Xu et al. (2024) — Impact of Whole-Body Vibration Training on Ankle Joint Proprioception and Balance in Stroke Patients: A Prospective Cohort Study
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Study Details
Study: Impact of whole-body vibration training on ankle joint proprioception and balance in stroke patients: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Xu P, Song J, Fan W, Zhang Y, Guan Y, Ni C, Wu M, Mu J
Journal: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders
Year: 2024
DOI: 10.1186/s12891-024-07906-z
Study type: Prospective cohort study with randomised group assignment (retrospectively registered, ISRCTN64602845)
Population: 35 stroke patients — 17 assigned to whole-body vibration (WBV) plus standard rehabilitation, 18 to standard rehabilitation alone.
Plain-English Summary
This 2024 study examined whether adding whole-body vibration training to standard post-stroke rehabilitation improves ankle joint proprioception (the sense of joint position) and balance, an area the authors describe as previously not well understood.
What Researchers Examined
- Berg Balance Scale (BBS)
- Functional Reach Test (FRT)
- Romberg test length and area (RTL, RTA)
- Ankle dorsiflexion-plantarflexion (DP) and inversion-eversion (IE) proprioception test completion rates
Key Findings
Both groups improved significantly from baseline on all measures (p < 0.001). Compared with the control group specifically, the WBV group showed significantly greater improvement in ankle proprioception: dorsiflexion-plantarflexion completion rates rose from 13.556 to 16.765 (a 23.7% increase, p < 0.001) and inversion-eversion rose from 5.944 to 8.118 (a 36.6% increase, p < 0.05).
WBV did not provide additional benefit over standard rehabilitation alone for balance-recovery measures (Berg Balance Scale, Functional Reach Test, Romberg length and area) — both groups improved similarly on these measures.
Methodology Notes
This is a mixed, not uniformly positive, result — reported as such. WBV's specific, real advantage in this study is ankle proprioception, not general balance recovery. The authors' own conclusion is precise on this point: WBV should be incorporated into stroke rehabilitation primarily to enhance proprioception, not to optimise balance recovery beyond what standard rehabilitation already achieves.
Design note: despite random assignment via a random-number-table method, the authors describe this as a "prospective cohort study," not a randomised controlled trial, and it was registered retrospectively (after the study began) rather than prospectively.
Small sample (35 patients total) from a single hospital — a real but modest evidence base for this specific stroke sub-population.
Full Citation
Xu P, Song J, Fan W, Zhang Y, Guan Y, Ni C, Wu M, Mu J. (2024). Impact of whole-body vibration training on ankle joint proprioception and balance in stroke patients: a prospective cohort study. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 25, 768. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-024-07906-z
Disclaimer: Research cited throughout this library is independent, peer-reviewed scientific work published in international journals. BGREEN and Turtlegym products are wellness and lifestyle equipment — they are not medical devices and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any medical condition. Persons with health conditions should consult a qualified healthcare professional before use.