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The effects of whole-body vibration training on gait and walking ability -- a systematic review comparing two quality indexes |
Lindberg J, Carlsson J |
Physiotherapy Theory and Practice 2012;28(7):485-498 |
systematic review |
BACKGROUND: Whole-body vibration (WBV) training has been introduced in the last decade and become a popular training method and may increase muscle performance. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the evidence degree of the effect of WBV training on gait and walking ability by a critical examination of scientific studies. In addition, a minor objective was to compare two quality indexes. METHOD: Literature search in Scopus; quality assessments with the risk of bias and the PEDro scale; and evidence appraisal according to GRADE. RESULT: Ten studies with varying populations using gait-related measurements after at least 1-month WBV intervention were included. Only two studies report significant positive effects. This is defined as low-quality evidence. Eighty percent and 90% of the studies were rated as high quality according to the PEDro scale and the risk of bias, respectively. DISCUSSION: The low-quality evidence indicates a need for further research. A standardized training protocol would make comparisons and conclusions of WBV training more reliable and feasible. CONCLUSION: There is low-quality evidence for WBV training having effects on gait and walking ability. Further research is needed. The evidence did not alter between the quality indexes. A brief summary and a critical assessment of this review may be available at DARE |