Effects of a low-frequency sound wave therapy programme on functional capacity, blood circulation and bone metabolism in frail old men and women

• Published in: Clinical rehabilitation Vol. 23; no. 10; pp. 897 - 908
• Main Authors: Zheng, A., Sakari, R., Cheng, SM, Hietikko, A., Moilanen, P., Timonen, J., Fagerlund, KM, Kärkkäinen, M., Alèn, M., Cheng, S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.10.2009; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Acid Phosphatase - blood; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Blood Circulation; Blood pressure; Bone Density; Cholesterol, LDL - blood; Complementary Therapies; Elderly people; FDA approval; Female; Frail; Frail Elderly; Frailty; Functional status; Health sciences; Humans; Isoenzymes - blood; Male; Metabolism; Middle Aged; Mobility; Muscle Strength; Older people; Osteocalcin - blood; Physical Endurance; Single-Blind Method; Skin; Sound recording; Sound waves; Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase; Vibration - therapeutic use; Womens health; Finland
• ISSN: 0269-2155; 1477-0873; 1477-0873
• DOI: 10.1177/0269215509337273

Objective: To evaluate the effects of a low-frequency sound wave therapy programme on functional capacity, blood circulation and bone metabolism of the frail elderly. Design: Single-blind, randomized, controlled trial. Setting: Two senior service centres. Subjects: Forty-nine volunteers (14 males and 35 females) aged 62—93 years with up to 12 diagnosed diseases were allocated in either the intervention group (n = 30) or control group (n = 19). Intervention: The intervention group underwent sound wave therapy, 3—5 times a week for 30 minutes per session over a period of 6 months. The control group received no intervention. Main measurements: Blood pressure, functional capacity, mobility, bone density, biochemical markers, isometric muscle strength, balance, and skin surface temperature. Results: Compared with the control group, the intervention group’s mobility and the amount of self-reported kilometres walked per week increased by 3 km (P<0.05), while levels of cholesterol (4.97 (0.72) to 4.52 (0.65) mmol/L, P =0.019), low-density lipoprotein (2.82 (0.72) to 2.45 (0.61) mmol/L, P =0.022), bone markers of total osteocalcin (11.0 (6.5) to 10.3 (5.9) ng/mL, P =0.048)) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase isoform 5b (2.50 (1.0) to 2.41 (1.1) IU/L, P =0.021)) decreased. The average skin surface temperature was significantly higher during active sessions at the end of the intervention than in the beginning (P = 0.004). No change was found during placebo sessions. Conclusions: Low-frequency sound wave therapy may have the potential to promote well-being of frail elderly subjects via improved functional capacity, especially in subjects who are too frail to undertake exercise.