According to Spanish researchers, tilt platform vibration (whole body vibration exercise therapy using a triangular oscillating platform such as the Vibetronix Whole Body Vibration exercise machine) is helpful in improving balance.
The tests were done on women suffering from fibromyalgia. Loss of balance is a common symptom with fibromyalgia. Whole body vibration has been shown to help improve balance and have a strongly positive impact on fibromyalgia.
However until now, there have been no intensive studies using whole body vibration on fibromyalgia patients. According to the Reuters article, a research team led by Dr. Narcis Gusi, )University of Extremadura in Caceres) did tests with 41 women suffering from fibromyalgia. The women’s ages ranged from 41 to 65, and were selected randomly for the whole body vibration exercise tests. The 20 women in the control group received usual care without whole body vibration exercise therapy.
The intervention involved 3 sessions per week for 12 weeks, with a tilt platform providing low-frequency (12.5 Hertz) anteroposterior vibration. Each session included a 10-minute warm-up of slow walking followed by six repetitions of vibration for up to 60 seconds each.
This means that the subjects received a total of 6 minutes of whole body vibration exercise therapy.
The researchers discovered that the women receiving whole body vibration therapy has an improvement of 36% in the dynamic balance index but there was no improvement in the control group who did not receive whole body vibration therapy.
Women with the worst balance and heaviest weight at baseline had the greatest improvements
In their March 16th online report in Arthritis Care & Research, the researchers say the tilt vibration therapy has the potential “to help reduce bone mass loss and improve strength and speed, which are critical for reacting and preventing stumbles and falls.”
For further details see the article in www.chiroeco.com
(Vibetronix Whole Body Vibration Exercise Machine provides the same therapy as used in these tests)
Whole body vibration exercise and osteoporosis
Many studies have been conducted to investigate whether osteoporosis can be prevented or even reversed using whole body vibration therapy. The general consensus is that whole body vibration exercise does increase bone mass density and it also lowers mineral reabsorption by the body. Medical studies tend to express their findings in a very conservative manner… Continue Reading