Whole-body vibration exercise for low back pain: A meta-analysis protocol of randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Low back pain (LBP) affects about 80% of the population at some time in their lives. Exercise therapy is the most widely used nonsurgical intervention for low back pain in practice. Thus, whole-body vibration (WBV) exercise is becoming increasingly popular in relieving musculoskeletal pain and in improving function. However, the efficacy of WBV exercise is not without dispute for low back pain. This meta-analysis, with its comprehensive and rigorous methodology, will provide better insight into this problem. METHODS: Published articles will be identified using electronic searches from 1950 to 2018. The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, CINAHL-Ebsco, PEDro, and China Biology Medicine will be searched for randomized controlled trials. Studies without a parallel comparison group will be excluded. Two reviewers will independently select relevant studies that investigate on WBV exercise for patients with LBP. Data extraction will be done independently by the same 2 reviewers who selected the studies. The primary outcome will be to assess pain, back-specific disability index, and adverse effect. Continuous data will be pooled by calculating the mean difference using the random-effects model. RESULTS: The results of the final meta-analysis will provide an evidence of WBV exercise for low back pain. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis will provide a detailed summary of the evidence on the effects of WBV exercise on patients with LBP, in comparison with general exercise or without treatment. This review will benefit to researchers and policy makers who are interested in the treatment of LBP by WBV exercise.