Zafar et al. (2024) — Effect of Whole-Body Vibration Exercise on Pain, Disability, Balance, Proprioception, Functional Performance and Quality of Life in People with Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

By Vibrahealth Team · Last updated 22 July 2026

Study Details

Study: Effect of Whole-Body Vibration Exercise on Pain, Disability, Balance, Proprioception, Functional Performance and Quality of Life in People with Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Authors: Zafar T, Zaki S, Alam MF, Sharma S, Babkair RA, Nuhmani S, Pandita S

Journal: Journal of Clinical Medicine (MDPI)

Year: 2024

DOI: 10.3390/jcm13061639

Study type: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (PEDro score ≥5)

Population: Adults with non-specific chronic low back pain (NSCLBP). 10 RCTs met systematic-review criteria; 9 were pooled in the meta-analysis.

Plain-English Summary

This 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated whole-body vibration exercise (WBVE) across six outcome domains in people with non-specific chronic low back pain: pain, disability, balance, proprioception, functional performance, and quality of life.

What Researchers Examined

• Pain intensity (Visual Analogue Scale)
• Disability (Oswestry Disability Index; Roland–Morris Disability Questionnaire)
• Balance
• Proprioception
• Functional performance (progressive iso-inertial lifting evaluation)
• Quality of life (SF-36)

Key Findings

Pooling 9 RCTs, WBVE significantly reduced pain (VAS: SMD = −0.81, 95% CI [−1.11, −0.50], I² = 0%, p < 0.01) and disability (ODI: MD = −3.78, 95% CI [−5.27, −2.29], I² = 24%, p < 0.01; RMDQ: MD = −1.43, 95% CI [−2.04, −0.82], I² = 51%, p < 0.01), and significantly improved balance (SMD = −0.28, 95% CI [−0.52, −0.05], I² = 0%, p = 0.02) and proprioception (SMD = −4.20, 95% CI [−7.50, −0.89], I² = 99%, p = 0.01).

Quality of life was reported as improved in the qualitative synthesis across included studies, but was not one of the outcomes with a pooled quantitative effect size reported in the meta-analysis.

Methodology Notes

Very high heterogeneity on the proprioception estimate (I² = 99%). This is a real limitation — the studies pooled for proprioception varied so much in results that the pooled effect size, while statistically significant, should be treated with caution rather than as a precise, reliable estimate.

Non-specific chronic low back pain is distinct from back pain with an identified structural cause; findings may not generalise to degenerative or structural LBP populations, or to older adults specifically (consistent with the caveat already noted for the Zheng 2019 study on this site).

Quality of life was assessed narratively, not quantitatively pooled — the review's qualitative synthesis describes QoL improvement across studies, but no SMD/MD figure for QoL is reported in the meta-analysis itself, unlike pain, disability, balance, and proprioception.

Full Citation

Zafar T, Zaki S, Alam MF, Sharma S, Babkair RA, Nuhmani S, Pandita S. (2024). Effect of Whole-Body Vibration Exercise on Pain, Disability, Balance, Proprioception, Functional Performance and Quality of Life in People with Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 13(6), 1639. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13061639

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