Whole body vibration--a critical review

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Environmental Medicine
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Whole body vibration (WBV) is a prevalent occupational exposure affecting a significant part of the American workforce.
• While acute effects of WBV have been studied, research into chronic health impacts is a more recent development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a comprehensive review of the existing literature on the health effects of chronic occupational exposure to WBV.
• To synthesize findings from experimental and epidemiological studies regarding WBV and associated health outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Critical review of experimental studies examining acute and chronic WBV exposure.
• Analysis of epidemiological data from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) on occupational WBV exposure.
• Synthesis of existing literature to identify consistent and inconsistent findings.

Main Results:

• Experimental study results on WBV health effects are often inconsistent and depend heavily on vibration characteristics.
• Epidemiological studies indicate increased prevalence of certain disorders in occupations with WBV exposure, but causality is not established.
• No comprehensive review of chronic WBV health effects has been previously conducted.

Conclusions:

• The health effects of chronic whole body vibration exposure are not yet fully understood due to inconsistent research findings.
• While some occupations show higher disorder prevalence with WBV exposure, definitive causal relationships require further investigation.
• Healthcare professionals should consider potential cumulative health risks from WBV, especially when combined with other occupational stressors.