The Effects of Whole Body Vibration on the Limits of Stability in Adults With Subacute Ankle Injury.
Sonia Young, Harvey W Wallmann, Kailey L Quiambao and 1 others
PMID 34123528WHAT IT FOUND
High-frequency whole-body vibration improved reaction time and movement speed in adults with subacute ankle sprains, but the changes were smaller than those needed for clinical significance.
Low-frequency vibration and rest produced no improvement.
Key findings
01High-frequency vibration significantly decreased reaction time and increased movement velocity and maximal excursion compared to baseline and control conditions.
02The observed improvements in reaction time, movement velocity, and maximal excursion were smaller than the minimal detectable change values required for clinical significance in healthy adolescents.
03Low-frequency vibration did not produce statistically significant improvements in any limits of stability variables.
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How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study included only 15 participants, which limits the generalizability of the findings. Participants were in the subacute healing phase, so spontaneous recovery over the three-week period may have influenced the results. A learning effect from repeated testing could have contributed to improvements in balance measures. Knee flexion was not re-assessed during the intervention, so participants may not have maintained the required stance position throughout the six-minute session. The clinical significance of the observed changes is questionable because the improvements were smaller than the minimal detectable change values established in healthy populations.
Declared interests
The authors report no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the statistically significant improvements in reaction time and movement velocity as evidence that high-frequency whole-body vibration is clinically effective for subacute ankle sprains. The changes were smaller than the minimal detectable change values required for true clinical improvement.