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Effects of a low-frequency sound wave therapy programme on functional capacity, blood circulation and bone metabolism in frail old men and women

Department of Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä

R. Sakari

Department of Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä

SM Cheng

Department of Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, sulin.cheng{at}sport.jyu.fi

A. Hietikko

Department of Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä

P. Moilanen

Department of Physics, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä

J. Timonen

Department of Physics, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä

KM Fagerlund

Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Turku, Turku

M. Kärkkäinen

Department of Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä

M. Alèn

Department of Medical Rehabilitation, Oulu University Hospital and Institute of Health Sciences, University of Oulu, Oulu

S. Cheng

Department of Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland

Objective: To evaluate the effects of a low-frequency sound wave therapy programme on functional capacity, blood circulation and bone metabolism of the frail elderly.

Design: Single-blind, randomized, controlled trial.

Setting: Two senior service centres.

Subjects: Forty-nine volunteers (14 males and 35 females) aged 62—93 years with up to 12 diagnosed diseases were allocated in either the intervention group (n = 30) or control group (n = 19).

Intervention: The intervention group underwent sound wave therapy, 3—5 times a week for 30 minutes per session over a period of 6 months. The control group received no intervention.

Main measurements: Blood pressure, functional capacity, mobility, bone density, biochemical markers, isometric muscle strength, balance, and skin surface temperature.

Results: Compared with the control group, the intervention group’s mobility and the amount of self-reported kilometres walked per week increased by 3 km (P<0.05), while levels of cholesterol (4.97 (0.72) to 4.52 (0.65) mmol/L, P =0.019), low-density lipoprotein (2.82 (0.72) to 2.45 (0.61) mmol/L, P =0.022), bone markers of total osteocalcin (11.0 (6.5) to 10.3 (5.9) ng/mL, P =0.048)) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase isoform 5b (2.50 (1.0) to 2.41 (1.1) IU/L, P =0.021)) decreased. The average skin surface temperature was significantly higher during active sessions at the end of the intervention than in the beginning (P = 0.004). No change was found during placebo sessions.

Conclusions: Low-frequency sound wave therapy may have the potential to promote well-being of frail elderly subjects via improved functional capacity, especially in subjects who are too frail to undertake exercise.

This version was published on October 1, 2009

Clinical Rehabilitation, Vol. 23, No. 10, 897-908 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0269215509337273


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