The effect of whole-body vibration training on the lower extremity muscles' electromyographic activities in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Author: Abbasi E1, Kahrizi S1, Razi M2, Faghihzadeh S3
Affiliation: <sup>1</sup>Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran. <sup>2</sup>Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. <sup>3</sup>Department of Biostatistics, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.
Conference/Journal: Med J Islam Repub Iran.
Date published: 2017 Dec 18
Other: Volume ID: 31 , Pages: 107 , Special Notes: doi: 10.14196/mjiri.31.107. eCollection 2017. , Word Count: 292


Background: Whole-Body Vibration Training (WBVT) is a novel neuromuscular training method that has been recently developed as a rehabilitation tool. The purpose of this study was to determine whether WBVT is effective on electromyographic activity of the muscles of the lower limbs in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Methods: The study was designed as a single blinded randomized clinical trial (IRCT201601171637N5), 45 patients with knee osteoarthritis were randomly assigned to three groups; WBVT (n = 15) receiving 12 sessions vibration therapy, control group (n =15) doing two exercise in the home and placebo (n =15) doing exercise like WBVT group on-off vibration system. Electromyographic activities of vastus lateralis and vastus medialis, semitendinosus, gastrocnemius and soleus were evaluated pre and post intervention. The pairedsamples t-test and ANOVA were applied respectively to determine the differences in each group and among the groups (P≤0.05). Results: The RMS value of vastus medialis in semi squat position in placebo group (p=0.024), vastus lateralis in SLR position in WBVT group (p=0.037), soleus in knee flexion in WBVT group (p=0.018), semitendinosus in knee flexion in WBVT group (p=0.007) and RMS response of Semitendinosus in ankle plantar flexion in control group (p=0.047) were revealed significant differences between the pre- and post- intervention. The ANOVA test confirmed the significant differences between the studied groups according to the EMG activity of vastus medialis in semi squat position (p=0.045), semitendinosus in semi squat position (p=0.046) and in plantar flexion position (p=0.015) and also soleus in plantar flexion position (p=0.003). Conclusions: The findings of this study showed the beneficial effects of WBVT in the improvement of the muscles RMS values in the patients with knee OA especially muscles' progression rates in a four-week period.

KEYWORDS: Electromyography; Knee osteoarthritis; Randomized clinical trial; Whole body vibration training

PMID: 29951408 PMCID: PMC6014769 DOI: 10.14196/mjiri.31.107