Acute effect of whole body vibration on postural control in congenitally blind subjects: a preliminary evidence

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the acute effects of whole body vibration at optimal frequency, on postural control in blind subjects. Method: Twenty-four participants, 12 congenital blind males (Experimental Group), and 12 non-disabled males with no visual impairment (Control Groups) were recruited. The area of the ellipse and the total distance of the center of pressure displacements, as postural control parameters, were evaluated at baseline (T0), immediately after the vibration (T1), after 10 min (T10) and after 20 min (T20). Whole body vibration protocol consisted into 5 sets of 1 min for each vibration, with 1 min rest between each set on a vibrating platform. Results: The total distance of center of pressure showed a significant difference (p < 0.05) amongst groups, while the area remained constant. No significant differences were detected among times of assessments, or in the interaction group x time. Conclusion: No impairments in static balance were found after an acute bout of whole body vibration at optimal frequency in blind subjects and, consequently, whole body vibration may be considered as a safe application in individuals who are blind.