| Objective: To systematically review the effect of the whole body vibration (WBV) on walking abilities of the cerebral palsy children as well as the mechanism. Method: Electronic database such as PUBMED, Google Scholar, EMBASE as well as the Cochrane Library was searched (from Dec. 2006 to Dec. 2016) for randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and studies were independently searched and chosen by two reviewers. The methodological quality of literatures meeting the inclusion criteria was assessed and the basic characteristics, interventions, efficacy indicators, etc., were extracted and analyzed. Result: Seven RCTs were included in the Meta-analysis. The gait speed was significantly increased. On the other hand, the difference of the muscle tone evaluated by Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) and the muscle strength evaluated by handheld dynamometer showed no statistical significance. Conclusion: Based on the available Meta-analysis results, we argue that WBV can improve the walking ability of children with cerebral palsy and it should be included as part of the conventional physical treatment of children with cerebral palsy. |
