Author: Po-Chuan Chang#1, Fu-An Yang#2,3,4, Yu-An Chen5, Yi-Tien Su2,6, Tian-Shin Yeh#5,7, Hung-Chou Chen#8,9
Affiliation:
1 Department of General Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
2 Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
3 Department of internal medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
4 School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
5 Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, No. 291 Zhongjheng Road, Zhonghe District, New Taipei City, 235, Taiwan.
6 Asia Eastern University of Science and Technology, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
7 Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
8 Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, No. 291 Zhongjheng Road, Zhonghe District, New Taipei City, 235, Taiwan. 10462@s.tmu.edu.tw.
9 Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan. 10462@s.tmu.edu.tw.
Conference/Journal: Sci Rep
Date published: 2025 Sep 25
Other:
Volume ID: 15 , Issue ID: 1 , Pages: 32918 , Special Notes: doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-18282-6. , Word Count: 209
This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effect of whole-body vibration training on fibromyalgia. To identify relevant studies, we conducted a comprehensive search of the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Scopus databases from their inception through May 2, 2025. We included studies if they (1) enrolled participants with fibromyalgia; (2) treated participants by using a whole-body vibration training intervention; (3) applied exercise, standard care, or no intervention as the control treatment; and (4) included clinical outcomes such as the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, pain level, quality of life, stability index, and motor function in the related tasks. This meta-analysis included seven randomized controlled trials. The analyses demonstrated that whole-body vibration training led to statistically significant improvements in Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire scores (standardized mean difference [SMD]: - 0.37, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: [- 0.73, - 0.01]), overall stability index (SMD: -0.55, 95% CI: [- 0.95, - 0.15]), and performance in the 6-minute walking test (SMD: 1.65, 95% CI: [1.11, 2.20]). The findings suggest that whole-body vibration training is a viable therapeutic option for individuals with fibromyalgia. Limitations of this study include its relatively small sample size, variations in diagnostic criteria, and the lack of standardized guidelines. To confirm the benefits of whole-body vibration training, additional large-scale, well-designed randomized controlled trials should be conducted.
Keywords: Fibromyalgia; Meta-analysis; Systematic review; Whole-body vibration.
PMID: 40998936 PMCID: PMC12464306 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-18282-6
