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Y. Salem1,2, H. Liu3, E. Paslay1, S. Aggarwal1, M. Richardson1, M. Quiben1, M. Yavuz4
1University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, United States, 2Cairo University, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo, Egypt, 3University of North Texas Health Science Center, Physical Therapy, Fort Worth, United States, 4UT Southwestern, Dallas, United States
Background: Limited mobility function including gait and balance are common in older adults. Previous studies reported that limitations in mobility function including abnormal gait and balance contribute to increased fall rate in older adults. Whole Body Vibration (WBV) is a nascent intervention that has the potential to improve walking and balance and could potentially reduce fall risk in older adults. Studies have shown Whole Body Vibration induced several neural and muscular changes, improved muscle performance, and improved balance and decreased risk of falls.
Purpose: The primary purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of using whole body vibration intervention to improve mobility function in older adult. Our working hypothesis was that whole-body vibration intervention will improve mobility function as indicated by improvements in walking and balance measures.
Methods: Ten older adults with balance deficits participated and completed in this study. Subjects participated in eight minutes of whole-body vibration intervention at the frequency of 20 HZ provided two times per week for three weeks. The dosing parameters used in this study were chosen carefully based on the existing literature. Mobility function was tested using the 10MWT, BBS, TUG, 2MWT, and the Five-Times-Sit-to-Stand Test Handheld dynamometer was used to measure strength, and GAITRite system to measure spatial and temporal gait parameters.
Results: Data analysis demonstrated significant improvements in temporal and spatial gait parameters, TUG, BBS, and 2MWT, and a trend towards ankle strength. Among SF-36 contents, significant differences between pre- and post-interventions were identified in both physical and mental health categories. The average attendance of the training sessions was (90%). None of the subjects reported any injuries or adverse event during the 3-week period of intervention.
Conclusion(s): Whole-body vibration intervention appears to be effective to improve walking ability, balance, and endurance in older adults with balance deficits. Whole-body vibration intervention was safe, feasible, and potentially effective, suggesting a promising intervention for older adults with balance disorders. Future randomized controlled studies incorporating large sample size would provide more insight into the effectiveness of this intervention.
Implications: This study is one of the first to assess the effectiveness of whole-body vibration intervention on mobility function including balance and walking in older adults with decreased balance. The positive results in this study may spur physical therapists to use the whole-body vibration intervention to provide adjunctive benefits to their elderly individuals.
Funding, acknowledgements: Texas Physical Therapy Foundation
Keywords: Older People, Balance, Whole-Body Vibration
Topic: Older people
Did this work require ethics approval? Yes
Institution: University of North Texas Health Science Center
Committee: North Texas Regional Institutional Review Board
Ethics number: IRB Project # 2018-149
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
