Focal Vibration Training (Equistasi®) to Improve Posture Stability. A Retrospective Study in Parkinson’s Disease

Francesco Serio, Cosimo Minosa, Matteo De Luca, Pierguido Conte, Giovanni Albani, Antonella Peppe

Sensors (Basel), May 2019

1. For people with Parkinson’s disease (PD), falls are a critical point. Focal vibration training (FVT) may represent a valid tool to improve postural performances and reduce the risk of falls. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of FVT to improve the postural stability in PD patients.

2. 55 consecutive PD patients have been selected (T0) for an approach including FVT associated with a rehabilitative protocol (RP); after eight weeks (T1), those patients showing a relevant improvement in the clinical rating scales ((Timed Up and Go (TUG), Tinetti, Unified Parkinson’s disease rating scale (UPDRS) Part III, Berg Balance scale (BBS) and falls rate scale), continued with the FVT protocol (FVTRP group).