Arthritis Self-Management

Whole-Body Vibration Does Not Strengthen Bones

by Joseph Gustaitis
January 26, 2012

The bone-thinning condition osteoporosis takes a heavy toll: About one-half of all women older than 50 will sustain a fracture related to osteoporosis at some point in their lifetime. In recent years, a treatment called whole-body vibration (WBV) has surfaced as a possible remedy for bone loss. The theory is that women at risk for osteoporosis can increase their bone density by standing on a motor-driven vibrating platform about the size of a bathroom scale. It’s a painless process that doesn’t require the person to do anything but stand there, which may make it more attractive than the weight-bearing exercise that is known to strengthen bone. But, is it effective?

To find out, Canadian researchers conducted a year-long study of WBV. They selected 202 healthy women who were past menopause (average age 60) and divided them into three groups. Two groups were given WBV of two different strengths; the third group served as the control group and did not use the therapy. The WBV groups were asked to stand on a vibrating device for 20 minutes a day. All the women were given calcium and vitamin D, nutrients important to the bone-building process. At the beginning of the study, the women’s bone density and bone structure were measured at several locations, including the hip and the lower spine. These measurements were repeated after the one-year study was concluded.

The results of the study, which were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, were disappointing, to say the least. The researchers reported that neither the women’s bone mineral density nor their bone structure showed any significant changes compared with the women in the control group. They concluded that WBV at the strengths tested “is not an effective therapy” in postmenopausal women and should not be recommended.

The situation, however, is not hopeless. Women can still depend on time-tested strategies for preventing bone loss, which include getting enough calcium and vitamin D and getting weight-bearing exercise such as walking, dancing, and strength training with weights or resistance bands.

Joseph Gustaitis is a freelance writer and editor based in Chicago.

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