H.1 Combating Peripheral Neuropathy, One Vibrator at a Time

Peripheral neuropathy is a common complication of many medical conditions including cancer (secondary to chemotherapy), trauma and, most notably, diabetes. It is a disease process that can significantly impair one’s quality of life. Patients often complain of dropping items or unknowingly stepping on sharp objects due to loss of sensation in their hands and feet. Additionally, the pain associated with neuropathy is often described as “stabbing pins and needles” making it hard to complete activities of daily living. Complications of peripheral neuropathy can be severe, leaving many patients with non-healing wounds or ulcers in their feet.

Whole body vibration (WBV) therapy is a treatment modality that has been primarily used for improving muscle strength and balance in patients with Parkinson’s Disease, recent stroke, or fibromyalgia. Over the last 5-7 years it has been applied more broadly to patients suffering from peripheral neuropathy. These patients often end up having symptoms that are refractory to prescription medications. Fortunately, WBV in patients suffering from peripheral neuropathy has been shown to have favorable outcomes such as pain reduction gait improvement (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877593411000117). One of the setbacks of WBV is its accessibility. Patients must go to a dedicated rehab center multiple times a week and stand on a platform that delivers a specific frequency of vibratory waves for up to 30 minutes a session (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAHchLJMQYM). This can be a challenge for patients with lack of transportation and/or busy work schedules, especially since patients need to come in for multiple sessions of treatment over weeks to months.

The goal of this project is to develop a cost-effective, compact product that utilizes the principles of WBV therapy to treat peripheral neuropathy within the comfort of a patient’s home. Ideally, this device would be mobile and portable, thereby eliminating the inconvenience of going to a rehab facility multiple times a week. Ultimately, this device could also be used to treat other common conditions for patients with neurological disease and chronic pain.