Effects of whole-body vibration training with different frequencies on the balance ability of the older adults: a network meta-analysis

Author: Peirong Liu1, Yongjie Li2, Yajun Xiao1, Duo Li1, Lin Liu1, Yong Ma1, Weitao Zheng1
Affiliation:
1 Key Laboratory of Sports Engineering of General Administration of Sports of China, Research Center of Sports Equipment Engineering Technology of Hubei Province, Wuhan Sports University, Wuhan, China.
2 Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital Guizhou Hospital, Guiyang, China.
Conference/Journal: Front Physiol
Date published: 2023 Apr 17
Other: Volume ID: 14 , Pages: 1153163 , Special Notes: doi: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1153163. , Word Count: 324


Purpose: To compare the effects of whole-body vibration training (WBVT) with different frequencies on the balance ability of older adults. Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the WBVT interventions on balance ability in older adults were searched through PubMed, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, ProQuest, Embase, Opengrey, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, and China Science and Technology Journal Database (CSTJ) databases from the establishment of the database to August 2022, and all literature that met the PICOS (Participants, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes, Study design) criteria were enrolled. Two reviewers screened and assessed the methodological quality of the included literature according to the physiotherapy evidence database (PEDro) scale criteria. Statistical analysis was performed using Stata 14.0 software after data extraction. Results: Twenty-five RCTs with a total of 1267 subjects were finally included. The results of the pairwise comparison of the Network Meta-analysis showed that the Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT) values of Low-frequency whole-body vibration training (LF-WBVT) was lower than the placebo and traditional rehabilitation groups, and the difference was statistically significant [WMD = -1.37, 95% CI (-2.53, -0.20)] [WMD = -1.84, 95% CI(-3.17,-0.51)]. The Five-repetition Sit-to-Stand Test (5STS) values of LF-WBVT, Medium-frequency whole-body vibration training (MF-WBVT), and High-frequency whole-body vibration training (HF-WBVT) were lower than the placebo and traditional rehabilitation groups, but none of them were statistically significant. In addition, the TUGT and 5STS values of HF-WBVT had a tendency to be lower than those of LF-WBVT and MF-WBVT, but neither of them was statistically different. The cumulative probability ranking results of both TUGT and 5STS showed that HF-WBVT was the best protocol. Conclusion: Current evidence shows that HF-WBVT may be the best protocol for improving balance in older adults. Due to the study's limitations, the conclusion obtained in this study still needs to be further confirmed by more high-quality studies. Systematic Review Registration: [https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/], identifier [CRD42021250405].

Keywords: balance; frequency; meta-analysis; older adults; whole body vibration.

PMID: 37123276 PMCID: PMC10140584 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1153163

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