Multi-Session whole body vibration program on Parkinson's disease symptoms: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Parkinson's disease is a disorder with a growing prevalence that significantly reduces the quality of life of those affected.

This review aims to analyze the effects of whole-body vibration on Parkinson's disease symptoms.

A systematic search was carried out in PubMed, CINHAL, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library for randomized clinical trials studying the use of whole-body vibration interventions involving more than one session on Parkinson's Disease related symptoms. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool-2 was used to assess the methodological quality and the GRADE and TIDierR evaluated the certainty of the evidence and replicability of studies. Extracted data was pooled in meta-analysis.

Six studies met the selection criteria. The TIDieR scores indicated high replicability. Whole-body vibration interventions improved static balance compared to active controls. No differences were found for gait speed, functional mobility, or motor symptoms. There were high concerns about the risk of bias and the certainty of the evidence.

Whole-body vibration showed no better effect than controls to improve Parkinson's disease symptoms, except for static balance. No clinical recommendations can be made due to the low number of studies and serious methodological issues.