Whole-Body Vibration: No Benefit for BMD

Animal studies have suggested that whole-body vibration (WBV) –– delivered via platforms that vibrate while the user stands still –– can improve bone density; however, results from human studies have not been clear-cut. In this Canadian trial, researchers enrolled 202 postmenopausal women with bone-mineral density T-scores of –1.0 to –2.5; the participants were randomized to 90-Hz WBV, 30-Hz WBV (each for 20 minutes daily), or no WBV. All patients received calcium and vitamin D supplements.

After 12 months, no significant differences in bone-mineral density were found across groups.