Whole-Body Vibration Exercise in Patients With Parkinson's Disease

March 13, 2026 updated by: Elif Topsakal, Istanbul University

The Effect of Whole-Body Vibration Exercise on Balance, Mobility, Fall Risk, and Proprioception in Patients With Parkinson's Disease: A Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial

This study is a prospective, single-blind, randomized controlled trial designed to investigate the effects of whole-body vibration (WBV) exercise on balance, mobility, fall risk, and proprioception in patients with Parkinson's disease.

A total of 68 patients diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, aged between 50 and 75 years, will be recruited from the outpatient clinic of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Istanbul University, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine. Eligible participants will be clinically stable (no medication changes within the last 3 months), classified as Hoehn and Yahr stage 1-3, and MDS-UPDRS stage 2-3. Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants before enrollment.

Participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either the intervention group (n=34) or the control group (n=34). Randomization will be performed using a computer-generated random allocation sequence. Outcome assessments will be conducted by a blinded assessor.

The intervention group will receive whole-body vibration (WBV) training in addition to a standardized home exercise program. WBV sessions will be performed using the Power Plate pro5 vibration platform (Performance Health Systems, LLC, Northbrook, IL, USA). Training will be conducted three times per week for 8 weeks (24 sessions total). Each session will include 5 sets of vibration exposure, consisting of 1 minute of vibration followed by 1 minute of rest. Exercises will be performed in semi-squat and lunge positions. Vibration parameters will be set at 6 Hz frequency with 2-4 mm amplitude. Sessions will be scheduled during the "on" phase of dopaminergic medication. Each session will include a 10-minute warm-up and a 5-minute cool-down period.

The control group will perform only the standardized home exercise program. Both groups will receive initial in-clinic instruction for the home exercise program, which includes posture exercises, breathing and relaxation exercises, lower extremity active range-of-motion exercises, stretching, quadriceps strengthening, terminal knee extension exercises, rhythmic gait training, and balance/coordination/proprioceptive exercises. Home exercises will be performed three times per week for 8 weeks, lasting 30-45 minutes per session. Participants will be contacted weekly to monitor adherence.

Outcome assessments will be conducted at baseline, at 8 weeks (post-intervention), and at 16 weeks (follow-up).

The primary outcome measure is the Berg Balance Scale (BBS).

Secondary outcome measures include:

  • Timed Up and Go (TUG) test
  • Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT)
  • Fall Risk Index measured by computerized static posturography (TETRAX®)
  • Knee joint position sense measured using an isokinetic dynamometer (Biodex System 3 Pro), calculated as absolute angular error

The primary analysis will evaluate changes in BBS scores between groups across time points using repeated measures analysis of variance. Secondary outcomes will be analyzed using similar statistical methods. Statistical significance will be set at p < 0.05.

The study aims to determine whether WBV combined with a home exercise program provides superior improvements in balance, mobility, fall risk, and proprioception compared with a home exercise program alone in individuals with Parkinson's disease.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

68

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • • Age between 50 and 75 years

    • Clinical diagnosis of Parkinson's disease
    • Hoehn and Yahr stage 1-3
    • MDS-UPDRS stage 2-3
    • Clinically stable (no change in antiparkinsonian medication or treatment plan within the last 3 months)
    • Ability to stand independently and participate in exercise sessions
    • Provided written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • • Participation in an inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation program within the last 3 months

    • Diagnosis of dementia or significant cognitive/communication impairment
    • Contraindications to whole-body vibration (e.g., severe peripheral neuropathy affecting vibration perception, epilepsy, pregnancy, metal implants or joint prostheses in the lower extremities, cardiac or brain pacemaker, uncontrolled hypertension, history of acute thrombosis)
    • Presence of additional neurological disorders affecting balance or neuromuscular performance
    • Functional Ambulation Classification (FAC) level 0-2
    • Musculoskeletal conditions preventing safe standing on the vibration platform (e.g., fracture, ulcer, acute injury)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Whole-Body Vibration Plus Home Exercise
Device: Whole-Body Vibration Plus Home Exercise

Participants in this arm will receive whole-body vibration (WBV) training in addition to a standardized home exercise program. WBV will be performed using the Power Plate pro5 platform, three times per week for 8 weeks (24 sessions). Each session will include 5 sets of 1-minute vibration with 1-minute rest intervals in semi-squat and lunge positions (6 Hz, 2-4 mm amplitude). Sessions will include a short warm-up and cool-down period.

The home exercise program will consist of posture, breathing, stretching, strengthening, gait training, and balance/proprioceptive exercises, performed three times weekly for 8 weeks (30-45 minutes per session).
Active Comparator: Home Exercise Program Only
Other: Home Exercise Only
Participants in this arm will receive a standardized home exercise program only. The program will include posture training, breathing and relaxation exercises, lower extremity active range-of-motion and stretching exercises, quadriceps strengthening, terminal knee extension exercises, rhythmic gait training, and balance/coordination/proprioceptive exercises. Participants will receive initial in-clinic instruction and written guidance. Exercises will be performed three times per week for 8 weeks, with each session lasting approximately 30-45 minutes. Participants will be contacted weekly to monitor adherence.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Balance assessed by Berg Balance Scale (BBS)
Time Frame: From baseline to 8 weeks (end of intervention)
Balance will be assessed using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), a 14-item clinical scale that evaluates static and dynamic balance abilities. Each item is scored from 0 to 4, yielding a total score ranging from 0 to 56. Higher scores indicate better balance performance.
From baseline to 8 weeks (end of intervention)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Istanbul University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

April 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

June 30, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

July 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

February 22, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 13, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

March 16, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 16, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 13, 2026

Last Verified

March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • E-87986082-010.99-3074420

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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