Vibration therapy improves walk, balance in elderly

Abstract

Good vibrations
In the new study, 42 volunteers in a nursing home were randomized to a vibration group or a
nontreatment group for 6 weeks. The treatment group underwent 6 weeks of CWBV (4 oneminute
series 3 times a week) on a vertical vibrating platform (10 Hz in the first and third
series and 27 Hz in the second and fourth ones). The machine used was the Galileo 900®
(Orthometrix Inc, White Plains, NY).
After 6 weeks of therapy, patients in the vibrating group showed:
• 143% improvement in physical function.
• 41% improvement in pain.
• 60% increase in vitality.
• 23% improvement in general health.
• 57% improvement in quality of walking as assessed by the Tinetti test (compared with
a 2% improvement in control subjects).
• 77% improvement in equilibrium (compared with 1% worsening in controls).
• 39% decrease in time required to get up and go (compared with an increase of 14%
among controls).
While it was only a small study, ‚after just 3 weeks or 9 sessions, we saw a great
improvement in get-up-and-go,‘ Bruyere tells rheumawire. ‚Longer studies are needed,‘ he
adds. Patients in the new study also did about 10 minutes a day of classical physical exercise.