Whole Body Vibration for Parkinson’s Disease

Whole body vibration appears to be as effective as conventional physical therapy for treating gait and improving balance in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease is a movement disorder that is chronic and progressive; symptoms continue and worsen over time. It affects nerve cells in a part of the brain that controls muscle movement.

Parkinson's disease occurs when a group of cells in an area of the brain called the substantia nigra begin to malfunction and die. The cells in the substantia nigra produce a chemical called dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, or chemical messenger, which sends information to the parts of the brain that control movement and coordination.

When an individual has Parkinson's disease, his/her dopamine-producing cells begin to die and the amount of dopamine produced in the brain decreases. Messages from the brain telling the body how and when to move are therefore delivered more slowly, leaving a person incapable of initiating and controlling movements in a normal way.

The four primary symptoms of Parkinson's disease are tremor, or trembling in hands, arms, legs, jaw and face; rigidity, or stiffness of the limbs and trunk; bradykinesia, or slowness of movement; and postural instability, or impaired balance and coordination (parkinsonian gait). As these symptoms become more severe, patients may have difficulty walking, talking or completing other simple tasks.

Parkinson's disease usually affects people over the age of 50. There are 1-1.5 million people in the United States living with Parkison's. The disorder occurs in all races but is somewhat more prevalent among Caucasians. Men are affected slightly more often than women.

Researchers from Germany compared the effects of whole body vibration and conventional physiotherapy on levodopa-resistant disturbances of balance and gait in idiopathic Parkinson's disease.

In the study, 27 patients with Parkinson's disease and dopa-resistant imbalance on stable dopamine replacement medication were randomized (intent-to-treat population) to receive whole body vibration (13 patients) or conventional physical therapy (14 patients).

The subjects received 30 sessions (two 15-min sessions a day, 5 days a week) of either whole body vibration on an oscillating platform or conventional balance training including exercises on a tilt board.

Twenty-one patients (per protocol population) completed follow-up (14 men, 7 women; 10 from the whole body vibration group and 11 controls).

The primary measure was the Tinetti Balance Scale score. Secondary clinical ratings included stand-walk-sit test, walking velocity, Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (section III motor examination) score, performance in the pull test and dynamic posturography.

The study found that the Tinetti score improved from 9.3 to 12.8 points in the whole body vibration group and from 8.3 to 11.7 in the controls. All secondary measures, except posturography, likewise improved at follow-up compared with baseline in both groups.

Quantitative dynamic posturography only improved in patients with whole body vibration and there was no significant change in controls.

The study authors concluded that equilibrium and gait improved in patients with Parkinson's disease receiving both conventional whole body vibration and conventional physical therapy in the setting of a comprehensive rehabilitation program. There was no conclusive evidence for the superior efficacy of whole body vibration compared with conventional balance training.

Integrative therapies with good scientific evidence in the treatment of Parkinson's disease include 5-HTP and music therapy.

5-HTP has been observed to have benefits in some people who have difficulty standing or walking because of cerebral ataxia (failure of part of the brain to regulate body posture and limb movements). Some research shows that 5-HTP may allow individuals with unsteady movements to stand alone without assistance, walk without aid or have improved coordination. Other research shows no benefit. Further research is needed before a conclusion can be drawn.

Music therapy has been reported to improve symptoms in people with Parkinson's disease. Modest improvement in symptoms including motor coordination, speech intelligibility and vocal intensity, bradykinesia (slow movement), emotional functions, activities of daily living and quality of life were seen.

Kava is an integrative therapy with fair negative evidence in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. It has been shown to increase 'off' periods in Parkinson patients taking levodopa and can cause a semicomatose state when given with alprazolam. Therefore, it is not recommended.

Comments

[Lori Pisio]

I started using whole-body vibration about 9 months ago to increase the strength in my legs. Within 6 months of using the vibration exercise machine, I lost 35 lbs, regained the strength and tone in my legs, lost cellulite, have not had any lower back muscles spasms and generally feel great after using this machine.

You can read my testimonial at www.vibrafitbody.com, as I was so excited with the results I got that I really wanted to share this with others.

[James]

I agree with Danielle and CE. Why are we wasting time with therapies that are only equal to what we have now? Let's spend our money on more advanced research, like adult stem cells.

learn more at http://www.myPARKINSONSINFORMATION.NET

[Larry]

What about using whole body vibration and similar techniques to prevent Parkinson’s? Researchers should spend their time focusing on how to prevent the disease rather than how to just treat the symptoms. Health are in general places too much emphasis on “How do I fix what's wrong?” and not “How do I keep this from happening in the first place?” There needs to be a complete shift in treatment philosophy.

[LM]

Whole body vibration therapy may improve symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, at least based on this study, but is it better than other therapies that are already available? As others have discussed, why not use conventional therapy instead since it is also effective? Whole body vibration does not seem to be a more convenient or a cost-effective option for patients with this disease, since patients in the study had two treatments daily, five days each week. I also agree with the importance of conducting more research on the use of stem cells for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. It seems more relevant to be putting resources into a new and promising therapy option for such a debilitating disease.

[DC]

A trial with only 27 patients per group does not influence my opinion on this subject very much. All patients were on stable dopamine-replacement therapy before entering either treatment group. I’m curious as to the cost of such treatment with whole body vibration (WBV). Considering that this trial only conducted a four-week follow up assessment, I’m not convinced patients undergoing this therapy would not need life-long WBV, thus accruing a greater cost to the patient. Also, daily sessions may just not be feasible for patients to undergo.

[Joe]

I agree with Julie. More research and money needs to go into finding therapies that help cure the disease, not just improving symptoms. While improving symptoms and quality of life are important options, a true cure is what will truly help patients with Parkinson’s disease.

[Julie]

I agree with Danielle and CE. Why are we wasting time with therapies that are only equal to what we have now? Let's spend our money on more advanced research, like adult stem cells.

Here is a really great article: http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-smith042302.asp

This was written in 2002, so why is the media still obsessed with embryonic stem cells!!!

[Barney]

Zoe, all of the findings of the study were based upon improvement of physical symptoms not of actual disease progression on the cellular level. All of the treatments for Parkinson's, including prescription treatments, can’t stop or slow disease progression, they just help improve symptoms. Physical therapy has been shown to be very useful in improving physical functioning and this study has helped find an effective alternative in whole body vibration.

[Zoe]

Even if vibrational therapy is as effective as physical therapy, does that really mean it helps treat the disorder? If symptoms of Parkinson's disease develop because brain cells malfunction and die, I can't imagine that physical therapy would be all that effective.

[Greg]

Ancient Greeks promoted vibration therapy to heal bruising and increase joint mobility (arthritis). Practitioners created vibration by placing a long piece of wood, which an assistant held, over the affected area. The practitioner would then use the patient's body as a stabilizer and saw the wood; vibrations of this motion would be transferred to the affected area. In 16th-Century Japan, a popular book advocated for the use of percussion and vibration massage to ameliorate rheumatic complaints and encourage the healing of broken bones. More than 40 years ago, the Russian space program noticed that astronauts returning from space experienced bone fractures and bone mass loss much earlier than their earth-bound counterparts. The Russians used whole body vibration devices to help build up the bone mass of astronauts. Today, NASA also uses vibration therapy to prevent the loss of bone mass in astronauts, particularly females, who are more prone to osteoporosis.

Advocates have promoted vibration therapy to treat a variety of other conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, phantom limb syndrome, cerebral palsy, arthritis, tinnitus, ulcers and fibromyalgia. They also claim that this modality reduces cellulite, regulates reproductive function, boosts the lymphatic system, improves wound healing and increases glucose and body metabolism.

[Toni]

Hmm, I'm not exactly sure what whole body vibrational therapy is. I'd like more information on what is involved and how it is supposed to work. Can anyone offer some insight?

[CE]

I agree with your comment about the stem cell research, Danielle. You should also go back and read the March blog about the new stem cell research. The focus in the stem cell research community appears to be shifting towards adult-derived stem cells rather than embryonic.

[Danielle]

What about the latest research on adult stem cells and Parkinson's?

Here is a really cool testimony from a man with Parkinson's who experienced a large amount of relief from trembling and his other symptoms after receiving an injection of his own stem cells: http://www.leaderu.com/science/stemcelltestimony_turner.html

I think we should be investing in more of this research and stop with the embryonic stem cells already.

[GM]

In accepting the researchers' findings that whole body vibration is as effective as conventional physical therapy, what benefit does the new therapy provide over the old therapy? Is whole body vibration easier to perform, cheaper, have a higher availability to patients, or is it more comfortable for patients? Just because a new treatment can be shown to be as effective, this does not mean that it should replace conventional treatment.