Effects of whole body vibration with exercise therapy versus exercise therapy alone on flexibility, vertical jump height, agility and pain in athletes with patellofemoral pain: a randomized clinical trial

Abstract

Background Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is the most prevalent orthopedic problem in active young adults. Due to its multifactorial etiology, a variety of therapeutic measures have been adopted to treat PFP, including exercise therapy, electrotherapy, and manual therapy. It has also been suggested that whole body vibration (WBV) can improve neuromuscular function in persons with knee problems. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of adding WBV to routine exercise programs on flexibility, vertical jump height, agility and pain in athletes with PFP. Methods Twenty-four male athletes with PFP were randomized into two groups of WBV + exercise (n = 12) or exercise only (n = 12). Participants received their interventions during 4 consecutive weeks (12 sessions). Pain intensity, flexibility and agility were assessed respectively as score on a numerical rating scale, the sit-and-reach test, and a modified T-test, and vertical jump height was measured to the nearest centimeter. The tests were done before and after the interventions, and the results were compared between the two groups. Independent t-tests and paired t-tests were used for between- and within-group comparisons, respectively. Results After the interventions, all variables for vertical jump height, flexibility, agility and pain intensity improved significantly in both groups (p < 0.05). The flexibility test showed significantly greater improvement in the WBV + exercise group (p<0.001), whereas for vertical jump height, agility and pain intensity, there were no statistically significant differences between groups (p>0.05). Conclusions The present findings showed that exercise therapy with and without WBV can significantly decrease pain and increase agility, vertical jump height and flexibility in athletes with PFP. Adding WBV to routine exercise therapy, however, can augment the effects of the latter on flexibility. Trial registration IRCT, IRCT20090831002391N39. Registered 7 February 2018, https://en.irct.ir/search/result?query=IRCT20090831002391N39.

Whole Body Vibration: A Valid Alternative Strategy to Exercise?

“…Similarly, Rogan et al concluded that adding WBV to physical therapy did not improve muscle strength in healthy elderly people [ 95 ], and Anwer and colleagues found no beneficial effects of WBV on quadriceps muscle strength in patients with knee osteoarthritis [ 96 ]. More recently, Rasti and colleagues conducted a randomized clinical trial to compare the effects of physical training with and without WBV on flexibility, vertical jump height, agility, and pain in 24 athletes with patellofemoral pain (PFP), a well-known musculoskeletal condition prevalent among active young adults [ 97 ]. Interestingly, physical therapy with and without WBV was observed to significantly reduce pain and increase agility, vertical jump height and flexibility in athletes with PFP.…”

“…Interestingly, physical therapy with and without WBV was observed to significantly reduce pain and increase agility, vertical jump height and flexibility in athletes with PFP. However, WBV implementation to routine physical therapy increased the latter’s effects on flexibility, confirming vibratory training as a valuable additional strategy to increase the effectiveness of conventional physical therapy and optimize athletic performance [ 97 ]. In agreement with this, Gloeckl et al demonstrated that balance training performed on a WBV platform induced greater benefits in terms of balance performance and muscle power than conventional training in patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and functional impairment [ 98 ].…”

Whole-body vibration provides additional benefits to patients with patellofemoral pain: A protocol for systematic review and meta analysis of randomized controlled trials

“…All 5 studies focused on pain intensity, 4 [ 13 , 14 , 16 , 17 ] of them reported VAS score and the 1 [ 15 ] other reported NPRS score. After converting NPRS value to VAS, data from 5 articles were pooled together.…”

Effects of Vibration Training on the Physical Fitness of Short-Distance Swimmers

“…The subjects of this study are swimmers. 1 This article takes a more in-depth look at how the lower body joints are trained. This lays the groundwork for further exploration of the best options for strength training.…”