A CiteSpace-based bibliometric analysis of whole-body and local vibration training research

This study presents a comparative bibliometric analysis of whole-body vibration (WBV) and local vibration (LV) to examine publication trends, collaboration structures, and thematic evolution, and to clarify whether the two fields have formed distinct knowledge structures. Using the Web of Science Core Collection, 1495 WBV and 238 LV articles were extracted, and CiteSpace was used to analyze national collaboration networks and keyword-based structures, including co-occurrence, clustering, timelines, and burst terms. The results show that WBV started earlier, has a larger publication volume, and has developed a mature international collaboration network dominated by European and North American countries; its knowledge structure is mainly oriented toward training enhancement, functional improvement, and broad population applications, reflecting an application-expansion pattern. By contrast, LV is a smaller but steadily growing field with more concentrated collaboration and a mechanism-driven structure centered on proprioceptive input, reflex modulation, cortical excitability, and functional recovery. Overall, WBV emphasizes systemic functional applications, whereas LV deepens along sensory–neural regulatory pathways with functional implications; as vibration research moves toward multi-level, multi-parameter, multi-system integration, combining WBV’s global systemic drive with LV’s precise local modulation may provide a “whole-body drive + local precision control” model for future training, rehabilitation, and health promotion.