Zeitschrift für neuartige Physiotherapien

Abstrakt

Effect of Vestibular Stimulation Versus Whole Body Vibration on Standing Balance in Children with Spastic Diplegic Cerebral Palsy

Ashish Parashar, Monalisa Pattnaik and Patitapaban Mohanty

Introduction: Most cerebral palsy children have deficits in balance, co-ordination, and gait throughout childhood and adulthood. So, it is essential to seek an ideal physical therapy program to help in solving such widespread problem. The present study was conducted to compare between the effect of whole body vibration and vestibular stimulation on standing balance in children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy.

Method: 30 children were randomly assigned to group 1 (n=15, male: 11, female: 4, mean age: 6.2, SD 2.48) and group 2 (n=15, male: 8, female: 7, mean age: 6.9, SD 2.01). Balance was measured by Pediatric balance scale and parents perception on balance. Group 1 received vestibular stimulation in addition to conventional physiotherapy while group 2 received whole body vibration addition to the same physical therapy program given to the group 1.

Statistical analysis: Data was analyzed using Mann Whitney U test by taking the change of score from pre to post. To find out the difference between the groups for changed score of Pediatric balance scale. Independent T-test was used for Parents perception on balance and within group difference analysis was done using Wilcoxon Signed Rank test for both the group separately.

Results: The Group 1 and Group 2 showed an change of 21.10 and 9.90 ranks on PBS and 3.73 & 1.60 on Parents perception on balance respectively over 4 weeks period which was significant with time. The improvement in group 1 was significantly more than the group 2.

Conclusion: Vestibular stimulation with conventional physiotherapy exercises brings about more improvement in balance than whole body vibration and conventional physiotherapy.