Whole body vibration can improve the muscle strength, balance and walking ability of elderly persons with sarcopenia / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To observe any effect of alternate side whole body vibration on the muscle strength, balance and walking ability of persons with sarcopenia.Methods:Forty elderly persons with sarcopenia were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group, each of 20. Both groups received conventional balance and lower-limb muscle strength training, but the experimental group also received 9-14Hz whole body vibration treatment with an amplitude of 2-3mm, 5 one-minute groups a day, 5 times a week. Before and after 8 weeks of treatment, both groups′ lower limb strength, 6m step speed, exercise ellipse area, exercise track length, and Up and Go test (TUGT) time were measured.Results:In the experimental group the average bilateral iliopsoas muscle strength and all the other measurements had improved significantly. In the control group, the exercise ellipse area with the eyes closed and the exercise track length with the eyes open and all the other measurements had improved significantly compared with before the training. But all of the experimental group′s outcomes were, on average, significantly better than those of the control group.Conclusion:Low frequency vibration training can better improve the muscle strength, balance and walking ability of elderly persons with sarcopenia. It can be used for prevention as well as treatment.