Introduction: The ability to maintain balance is closely related to functional status and safety. This is of particular concern in older adults, who often experience balance disturbances due to changes in the neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, and sensory systems. Local vibration is defined as the application of local mechanical vibration to the tendon or body of a muscle and is offered as a potential therapeutic method to improve balance in older adults. Purpose: Based on a review of professional and scientific literature, to analyze the effectiveness of local vibration on balance in older adults. Methods: A descriptive method with a literature review was used. The literature search was conducted in the PubMed database. The literature search was limited to the period from 2009 to 2022 Results: Six studies were included in the literature review based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Four studies reported a reduction in the center of pressure. Healthy older adults scored better on balance tests during the eyes-open condition, while older adults at high risk of falling improved during the eyes-closed condition. In the reviewed research, a local vibration frequency between 80 and 100 Hz and an amplitude between 0.20 and 0.50 mm proved to be the most effective. Local vibration proved to be more effective when the application of vibrations lasts for a long time, at least 10 min, with intermediate breaks, applied to the plantar area. Discussion and conclusion: According to the results of a review, local vibration could be an effective method for improving balance in older adults of early age. Namely, local vibrations improve the processing of somatosensory information and the regulation of posture, which leads to better balance. In future research, it would be necessary to include a larger sample, especially men, so that the results could be generalized to the entire population. Further research with a same treatment protocol, site, and local vibration device is also recommended.
Keywords: local
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