Vibroacoustic stimulation employs sound and vibration technology to make tests of fetal wellbeing more accurate, often in conjunction with cardiotocography or other means.
Fetal non-stress tests utilize a device that emits low frequency sound vibrations to waken sleeping babies and provoke a response that allows doctors to assess fetal health and wellbeing.
What is vibroacoustic therapy?
Vibroacoustic stimulation (VAS) is an assessment method often utilized in prenatal care to gauge fetuses’ health and wellness during gestation. Specialized devices emit sounds and vibrations which cause responses from babies during non-stress tests or biophysical profiles assessments, providing physicians with valuable data that reveals potential complications during labor and delivery as well as ways to protect future pregnancies from potential health threats.
Fetal vibroacoustic stimulation is a noninvasive procedure in which sound of a specific frequency is played back at an undetermined duration, to stimulate fetuses. The aim is to induce responses such as an acceleration or transient tachycardia in their heart rate that indicate their wellbeing – giving confidence to expectant mothers that her pregnancy is progressing normally.
As part of a non-stress test, doctors may employ fetal vibroacoustic stimulation if they find that a baby isn’t active enough to provide a clear reading on a cardiotocography (CTG) monitor. The purpose is to stimulate more vigorous movement from the fetus so doctors can accurately assess its heart rate and other indicators of well-being – or in high-risk pregnancies, keep close tabs on its heartbeat to determine if premature labor may occur before.
Though effective, this invasive procedure does have certain limitations. For instance, it requires at least 2 cm cervical dilation and access to the fetal presenting part for successful operation. Furthermore, its complex nature means it requires a skilled operator for successful reproduction; hence a simpler, less invasive test could be more desirable that could easily be conducted by non-specialists.
At many maternity hospitals, doctors will employ vibroacoustic stimulation alongside standard NST tests when they notice that an infant isn’t moving as expected. This allows them to evaluate fetuses activity levels and heart rates to ascertain if they’re healthy or not.
Sensitivity and specificity are comparable with other diagnostic methods. This test can be particularly helpful when the fetus remains passive or asleep during non-stress tests, providing valuable data regarding high-risk pregnancies.
How does vibroacoustic therapy work?
Vibroacoustic therapy operates under the theory that sound waves with specific frequency ranges can produce therapeutic reactions throughout the body, increasing circulation, stimulating neurotransmitters, relieving pain and improving cell movement and regeneration. Furthermore, this form of vibrational medicine has profound psychological benefits as it helps patients relax into a state of well-being.
Studies have demonstrated the efficacy of vibroacoustic therapy (VAT) as a treatment option for adults experiencing chronic pain due to conditions like cancer or arthritis. VAT appears to help restore balance to the nervous system, relieving symptoms associated with these ailments. A 2008 study concluded that VAT increased oxygen in the blood, providing relief from pain while decreasing muscle spasms; additionally it may lessen perception and intensity levels associated with it.
VAT therapy has many uses beyond aesthetic benefits; one of these being its use to treat fibromyalgia – an incurable condition which causes joint and muscle pain. A study published by Frontiers in Integrative Medicine researchers discovered that patients suffering from fibromyalgia responded more favorably than other pain treatments to VAT than any other. Participants received two 20-minute sessions of VAT twice every week for six weeks until reporting significant decrease in pain levels.
Fetal Vibroacoustic Stimulation (VAS) is an easy, noninvasive technique that uses low frequency noise and vibrations to stimulate fetuses during gestation. Often conducted alongside nonreassuring cardiotocograph tests (NST), positive responses from the fetus such as increased movements or heart rate variability can provide expecting mothers with assurances their baby is healthy and safe.
Vibroacoustic therapy is an increasingly popular solution to treat depression, anxiety, chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Trauma survivors find the practice particularly helpful as it allows them to relax and regain control of their lives; researchers are currently exploring its use as an autism and developmental disability treatment.
What are the benefits of vibroacoustic therapy?
Vibroacoustic therapy (VAT), a holistic service using sound waves and vibration to reduce physical and emotional stress. Furthermore, VAT may help improve sleep quality while simultaneously increasing blood flow throughout your body. Learn more about its potential advantages as a complementary form of treatment here.
Vibroacoustic therapy operates under the assumption that our bodies are deeply connected to rhythm and sound, using sounds and vibrations designed to stimulate specific parts of our brain and bodies for therapeutic effects such as relieving stress, relieving pain, or encouraging relaxation. A session typically entails lying on a vibrotactile device which produces mechanical vibrations through bed surface while you also hear ambient sounds timed with them; all this together promotes feelings of calmness, relaxation, and peace.
Although some sessions use handheld equipment that allows therapists to target vibrations towards specific areas, others employ more passive approaches called sound baths. You could, for example, use a vibroacoustic mat in a room filled with salt-infused air such as Himalayan or halo salt caves that replicate natural salt cave microclimates and inhale/absorb this air into your lungs, providing therapeutic benefits such as relieving allergies, asthma attacks or respiratory conditions.
Recently, research demonstrated the efficacy of using a vibroacoustic mat with relaxing music to lower cortisol levels and promote feelings of tranquility and relaxation – providing great benefits to those suffering from stress-related medical conditions like fibromyalgia, back pain or anxiety.
Vibroacoustic therapy (VAT) may also help lower high blood pressure by increasing relaxation within the body. Furthermore, VAT can facilitate the release of feel-good hormones like serotonin and dopamine that help lift mood and alleviate stress, providing relief from both depression, headaches, and migraines.
What are the risks of vibroacoustic therapy?
At each session, patients sit or lie on equipment that produces both sound and vibration, with vibrations directed toward areas needing healing – either specific muscle areas or organs – using sound waves and vibrations to promote healing. A therapist may also use their device to generate vibrations over their entire body in what’s sometimes referred to as “sound bath.”
Music and vibrations have long been utilized for medical and mental health purposes. A September 2009 article published in the journal Psychiatry reports that ancient Egyptians employed musical incantations to help heal sick individuals while Aristotle first wrote of vibration’s beneficial properties prior to 300 BC. More recently, vibration therapy is increasingly being employed alongside traditional treatments to ease discomfort caused by certain conditions or symptoms.
Fetal vibroacoustic stimulation (VAS) is a noninvasive means of assessing fetal well-being and reactivity during labor by stimulating it with brief sounds at regular intervals. If an increase in movement and heart rate are noticed as a response, that would typically indicate that baby is healthy; otherwise it indicates needing help and should not continue.
VAS can be an effective tool in avoiding unnecessary intervention in labor when CTG results indicate abnormalities; however, babies’ sleep patterns may prevent a response to this test, necessitating additional testing to ascertain that there truly is something amiss with the fetus.
A hand-held electronic device designed to stimulate fetuses with brief sounds at random intervals has been demonstrated as being effective at improving accuracy during pregnancy tests. Unfortunately, however, results from 12 trials involving 6822 women are insufficient to assess its safety and effectiveness; further research should assess optimal intensity, frequency, duration, position and impact on perinatal outcomes as well as an impact analysis.
Fetal scalp blood samples, electrocardiography and pulse oximetry are additional means of assessing fetal wellbeing; however they can be intrusive and difficult to perform reliably during labor. Vibroacoustic stimulation could enhance testing efficiency by helping healthcare professionals identify unwell babies more rapidly.
