Proprioceptive vibration training accelerates independent walking in stroke patients: A retrospective cohort study with survival analysis

Stroke often leads to persistent impairments in motor function, balance, and gait. Proprioceptive vibration training (PVT) may facilitate sensorimotor integration and functional recovery in individuals with neurological impairment; however, its association with the timing of independent walking after stroke remains unclear. In this retrospective, non-randomized longitudinal cohort study, 102 patients with stroke were categorized into a PVT group (n = 50) or a conventional physical therapy (CPT) group (n = 52). Both groups received 30-minute sessions, 5 d/wk, for 8 weeks. Outcomes included the Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Lower Extremity, Trunk Impairment Scale, Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Functional Ambulation Category (FAC), and Modified Barthel Index. Kaplan-Meier analysis and adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression were used to evaluate time to achieve BBS ≥ 40 and independent walking, defined as FAC ≥ 4. Post-intervention, the proprioceptive vibration training group exhibited significantly higher Berg Balance Scale scores than the conventional physical therapy group (P = .02) and Functional Ambulation Category scores (P = .01). Survival analysis revealed that the proprioceptive vibration training group achieved independent walking earlier than the conventional physical therapy group (P = .01). Adjusted Cox regression showed that proprioceptive vibration training was significantly associated with earlier achievement of independent walking (P = .02). PVT combined with conventional training was associated with improved balance and gait ability and with earlier achievement of independent walking in patients with stroke, suggesting its potential clinical utility for functional walking recovery.