The Effect of a Short-Term and Long-Term Whole-Body Vibration in Healthy Men upon the Postural Stability

Abstract

The study aimed to establish the short-term and long-term effects of whole-body vibration on postural stability. The sample consisted of 28 male subjects randomly allocated to four comparative groups, three of which exercised on a vibration platform with parameters set individually for the groups. The stabilographic signal was recorded before the test commenced, after a single session of whole-body vibration, immediately after the last set of exercises of the 4-week whole-body vibration training, and one week after the training ended. The subjects were exposed to vibrations 3 times a week for 4 weeks. Long-term vibration training significantly shortened the rambling and trembling paths in the frontal plane. The path lengths were significantly reduced in the frontal plane one week after the training end date. Most changes in the values of the center of pressure (COP) path lengths in the sagittal and frontal plane were statistically insignificant. We concluded that long-term vibration training improves the postural stability of young healthy individuals in the frontal plane.

Acute Effects of Whole-Body Vibration on the Postural Organization of Gait Initiation in Young Adults and Elderly: A Randomized Sham Intervention Study

“…Balance and locomotion might also be improved by WBV application, as quantified (i) with center of pressure (COP) measures in static upright condition [for young healthy adults, see for example (3,15,16); for elderly, see for example (17)(18)(19)(20)], and (ii) with commonly-used clinical tests such as the singleleg-stance test, the Tinetti test, the Timed-Up-and-Go test, the Berg Balance Scale, and the Limits of stability. However, it is well-recognized that these classical clinical tests are subjective, show ceiling effects, and are usually not responsive enough to measure small progresses or deteriorations in a subject's ability to balance (21,22).…”

Effects of early whole-body vibration treatment on knee neuromuscular function and postural control after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: A randomized controlled trial

“…Several investigations have been carried out on the effects of WBV training on postural balance, in either healthy individuals (11), or sub-populations, such as elderly people (12), and patients with motor impairments due to stroke (13), cerebral palsy (14) or fibromyalgia (15). These studies present conflicting results, with some supporting its positive effects (11)(12)(13) and other showing no changes (16,17). To our knowledge, there are few studies investigating the effect of WBV during early rehabilitation after ACL reconstruction (18)(19)(20) and there is still discussion regarding the time span until the start of the rehabilitation protocol after surgery, duration of the programme or the exercise intensity.…”

Human bodysuit with color sensing for the Visually Impaired

“…The suit employs the use of a tapping mechanism, which is much more advantageous over vibrator usage. Scientific research has shown that long term exposure to vibrations in a particular region would lead to a possible permanent dysfunction of the neural system present in that part of the body [15]. To counter this, tapping mechanism has opted for the Suit.…”