Effect of whole-body vibration training on leg venous properties in children

Introduction. The aim of the conducted study was to evaluate the effects of whole-body vibration (WBV) training in children with cerebral palsy (CP) on venous circulation in the lower limbs. Material and Methods. The study was conducted among 13 children with CP aged 7–11 years. A reference group of 13 healthy peers matched for age and gender was also included. Doppler ultrasound of the femoral and popliteal veins of both lower limbs was performed for all subjects. The following parameters were obtained: 1) flow velocity for the femoral vein and 2) flow velocity for the popliteal vein. In children with CP, the examination was repeated after completing a two-week therapy using WBV. Results. The results suggest that venous circulation in the lower limbs of children with CP may be of lower quality compared to their healthy peers. Additionally, the findings confirm that WBV reduces spasticity in children with CP. WBV improves the parameters of peripheral venous circulation in the lower limbs of children with CP. Conclusion. To fully assess the impact of vibration training on venous flow quality in the lower limb vessels in children with CP, it will be necessary to expand the study group to a representative sample, including children with CP at different functional levels (GMFCS I-V) and varying degrees of spasticity in the lower limb muscles.