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Whole Body Vibration Methods with Survivors of Polio
Published on: October 17, 2018
Comparison of Active versus Passive Whole-Body Vibration Training on Neuromuscular Activation of Deep Trunk Muscles
Hyunju Lee1, Jaehwan Kim1, Hyelim Kwak2
1Department of Physical Therapy, Konyang University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
Objectives:
This pilot study compared the effects of Active Vibration Exercise (AVE) involving dynamic movements and static Whole-Body Vibration Exercise (WBVE) on deep trunk muscle activation, dynamic balance, and peripheral circulation in healthy adults.
Methods:
Ten participants were randomly assigned to AVE or WBVE groups (n=5 each) for two weeks of twice-daily 5-minute sessions. Primary outcomes measured deep trunk muscle (internal oblique [IO] and multifidus) activation via surface electromyography. Secondary outcomes assessed dynamic balance, peripheral circulation, grip strength, and flexibility.
Results:
Within-group comparisons indicated no significant pre-to-post changes for either group. However, between-group change score analysis showed a statistically significant difference in left IO activation (p=0.032, effect size r=0.694), favoring the AVE group. Both groups showed non-significant numerical improvements in skin temperature, balance, and flexibility.
Conclusions:
These preliminary findings suggest that integrating dynamic movements with vibration (AVE) may be more effective for specific deep trunk muscle activation than static WBVE. Further large-scale trials are needed to confirm AVE's therapeutic value for core stabilization due to this study's limited sample size.
