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Daily vibration may help aging bones stay healthy
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A daily dose of whole-body vibration may help reduce the usual bone density loss that occurs with age, according to findings recently published in Bone.
Twelve weeks of daily, 30-minute sessions in 18-month-old male mice — which equate to 55- to 65-year-old humans — appeared to forestall the expected annual bone density loss that can result in fractures, disability and death.
The vibration reportedly improved density around the hip joint, with an additional shift toward higher density in the femur. The investigators also found a reduction in the biomarker that indicates bone breakdown, as well as an increase in the surface area involved in bone formation in the vibrating group.
The findings provide more scientific evidence that the technique benefits bones — particularly as a low-risk option for injured individuals with limited mobility.
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Mechanism for efficacy
The investigators theorized that the rhythmic movement of vibration “exercises” cells by prompting movement of the cell nucleus and, thus, manipulating the filaments that suspend it.
“The filaments get all deformed like springs, and then they spring back,” Karl H. Wenger, PhD, one of the study authors, stated in a press release.
This movement reportedly releases transcription factors that spur new osteoblasts.
In the case of injury, the study noted that vibration acts on stem cells by slowing proliferation — likely meaning that more stem cells differentiate into bone cells rather than continuing to make more generic stem cells.
Further study
“We think that in fracture healing, you get a more dramatic response,” Wenger stated in the release. “We don’t know exactly why it effects the biology differently, but it’s likely because of the extent to which stem cells invade the injured area.”
The investigators are evaluating vibration tolerance in patients with lower-limb fractures. Reportedly, they are finding that 2 weeks after injury, subtle vibration is soothing — rather than painful — to most patients.
Related studies that have investigated postmenopausal women at the peak age of bone decline found that the women experience results similar to those of Wenger’s aging mice. Although Wenger’s studies used male mice to mitigate the impact of fluctuating hormones and focus on aging, the reports — which claim women receiving daily whole-body vibration neither gained nor lost appreciable bone — could back Wenger’s findings, according to the release.
Reference:
Wenger KH, Freeman JD, Fulzele S, et al. Effect of whole-body vibration on bone properties in aging mice. Bone. 2010 Oct;47(4):746-755.
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