The Torrens Kelly family were “somewhat sceptical” when son Luke, then 12, joined a clinical trial of a new vibration therapy for cerebral palsy at the Liggins Institute. “Luke has had many therapies in the past and it is often hard to judge whether or not they have any effect,” says his mother, Tracey Torrens.
It turned out that 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. “What was really special to see was how he regained confidence in sport and was happy to partake in handball at school this year.”
Whole-body vibration training involves standing on a specially designed vibration plate (different from the ones sold in malls for toning). Its see-saw movement stimulates a pattern similar to walking, which is thought to improve communication between the muscles and spine, aiding balance and co-ordination.
Luke 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 Trust, which also funded the original research along with the Sir David Levene Foundation.
Researchers aim to recruit 40 children aged five-ten years with mild to severe cerebral palsy and general musculoskeletal disability. They will also investigate the feasibility of using vibration therapy in under-fives at high risk of neuromuscular problems, and the effects of shorter sessions for adolescents.
“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,” says study lead Dr Silmara Gusso, a Research Fellow at the University of Auckland’s Liggins Institute.
"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, giving these young people the most benefits possible.”
In the original trial, which was the biggest and most rigorous 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, better mood, boosted confidence, and greater manoeuvrability. Some children walked 30 per cent further in a six-minute walk test – a big difference for them.