Whole-body vibration enhances effectiveness of "locomotion training" evaluated in healthy young adult women.
Yukio Mikami, Junko Amano, Mikiko Kawamura and 7 others
PMID 31871373WHAT IT FOUND
Healthy young women who performed squatting and standing exercises on a vibrating platform maintained their knee strength and balance, while those on the floor declined.
The vibrating group also moved faster in a timed walk. This suggests vibration may make simple exercises more effective.
Key findings
01The group training on the vibrating platform maintained knee extension strength, whereas the group training on the floor lost strength.
02The vibrating platform group showed significantly better dynamic balance scores after training compared to the floor group.
03Only the vibrating platform group significantly improved their speed on the Timed Up and Go test after training.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study was conducted on healthy young women in their 20s, so the results may not apply to the elderly population for whom locomotion training is primarily intended. Participants were not blinded to the intervention, which could influence effort or performance. The examiners were blinded, but the study notes that examiner capabilities varied and were not fixed. The study did not measure trunk, hip, or ankle strength, which are critical for balance. The sample size was small (26 completers), and the study was designed as a preliminary pilot, not a definitive trial. The non-WBV group showed declines in strength and balance, which is unusual for a healthy young cohort performing exercise; this might reflect low baseline activity levels or measurement variability rather than a true negative effect of the floor exercises.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this proves vibration prevents falls in the elderly. The study was a pilot on healthy young women, and while it showed better maintenance of function with vibration, it did not measure fall rates or outcomes in the target clinical population.