Effects of whole body vibration in individuals with diabetic peripheral neuropathy: a systematic review

BACKGROUND: Whole-body vibration (WBV) is an alternative intervention for patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) but its clinical efficacy is unclear. OBJECTIVE: To summarize the effects of WBV on important outcomes for patients with DPN. DATA SOURCES: Medline, PEDro, Cochrane CENTRAL and Google Scholar were searched up to July 2017. Search terms included diabetic neuropathies and WBV. STUDY SELECTION: Interventional studies that utilized WBV for treating DPN outcomes with at least one-week follow-up were included. DATA EXTRACTION: Data were independently extracted by two reviewers using a standardized checklist. DATA SYNTHESIS: Twenty-two registers were identified. Three studies (83 patients) satisfied the selection criteria. Studies assessed the effect of WBV on the glycemic profile, neuropathic pain, and balance. WBV presented positive effects on these outcomes, but a high risk of bias was identified in most studies. No study assessed plantar tactile sensitivity. LIMITATIONS: Most studies have a high level of bias. No pooling data was possible due to few studies included. CONCLUSIONS: Very low-quality evidence suggests that WBV has a slight positive effect on glycemic control in patients with DPN, improving neuropathic pain and balance. Future studies may change the WBV estimated effect on DPN outcomes.