Vibration therapy trial offers hope

Young cerebral palsy sufferers benefit from Auckland sessions

Avibration-based therapy being trialled in Auckland could help young people with cerebral palsy. The concept of whole-body vibration training sounds remarkably simple: a person stands on a speciallydesigned vibration plate, creating a see-saw movement that stimulates a pattern similar to walking.

This is thought to improve communication between the muscles and spine, aiding balance and coordination.

The family of Luke Torrens Kelly admitted they were “somewhat sceptical” when he joined a clinical trial of the therapy at Auckland University’s Liggins Institute.

“Luke has had many therapies in the past and it is often hard to judge whether or not they have any effect,” the 14-year-old’s mother, Tracey Torrens, said.

The vibration therapy was fun and easy for Luke, who is at the mild end of the spectrum, and caused him to gain 2kg in muscle mass after five months.

He was one of 40 people with cerebral palsy, aged 11 to 20, in the trial, which showed vibration therapy increased strength and mobility.

Now the same therapy will be trialled in younger children thanks to a grant of $390,000 over three years from the Jubilee Crippled Children Foundation.

Researchers aim to recruit 40 children aged 5 to 10 years with mild to severe cerebral palsy and general musculoskeletal disability.

They will also investigate the feasibility of using vibration therapy in under-5s at high risk of neuromuscular problems, and the effects of shorter sessions for adolescents.

Jubilee also funded the original research, with the Sir David Levene Foundation.

“Together, these studies will identify who will benefit the most from vibration therapy and what is the best protocol — frequency and duration — according to their health and age,” said study leader and Liggins research fellow Dr Silmara Gusso.

“Our hope is that our research will enable practitioners to develop new physical therapy programmes tailored for individual kids and young adults which incorporate vibration therapy alongside other tools.

In the original trial, the biggest of its kind to date, participants stood on the vibration plate for nine minutes a day, four times a week.

After 20 weeks of training, they showed clear benefits: increased bone and muscle mass, and improved day-to-day functioning and quality of life, with some parents reporting fewer falls, boosted confidence, and greater manoeuvrability.

The findings, published last year, attracted international attention.

“I had parents from around the world asking for more details, or saying thank you for doing research in this area, which is quite humbling,” Gusso said.