Effects of Whole Body Vibrations on Functional Independence on Older Adults
Condition: Older Adults With Moderate Balance Risk
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Functional limitation and balance deficits occur with aging in normal healthy individuals due
      to decline in muscle strength. Muscle strengthening exercises and balance training has shown
      improvement of functional status of elderly. And whole body vibrations along with strengthen
      and balance training has been suggested to reduce the effects of aging in balance and
      functional abilities. Aim of this study was to find out the additional effects of whole body
      vibration along with balance training in older adults. It was a Randomized Control Trial
      Study. Study setting was railway general hospital Rawalpindi. Inclusion Criteria was Age 50
      to 70 years old people, with moderate fall risk (BBS Score 21-40), both genders with
      Controlled diabetes and HTN, 112 Subjects were randomly and equally allocated to experimental
      group(n=56) and control group(n=56) through toss and coin method. Participants in both groups
      were examined for balance abilities with the Berg Balance Scale, Functional Independence
      Scale, & Timed up and Go Test (TUG) before and after 4 weeks treatment protocol.
    

Detailed description: 
      This study was a Randomized control trial. Conducted in Railway General Hospital Rawalpindi
      from January 2019 to July 2019. 300 older adults were screened and 112 were selected on the
      basis of inclusion criteria. Subjects were randomly allocated to control and experimental
      group through toss and coin method, 56 being in each group. Control group subjects received
      balance and strengthening exercises 3 times in a week for 4 weeks. While experimental group
      participants received same balance and strengthening exercises with whole body vibration 3
      times in a week for 4 weeks. Vibration exposure was given in 1-minute bouts, with rest period
      of one to two minutes between bouts, with the exposure whole body vibration for about four
      minutes on every session, Balance exercises included tandem walk 20 steps and single leg
      raise with weights 10 repetition.(8,9) Tools used in this study were Berg Balance scale a 14
      item scale. The score of each item ranges from zero to four, zero being the last point and 4
      being the highest point the total score for these 14 items were 56. If the score is between
      41 to56 then it is considered normal if it is from 20 to 40 the risk of balance deficits are
      moderate but if the score comes below 19 then risk of fall enhances. Almost 10 to 15 minutes
      are required to perform this scale on an individual. Functional Independence Measure It
      consisted of eighteen item; for motor items score 13 and five for cogitation which includes
      communication and cognition, each of the value is scored on a 7-point scale. The third tool
      used in this study was Time Up and Go test asses the static and dynamic balance it requires
      the time taken by individual to raise from a chair walk three meters, turn around walk back
      and sit on the chair. Subjects in both groups were pre assessed using these three tools and
      after completion of four weeks subjects were reassessed and the difference of score was
      noted. Data of this study was analyzed by using SPSS software version 25.
    

Intervention name(s): Whole body vibration; Balance and Strengthening exercise
Intervention type(s): Other; Other
Intervention description(s): Balance and muscle strengthening exercises with whole-body vibration, strengthening exercise included straight leg raise with weights, and balance training including walking heel to toe for 20 steps. In this study frequency of 30Hz (4 weeks), with 0.9 mm vertical displacement was used.; Balance and strengthening exercises includes straight leg raise with weights 10 reps. and tandem walk 20 steps 3 days in week for 4 weeks
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Intervention model description: Single center, parallel group randomized controlled trial
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Balance; Whole Body Vibration; Berg Balance Scale; Older Adults; Physiotherapy