Vibration therapy tolerated in children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy: a pilot study.
BACKGROUND
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is an X-linked recessive muscular dystrophy. Clinical management primarily involves rehabilitation strategies aimed at preserving functional mobility as long as possible. Side-alternating vibration therapy is a rehabilitation intervention that has shown promise in a number of different neuromuscular disorders, and has the potential to preserve strength, functional mobility, and bone mass. There has been little research regarding the tolerance to side-alternating vibration therapy in muscle diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy.


METHODS
Four patients were recruited for a pilot study assessing the safety and tolerance of side-alternating vibration therapy in individuals with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. All patients participated in a 4-week training period involving side-alternating vibration therapy sessions three times per week. Serum creatine kinase was measured, and adverse effects reviewed at each session with functional mobility assessed before and after the training period.


RESULTS
All patients tolerated the training protocol well, and there were no major changes in functional mobility. One patient had a transient increase in creatine kinase during the study; however, levels of this enzyme were stable overall when comparing the pretraining and posttraining values. Some patients reported subjective improvement during the training period.


CONCLUSIONS
Side-alternating vibration therapy is well tolerated in children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and may have potential to improve or maintain functional mobility and strength in these patients.
Section of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Alberta Children's Hospital, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Electronic address: kmyers@ucalgary.ca.
Kenneth A
KA
Myers
Riddell Movement Assessment Centre, Department of Pediatrics, Alberta Children's Hospital, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Barbara
B
Ramage
Department of Medical Genetics and Pediatrics, Alberta Children's Hospital, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Aneal
A
Khan
Section of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Alberta Children's Hospital, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Jean K
JK
Mah
D002648:Child; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020388:Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne / Q000097:blood / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011601:Psychophysics; D014732:Vibration / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D003402:Creatine Kinase
Duchenne muscular dystrophy; rehabilitation; safety; side-alternating vibration therapy; whole-body vibration therapy