Effects of whole body vibration exercises on bone mineral density of women with postmenopausal osteoporosis without medications: novel findings and literature review

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to review the literature about the effect of whole body vibration exercise in the BMD in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis without medications. METHODS: A systematic review was performed. RESULTS: The frequency of the mechanical vibration used in the protocols has varied from 12 to 90 Hz. The time used in the protocols varied from 2 up to 22 months. Techniques with X-rays were used in nine of the twelve publications analyzed, the Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) in eight studies and the High resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) in one publication. The concentration of some biomarkers was determined, as the sclerostin, the bone alkaline phosphatase, N-telopeptide X and 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Among the twelve articles analyzed, seven of them have shown an improvement of the BMD of some bone of postmenopausal women exposed to whole body vibration exercises not associated to medications; as well as modifications in biomarkers.