Effect of vibrotherapy (WBV) on muscle strength and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis
In the treatment of osteoporosis, among others, calcium and vitamin D supplementation, as well as physical exercise are used. Recently, a passive form of physical activity – whole-body vibration (WBV) – has gained attention in this context. Since WBV can be very beneficial in terms of ease of implementation and accessibility even for weakened patients or those with difficulty in performing intense exercise, scientists from the University of Cairo (Egypt) decided to investigate whether adding WBV to the supplementation therapy would improve muscle work and bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar vertebrae and femur in postmenopausal women with low BMD, compared to supplementation alone.
- Vibrotherapy improved leg muscle function in postmenopausal women (fig. 1)
- and increased bone mineral density.
Prepared on the basis of:
Effect of Whole-Body Vibration Exercise on Power Profile and Bone Mineral Density in Postmenopausal Women With Osteoporosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial. ElDeeb AM, Abdel-Aziem AA. J Manipulative. Physiol Ther. 2020 May;43(4):384-393.
Study population
43 postmenopausal women with low BMD who meet the relevant criteria were qualified for the study.
Test procedure
Women were randomly assigned to the WBV or control group. Each day they received calcium (1,200 mg) and vitamin D (800 IU) once a day, regardless of the group. (Earlier scientific reports suggested that such supplementation reduced BMD loss and the risk of falls in the elderly). The WBV group additionally received WBV training twice a week for 24 weeks. Besides, the subjects conducted a normal routine of everyday activities.
Before and immediately after the start of the 24-week study, all participants had BMD measured in the lumbar spine segment (L2-4) and femur (femoral neck, Ward’s triangle, and greater trochanter) by Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA; Unigramm X-ray Plus, Italy). Muscle performance while walking was also analyzed using the Qualisys gait analysis system (Qualisys Medical AB, Sweden).
Use of vibration in the study
The vibration was provided by the DKN Pro vibration platform (Hamme, Belgium). WBV with the following vibration parameters was used: vertical, frequency 20-35 Hz, amplitude 2.5-5 mm. The women stood on the platform with their feet shoulder-width apart, their backs straight, evenly distributing their weight over their feet, and holding the handrails for balance. Then they performed various exercises, e.g. they took the positions of a half-squat, squat, deep squat, squat on one leg or they did squats. Along with the research program, the intensity of WBV was gradually increased by increasing the intensity of vibrations, the duration of vibration sessions or the number of their repetitions, or by shortening the rests.
Results
As a result of vibrotherapy (WBV), the work of the hip (fig. 1), knee and ankle muscles while walking was increased (P < 0.05). There was also an increase in the BMD of the analyzed lumbar vertebrae (L2-4) and the femoral neck, Ward angle and greater trochanter of the femur (P < 0.05). In the control group, no significant changes (P > 0.05) were observed in this context.
Comment
The presented study showed that 24-week vibrotherapy in the form of WBV training positively influenced the leg muscles and the bone mineral density of postmenopausal osteoporotic women. Thus, the benefits of rehabilitation with the use of vibrotherapy techniques were indicated.
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