Introduction: Balance is a complex movement skill that involves the rapid training of various balancing movements necessary to return body to position of equilibrium in the event of a disturbance. We can improve balance by choosing different procedures in physical therapy, one of which is whole-body vibration. Whole-body vibration is recognized in research as a new approach to improve balance and other elements of the physical condition in patients with various pathologies. Purpose: The purpose of this work was to investigate the influence of whole-body vibration on static balance in a group of young healthy subjects. Methods: Thirty-six students, aged between 19 and 25, were included in our study. First, we measured the central pressure movement on a pressure plate by standing still and placing the feet together with eyes open and closed, followed by a clinical single-leg standing test on a soft surface with eyes open and closed. This was followed by a whole-body vibration by standing still on a vibration plate at a frequency of 30 Hz and low amplitude. Shortly after the end of vibration therapy, the same measurements as at the beginning were repeated. Statistical analyzes were performed using the Microsoft Excel 2010 program Results: Comparison of the results showed that vibration therapy causes deterioration of static balance. The comparison of the results of stabilometry with eyes open was statistically significant, while with eyes closed it was statistically insignificant. The comparison of the results of the clinical one-legged standing test on a soft surface with eyes closed was statistically significant and showed a deterioration of static balance. Discussion and conclusion: Based on the results, we can conclude that whole-body vibration was found to be an ineffective method to improve static balance, but that further studies are needed that could show better results.
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