Exercise can only be medicine if we understand the dose-response relationships and administer it symptom specifically. Studies have shown, that some sort of sensorimotor training is necessary to target CIPN-related symptoms, while endurance and strength training alone have shown little impact. We therefore wanted to investigate the potential of two neuromuscular stimulating exercises: Sensorimotor training (SMT) and whole-body vibration training (WBV), on the symptoms of CIPN in more detail. We performed a prospective, four-group, randomized, controlled trial, in which we randomly assigned 40 patients to either one of the two interventions (10 in SMT and 10 in WVB) and compared these groups with a cancer control group (10 participants), or a healthy control group matched by age and gender (10 participants). The exercise groups trained twice a week for six weeks. The main goal was to reduce CIPN-related symptoms, including improving deep sensitivity, Achilles and patellar tendon reflexes, light-touch perception, sense of position, and lower leg strength. Secondary goals included nerve function, balance, quality of life, and CIPN-related pain.

Patients who exercised showed improvements in sensory and motor symptoms. There were significant differences between the groups in tendon reflexes, deep sensitivity, and pain. The SMT group showed better results in tendon reflexes and a tendency towards better subjective symptom reports, while WBV was better for pain.

To conclude, SMT and WBV behold a large potential to reduce CIPN-related symptoms and can be considered feasible and safe for patients with CIPN.

Annals of Oncology