Whole Body Vibration to Improve Balance/Strength and Down Syndrome

A randomized controlled study was published on 30 children with Down syndrome, where 15 children received physical therapy and 15 children received physical therapy and whole body vibration training. Both groups participated 3x/week for 6 months. The groups underwent stability testing and muscle strength testing before and after the 6 mos of the treatment program.

The results indicated the following:
1. Each group demonstrated significant improvements in stability indices and muscle strength after treatment.
2. significantly greater improvements were seen in the study group (whole body vibration) when compared with the control group.

The researchers concluded that "Whole-body vibration may be a useful intervention modality to improve balance and muscle strength in children with Down syndrome".

Reference:  Eid, Mohamed Ahmed.  Effect of Whole-Body Vibration Training on Standing Balance and Muscle Strength in Children with Down Syndrome.  American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation., Post Author Corrections: October 8, 2014.  Published Ahead-of-Print

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