Sports Med Rehabil J | Volume 3, Issue 3 | Research Article | Open Access
Eric Shamus1*, Ryan Hickey2, Alex Wann3 and Arie van Duijn1
1Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Florida Gulf Coast University, USA
2Department of Sports & Physical Therapy, Bonita Springs Sports & Physical Therapy, USA
3Department of Physical Therapy, Select Physical Therapy, USA
*Correspondance to: Eric Shamus
Fulltext PDFIntroduction: Vibration platform training involves creating perturbations from mechanical vibrations or oscillations while standing on a platform. This type of perturbation causes a disturbance of the user’s motion and equilibrium. This study analyzed the effects of training with a counterclockwise oscillating platform on the community dwelling older adult’s balance confidence and postural sway.
Materials and Methods: A pre-post repeated measures design was utilized. The sample consisted of 34 community-dwelling elderly subjects (mean age of 80). Each subject completed a Mini-Mental Evaluation, ABC Balance Confidence Scale, and the CDC4 SWAY Medical Balance Protocol prior to participating in the intervention for baseline measures. The intervention was over a five-week time period that required subjects to stand on the OS FLOW counter clockwise oscillation platform for five minutes a day, for four days a week. Final measures using the ABC Balance Confidence Scale and the SWAY Medical Balance Protocol were conducted at the cessation of the five-week protocol.
Results: There was a statistically significant increase in balance confidence per ABC Scale (t=2.10, p< .05). Mean scores on the SWAY Balance test improved (mean pre= 81.6, mean post =83.2), but these changes were not statistically significant (t=1.11, p> .05).
Conclusion: Balance confidence improved with the use of a counterclockwise oscillating vibration platform on the community dwelling older adults. The non-significant changes in SWAY scores were possibly due to the brevity of protocol duration or high starting SWAY scores of those participating, possibly indicting a ceiling effect.
Balance; Training; Vibration
Shamus E, Hickey R, Wann A, van Duijn A. Effect of Counter-Clockwise Oscillation Platform Training on Balance in the Geriatric Population: A Pilot Study. Sports Med Rehabil J. 2018; 3(3): 1037.