Efficacy of focal mechanic vibration treatment on balance in Charcot-Marie-Tooth 1A disease: a pilot study

Abstract

Patients affected by Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease experience an impaired balance. Although the causes of the postural instability are not fully understood, somatosensory system seems to play a key role. Mechanical vibration seems to act on the somatosensory system and to improve its function. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effects of focal mechanical vibration (fMV) on the balance of CMT 1A patients. We enrolled 14 genetically confirmed CMT 1A patients (8 female and 6 male, mean age 492 years, range 32-74, mean duration of disease: 13 years, range 1-30). Patients underwent a 3-day fMV treatment on quadriceps and triceps surae and were evaluated before the treatment as well as 1 week and 1 month after the end of the treatment. The primary outcome measure was the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and the secondary were the Dynamic Gait Index (DGI), the 6 Min Walking Test (6MWT), the muscular strength of lower limbs, the Quality of Life (QoL) questionnaire and the stabilometric variables. The statistical analysis showed a significant modification of the BBS due to the effect of treatment (p < 0.05). A significant modification was also found in the DGI (p < 0.05). Concerning the stabilometric variables we found significant changes only for the eyes closed condition; in particular, a significant decrease was found in VelocityML (p < 0.05) and Sway path length (p < 0.05). The fMV treatment applied on lower limbs of CMT 1A patients determined an improvement of balance as detected by the BBS. The concurrent improvement of stabilometric variables in the eyes closed condition only suggests that fMV acts mostly on somatosensory afferences. Further studies are needed to confirm these data on a larger sample of CMT patients.

Focal Muscle Vibration and Physical Exercise in Postmastectomy Recovery: An Explorative Study

“…Vibratory stimulation was applied according the same protocol applied in other studies [9–15] to the muscles using a specific device that consisted of an electromechanical transducer, a mechanical support, and an electronic control. The support was rigidly anchored to the floor to guarantee good mechanical contact with tissue.…”

“…In a recent and relatively wide group of studies, a particular type of mechanical vibration, at high frequency (100 Hz) and low amplitude (0.2–0.5 mm), focally applied on selected muscles, showed significant improvement of endurance, strength, power, joint stiffness control, and body image perception [9–15]. These effects are likely due to a direct effect on the central nervous networks which control the motor execution [9–15].…”

“…These effects are likely due to a direct effect on the central nervous networks which control the motor execution [9–15]. The effects were observed both in healthy and in impaired individuals, including elderly people, characterized by asthenia.…”

Maladie de Charcot-Marie-Tooth

“…Parmi les autres composantes de la rééducation, signalons la stimulation sensitive de la peau plantaire avec le Vibralgic ® [4] ( Figure 5). …”

Long‐term walking ability and patient satisfaction after lower limb functional surgery in patients affected by Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth disease: A retrospective study

“…This includes physiotherapy to maintain joint mobility, to increase muscle strength, and to improve both postural control and endurance; the use of orthoses to enhance walking efficiency, and foot functional surgery (FS) to correct ankle deformities and to improve gait functionality. 2,[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] The real benefit to the surgical approach is in striving to restore the physiological tibiotarsal and foot joint biomechanics and the correct rockers of gait as best as possible. Surgical procedures have been progressively improving since the late 1970s, based also on the surgeon's personal preferences and schools of thought.…”