Good vibrations: whole body vibration treatment increases balance and bone formation
Falls are common in older people and often cause fractures. Limited treatments are available to help reduce the risk of falling, but a new study has shown that whole body vibration could improve both balance and strength.
A group of volunteers took part in the NICE recommended falls prevention programme, which includes exercise. They were split into three groups that involved:
– A vibration platform that moved vertically up and down
– A vibration platform with a see-saw action
– A stationary platform while a buzzing noise was played so the participants thought they were receiving vibration (sham vibration).
The vibration training involved visiting the unit three times per week for 12 weeks, and standing on the plate during several short bouts of vibration, for a maximum of six minutes in total.
Measurements of balance and strength improved in all groups after the falls prevention programme. The vertical vibration produced greater improvements in leg muscle power, which is important in activities such as climbing stairs. Both active vibration groups showed increases in bone formation compared to the sham vibration group, suggesting that vibration could improve bone strength.
Professor Tahir Masud who is involved in the work comments:
“We were particularly interested in whether the frailer older people who are at a higher risk of falling and fracturing could tolerate this type of intervention, and the results suggest that there could be potential in exploring the idea further in this population. We now need further larger studies to see if falls (and fractures) can be prevented by this technique”.
Image credit: alexanderward12
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