title: Whole-Body Vibration Results in Short-Term Improvement in the Gait of Children With Idiopathic Toe Walking.
abstract: This study aimed to determine the impact of multiple doses of whole-body vibration on heel strike, spatial and temporal gait parameters, and ankle range of motion of children with idiopathic toe walking. Whole-body vibration was applied for 5 sets of 1 minute vibration/1 minute rest. Gait measures were collected pre intervention, 1, 5, 10, and 20 minutes postintervention with the GaitRite(®) electronic walkway. Ankle range of motion was measured preintervention, immediately postintervention, and 20 minutes postintervention. The mean (SD) age of the 15 children (n = 10 males) was 5.93 (1.83) years. An immediate increase in heel contact (P = .041) and ankle range of motion (P = .001 and P = .016) was observed. These changes were unsustained 20 minutes postvibration (P > .05). The gait improvement from whole-body vibration could potentially be due to a rapid increase in ankle range of motion or a neuromodulation response.
authors.affiliation: Physiotherapy Department, Monash University, Victoria, Australia Allied Health Research Unit, Monash Health, Monash Children's Hospital, Victoria, Australia cylie.williams@monash.edu.
authors.forename: Cylie M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Victorian Paediatric Rehabilitation Service, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Michalitsis
authors.affiliation: Clinical Gait Analysis Service, Monash Health, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Anna T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: Victorian Paediatric Rehabilitation Service, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rawicki
authors.affiliation: Physiotherapy Department, Monash University, Victoria, Australia Allied Health Research Unit, Monash Health, Monash Children's Hospital, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Terry P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Haines
mesh_terms: D000842:Ankle / Q000503:physiopathology; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot / Q000503:physiopathology; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014732:Vibration / Q000627:therapeutic use*
keywords: gait; whole-body vibration