The Effect of Six Week Virtual Reality Training on the Improvement of Functional Balance in Women with Type-I Osteoporosis: A Preliminary Study

Purpose: This preliminary study aimed to investigate the effects of exergames in a virtual reality environment to improve functional balance during goal-directed functional tasks in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.

Methods: Twelve volunteer postmenopausal women with osteoporosis were randomly assigned to virtual reality (VRT,  = 6) and conventional multimodal (CMT,  = 6) training groups. The exercise was performed for 6 weeks, 3 days weekly, and 18 sessions. Using a force platform, functional balance assessments were made through four dynamic tasks, including performance-based limits of stability (LOS), curve tracking (CT), sit-to-stand (STS), and turning before and after 18 sessions of treatment. Each task's time-dependent center of pressure (COP) variables was separately calculated via Kistler-Mars software.

Results: The COP variables of LOS and CT tasks were significantly improved after 6 weeks of CMT and VRT ( ≤ 0.05). In the VRT group, the rising index ( < 0.00), COP sway velocity in STS, and Turn sway were significantly reduced ( < 0.05). Following the VRT, the mean difference of forwarding maximum COP excursion increased ( = 0.03), and errors in CT ( = 0.03) significantly decreased.

Conclusion: The VRT and CMT improved the COP sway parameters during weight-shifting tasks. The VRT was more effective than CMT in increasing the ability to control weight-shifting and dynamic functional tasks in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. This approach in training has suitable potential to provide convenient error feedback learning.