Abstract

Introduction: Osteoporosis is a disease that affects thousands of people worldwide. Prevention and treatment strategies are very important to reduce the incidence of falls and fractures in this population. Objective: evaluate the efficacy and safety of whole-body vibration (WBV) on bone mass, remodeling bone markers, muscle strength and pain points in osteopenic postmenopausal women using a custom low-intensity platform specifically designed for this study. Methods: Randomized controlled trial including 128 postmenopausal osteopenic women divided into two groups control (CG, n=60) and platform group (PG, n=68) that were created and assigned based on the block’s allocation (by age and ethnicity). The participants in the platform group (PG) were assigned in blocks of 20 and committed to attending the research center five days a week, standing on the platform for 20 minutes each session. For every twenty participants in the PG, the next twenty were allocated to the control group (CG). Bone markers (P1NP and CTX) and thermometry were collected at baseline and at 3, 6, and 12 months. DXA scans performed at baseline and month 12 for bone mineral density (BMD) lumbar spine (LS), femoral neck (FN), and total hip (TH). The PG stood on vibrating platform (60 Hz, 0.6 g) for 20 min/day, 5 times/week for 12 months, while CG remained in their daily routine. Sit to stand test and pain points were evaluated at baseline and month 12. Results: 109 participants completed the 12 month-follow up (CG=55 and PG=54). At 12 months, the PG showed a significant decrease in BMD at FN (-0.8%, p=0.022) and TH (-0.9%, p=0.001), while BMD remained unchanged in the platform group, besides that the CTX significantly decreased at 3 months (p=0.006) and P1NP at 6 months (p=0.03), returning to baseline levels at 12 months, while there were no changes over time in the CG. Vibration improved the chair stand test by 15% (p=0.0001) and decreased pain points by 40% (p=0.001), with no increase in knee temperatures. Conclusion: Low-magnitude WBV prevented bone loss, improved physical performance, pain and was safe in postmenopausal osteopenic women.