title: Controlled whole body vibration to decrease fall risk and improve health-related quality of life of nursing home residents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of whole body vibration in the elderly.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nursing home.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-two elderly volunteers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six-week vibration intervention plus physical therapy (PT) (n=22) or PT alone (n=20).
  
  
  METHODS
  We assessed gait and body balance using the Tinetti test (maximum scores of 12 for gait, 16 for body balance, 28 for global score), motor capacity using the Timed Up & Go (TUG) test, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36).
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 6 weeks, the vibration intervention group improved by a mean +/- standard deviation of 2.4+/-2.3 points on the gait score compared with no score change in the control group ( P <.001). The intervention group improved by 3.5+/-2.1 points on the body balance score compared with a decrease of 0.3+/-1.2 points in the control group ( P <.001). TUG test time decreased by 11.0+/-8.6 seconds in the treated group compared with an increase of 2.6+/-8.8 seconds in the control group ( P <.001). The intervention group had significantly greater improvements from baseline on 8 of 9 items on the SF-36 compared with the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Controlled whole body vibration can improve elements of fall risk and HRQOL in elderly patients.
authors.affiliation: WHO Collaborating Center for Public Health Aspects of Osteoarticular Disorders, Liège, Belgium. olivier.bruyere@ulg.ac.be
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bruyere
authors.forename: Marc-Antoine
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Wuidart
authors.forename: Elio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Di Palma
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gourlay
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ethgen
authors.forename: Florent
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Richy
authors.forename: Jean-Yves
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Reginster
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001530:Belgium; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009735:Nursing Homes; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life