Annals of Medicine and Surgery · Oct 7, 2026
Effect of whole-body vibration training on hand grip strength of older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
By Ahmadnia Z, Mansour-Ghanaei F, Amouzadeh-Lichahi M et al.
Background: Aging is linked to declining health and heightened vulnerability among older adults. Research indicates that strength training can provide therapeutic health benefits. This study aimed to determine how a whole-body vibration (WBV) training program affects hand grip strength (HGS) in older adults. Methods: An electronic search was conducted across the MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase databases. The study included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving WBV interventions compared with a control group in individuals over 65 years old, and the outcome measured was HGS. Two researchers used a critical appraisal checklist informed by risk-of-bias visualization. The standardized mean differences for HGS were calculated using a random-effects model to compare outcomes between the experimental and control groups. This systematic review was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (no. CRD420251120347). Results: A total of 2713 articles were identified, of which eight RCTs fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis indicated that WBV significantly enhanced HGS (SMD = 0.246; 95% CI: 0.043–0.043; P = 0.018). Conclusions: WBV seems to be an effective method for improving HGS in older adults.