Vibration therapy for Parkinson's disease: Charcot's studies revisited

J Parkinsons Dis. 2012;2(1):23-7. doi: 10.3233/JPD-2012-12079.

Abstract

The 19th century neurologist, J-M Charcot, used a vibration chair for treating Parkinson's disease (PD). He documented improvement, but few subsequent studies examined vibration treatment. Using a specialized lounge chair, we conducted a rater blinded, randomized trial of body vibration vs. no vibration in 23 PD patients. The primary outcome measure was change from baseline in the motor section of the MDS-UPDRS. Both vibration and no vibration groups significantly improved after one month of daily treatments. However, there was no significant difference between the two treatment groups, suggesting that non-specific or placebo factors had an effect on PD motor function.

Publication types

  • Historical Article
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • History, 19th Century
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Parkinson Disease / history
  • Parkinson Disease / rehabilitation*
  • Physical Therapy Modalities* / history
  • Physical Therapy Modalities* / instrumentation
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Vibration / therapeutic use*