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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Journal of Clinical Medicine

Effects of Vibration Training on Bone Mineral Density and Balance in Postmenopausal Women with Osteopenia: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

  • Jordan Hernandez-Martínez1,2
  • Izham Cid-Calfucura3
  • Edgar Vásquez-Carrasco4,5,6
  • Tomás Herrera-Valenzuela3
  • Pedro Delgado-Floody7
  • Pablo Valdés-Badilla8,9
9 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Physical Activity Sciences, Universidad de Los Lagos, Osorno 5290000, Chile
  2. 2Department of Education, Faculty of Humanities, Universidad de La Serena, La Serena 1700000, Chile
  3. 3Department of Physical Activity, Sports and Health Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago 8370003, Chile
  4. 4School of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Psychology, Universidad de Talca, Talca 3465548, Chile
  5. 5Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Cognitivas, Faculty of Psychology, Universidad de Talca, Talca 3465548, Chile
  6. 6VITALIS Longevity Center, Universidad de Talca, Talca 3465548, Chile
  7. 7Department of Physical Education, Sport and Recreation, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811230, Chile
  8. 8Department of Physical Activity Sciences, Faculty of Education Sciences, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca 3530000, Chile
  9. 9Sports Coach Career, Faculty of Life Sciences, Universidad Viña del Mar, Viña del Mar 2520000, Chile
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Abstract

Background: Osteopenia is highly prevalent after menopause and increases the risk of osteoporosis, falls, and fragility fractures. Whole-body vibration has been proposed as a low-impact exercise strategy, but its clinical effectiveness remains uncertain. This systematic review with meta-analysis aims to analyze the effects of whole-body vibration on bone mineral density and balance in postmenopausal women with osteopenia. Methods: Five electronic databases were searched following PRISMA guidelines. Randomized controlled trials including postmenopausal women diagnosed with osteopenia by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry were included. Methodological quality, risk of bias, and certainty of evidence were assessed using TESTEX, RoB 2, and GRADE, respectively. Effect sizes were calculated using Hedges’ g with 95% confidence intervals. Results: Five randomized controlled trials involving 248 women were included. Interventions lasted from 8 weeks to 12 months. Whole-body vibration did not produce significant improvements in bone mineral density at the tibia, radius, or lumbar spine, nor did it significantly improve balance compared with control conditions. The certainty of evidence was low for bone mineral density and very low for balance, mainly due to risk of bias, small sample sizes, and imprecision. Conclusions: Current evidence does not provide sufficient support for clinically meaningful improvements in BMD or balance following WBV in postmenopausal women with osteopenia. Nevertheless, conclusions remain uncertain because they are based on only five randomized controlled trials and very few studies per pooled outcome. Therefore, WBV cannot currently be recommended as a stand-alone intervention for improving BMD or balance, but neither can a potentially beneficial effect be definitively excluded. Larger, adequately powered, and methodologically rigorous trials are required before firm clinical recommendations can be established.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{hernandezmartinez2026effects,
  title = {{Effects of Vibration Training on Bone Mineral Density and Balance in Postmenopausal Women with Osteopenia: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis}},
  author = {Jordan Hernandez-Martínez and Izham Cid-Calfucura and Edgar Vásquez-Carrasco and Tomás Herrera-Valenzuela and Pedro Delgado-Floody and Pablo Valdés-Badilla},
  journal = {Journal of Clinical Medicine},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3390/jcm15218362},
  url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15/21/8362},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Effects of Vibration Training on Bone Mineral Density and Balance in Postmenopausal Women with Osteopenia: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis
AU  - Jordan Hernandez-Martínez
AU  - Izham Cid-Calfucura
AU  - Edgar Vásquez-Carrasco
AU  - Tomás Herrera-Valenzuela
AU  - Pedro Delgado-Floody
AU  - Pablo Valdés-Badilla
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/27
JO  - Journal of Clinical Medicine
DO  - 10.3390/jcm15218362
UR  - https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15/21/8362
AB  - Background: Osteopenia is highly prevalent after menopause and increases the risk of osteoporosis, falls, and fragility fractures. Whole-body vibration has been proposed as a low-impact exercise strategy, but its clinical effectiveness remains uncertain. This systematic review with meta-analysis aims to analyze the effects of whole-body vibration on bone mineral density and balance in postmenopausal women with osteopenia. Methods: Five electronic databases were searched following PRISMA guidelines. Randomized controlled trials including postmenopausal women diagnosed with osteopenia by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry were included. Methodological quality, risk of bias, and certainty of evidence were assessed using TESTEX, RoB 2, and GRADE, respectively. Effect sizes were calculated using Hedges’ g with 95% confidence intervals. Results: Five randomized controlled trials involving 248 women were included. Interventions lasted from 8 weeks to 12 months. Whole-body vibration did not produce significant improvements in bone mineral density at the tibia, radius, or lumbar spine, nor did it significantly improve balance compared with control conditions. The certainty of evidence was low for bone mineral density and very low for balance, mainly due to risk of bias, small sample sizes, and imprecision. Conclusions: Current evidence does not provide sufficient support for clinically meaningful improvements in BMD or balance following WBV in postmenopausal women with osteopenia. Nevertheless, conclusions remain uncertain because they are based on only five randomized controlled trials and very few studies per pooled outcome. Therefore, WBV cannot currently be recommended as a stand-alone intervention for improving BMD or balance, but neither can a potentially beneficial effect be definitively excluded. Larger, adequately powered, and methodologically rigorous trials are required before firm clinical recommendations can be established.
SN  - 2077-0383
ER  -