Effects of Vibration Training on Pain Reduction and Functional Efficiency in Football Players with Non-Specific Low Back Pain
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31185/wjoss.1107Keywords:
Vibration training, Non-specific low back pain, Functional efficiency, Football players.Abstract
Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most prevalent musculoskeletal disorders among football players and represents a major challenge to athletic performance and functional efficiency. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a vibration training–based rehabilitation program on pain reduction and functional efficiency improvement in football players suffering from non-specific low back pain. A pre–post experimental design was employed involving a single experimental group. The study sample consisted of twelve male football players diagnosed with non-specific low back pain, purposefully selected from a specialized rehabilitation center. Participants underwent a six-week rehabilitation program based on whole-body vibration training, with three sessions per week. Outcome measures included pain intensity assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), lumbar spine flexibility measured by the Schober test, back muscle strength assessed using a dynamometer, and dynamic balance evaluated by the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT). Data were analyzed using paired sample t-tests. The results revealed a statistically significant reduction in pain intensity following the intervention (p ≤ 0.05). Additionally, significant improvements were observed in all functional efficiency indicators, including lumbar flexibility, back muscle strength, and dynamic balance for both lower limbs (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that vibration training effectively enhances neuromuscular activation, spinal stability, and functional performance while alleviating pain symptoms. In conclusion, vibration training represents an effective and safe rehabilitation modality for reducing pain and improving functional efficiency in football players with non-specific low back pain. Incorporating vibration-based exercises into rehabilitation and preventive programs may facilitate a faster and safer return to sport while reducing the risk of recurrent low back injuries.
References
Banwan Hasan, B., Sabah, L., & Lafta, M. (2024). The effect of six weeks of therapeutic exercises and kinesio tape (KT) in reducing pain and increasing flexibility and muscle strength for people with low back pain. International Journal of Disabilities Sports and Health Sciences, 241–248. https://doi.org/10.33438/ijdshs.1429603
Baumgartner, T. A., Jackson, A. S., & Mahar, M. T. (2007). Measurement for evaluation in physical education and exercise science (8th ed). McGraw-Hill.
Cardinale, M., & Bosco, C. (2003). The Use of Vibration as an Exercise Intervention. Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews, 31(1).
Daham, F., & Hasan, B. (2022). The effect of exercises with a designed device on the kinematic ranges of the ankle joint with partial rupture of football players. Wasit Journal of Sports Sciences, 2(2), 28–43. https://doi.org/10.31185/wjoss.12
Dong, Y., Wang, H., Zhu, Y., Chen, B., Zheng, Y., Liu, X., Qiao, J., & Wang, X. (2020). Effects of whole body vibration exercise on lumbar-abdominal muscles activation for patients with chronic low back pain. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, 12(1), 78. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-020-00226-4
Ekstrand, J., Waldén, M., & Hägglund, M. (2016). Hamstring injuries have increased by 4% annually in men’s professional football, since 2001: A 13-year longitudinal analysis of the UEFA Elite Club injury study. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 50(12), 731–737. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2015-095359
Gibson, A. L., Wagner, D. R., & Heyward, V. H. (2025). Advanced fitness assessment and exercise prescription (Ninth edition). Human Kinetics.
Gonçalves De Oliveira, R., Coutinho, H. M. E. L., Martins, M. N. M., Bernardo-Filho, M., De Sá-Caputo, D. D. C., Campos De Oliveira, L., & Taiar, R. (2023). Impacts of Whole-Body Vibration on Muscle Strength, Power, and Endurance in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 12(13), 4467. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12134467
Gusi, N., Del Pozo-Cruz, B., Hernández Mocholí, M., Adsuar, J., Parraca, J., & Muro, I. (2011). Effects of whole body vibration therapy on main outcome measures for chronic non-specific low back pain: A single-blind randomized controlled trial. Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine, 43(8), 689–694. https://doi.org/10.2340/16501977-0830
Hasan, B., & Matty, L. S. (2024). The Effect of Rehabilitative Exercises in Improving (the range of motion, muscle strength, and the degree of pain) for Football Players After ACL Surgery. International Journal of Disabilities Sports and Health Sciences, 7(2), 381–388. https://doi.org/10.33438/ijdshs.1399146
Kiesel, K. B., Underwood, F. B., Mattacola, C. G., Nitz, A. J., & Malone, T. R. (2007). A Comparison of Select Trunk Muscle Thickness Change Between Subjects With Low Back Pain Classified in the Treatment-Based Classification System and Asymptomatic Controls. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 37(10), 596–607. https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2007.2574
Krismer, M., & Van Tulder, M. (2007). Low back pain (non-specific). Best Practice & Research Clinical Rheumatology, 21(1), 77–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.berh.2006.08.004
Pescatello, L. S. & American College of Sports Medicine (Eds.). (2014). ACSM’s guidelines for exercise testing and prescription (9. ed). Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Pollock, R. D., Woledge, R. C., Martin, F. C., & Newham, D. J. (2012). Effects of whole body vibration on motor unit recruitment and threshold. Journal of Applied Physiology, 112(3), 388–395. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.01223.2010
Rezvani, A., Ergin, O., Karacan, I., & Oncu, M. (2012). Validity and Reliability of the Metric Measurements in the Assessment of Lumbar Spine Motion in Patients With Ankylosing Spondylitis: Spine, 37(19), E1189–E1196. https://doi.org/10.1097/BRS.0b013e31825ef954
Rittweger, J. (2010). Vibration as an exercise modality: How it may work, and what its potential might be. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 108(5), 877–904. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-009-1303-3
Wang, X.-Q., Pi, Y.-L., Chen, P.-J., Chen, B.-L., Liang, L.-C., Li, X., Wang, X., & Zhang, J. (2014). Whole body vibration exercise for chronic low back pain: Study protocol for a single-blind randomized controlled trial. Trials, 15, 104. https://doi.org/10.1186/1745-6215-15-104
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 ا.م.د بشار بنوان حسن، م.د نداء فليح حسن
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
