The effects of whole body vibration on static balance, spinal curvature, pain, and disability of patients with low back pain

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of whole body vibration (WBV) on static balance, spinal curvature, pain, and the disability of patients with chronic lower back pain. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects were of 40 patients, who were randomly assigned to WBV and control groups. Twenty-five minutes of lumbar stability training and 5 minutes of WBV were conducted for the WBV group, and 30 minutes of lumbar stability training was conducted for the control group. The training was conducted three times per week for a total of 6 weeks. Static balance, spinal curvature, pain, and disability were measured before and after the intervention. [Results] After the intervention, the WBV group showed a significant differences in static balance, spinal curvature, pain, and disability. The control group presented significant differences in pain, and disability. In the comparison of the two groups, the WBV group showed more significant improvements in the fall index and pain. [Conclusion] WBV can be recommended for the improvement of the balance ability and pain of chronic lower back pain patients.