibrations through the use of air compression-decompression. Vibrations with an amplitude of 2 mm and a frequency of 30 Hz were used. Vibrations were administered locally to specific areas of the upper limb (15 min per session; 10 sessions) while lying down or during physical activity. Localizations for vibrations that are most affected by stiffness in PD have been selected.

Results

The vibrations had a positive effect on the tested parameters.

After 10 vibrotherapy sessions there was an improvement in pain level, range of motion, and muscle strength. The UPDRS scale showed the improvement of motor functions in daily and professional activities. The analysis of the upper limb movement while walking revealed an increased range of hand movements, their fluidity and a reduction in the stiffness of the entire limb. The Skill Spector program showed an improvement in gait performance.

One month after the end of the last vibrotherapy session, the complete previously observed achievements of the 10 sessions treatment were no longer present, although various improvements were observed compared to the state before vibrotherapy. The authors mention only the increased mobility of the wrist, which was 5.00 ± 0.72 on the UPDRS scale a month after the vibrotherapy, compared to 0.29 ± 0.29 before the vibrotherapy cycle. After 10 treatments, this value stopped at 5.55 ± 0.73.

Comment

The presented study shows that vibrations applied locally to the pathological upper limb of PD patients allowed them to achieve a significant improvement in deep sensation, stiffness, reduced pain and reduced weakness of the examined limb. Improvement of the limb was observed in terms of everyday life, but also professional activity.

The use of local vibrotherapy in rehabilitation of people with PD requires further research and gives hope for using vibrotherapy as an effective and adjuvant therapy to pharmacological therapy.

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