An alarming photo has gone viral with its caption claiming “headache treatments in 1890s were commonly known as vibration therapy.” But according to experts Lead Stories spoke to, vibrational therapy existed back then – though not in its present guise; actual therapy sessions were much gentler.
What was it?
An alarming photo depicting someone having their head struck with a mallet as part of an old-school headache treatment from the 1890s has gone viral after appearing in a Facebook post on Feb 19th. While vibration therapy was indeed practiced during that era, physicians understood loud sounds could cause concussions so wouldn’t use something so blunted as a mallet to treat headaches.
By the late 1800s, physicians had developed machines with both vertical and circular vibrations to enhance muscle performance and ease pain relief. Lead Stories conducted a search on Google Books and archiveal images for instances of such therapy.
How did it work?
On Feb 19, a Facebook post featuring an eye-catching image of someone’s head being struck with what appears to be a sledgehammer quickly went viral, prompting claims it was used in 1800s as “headache treatment.” Unfortunately, the claims proved false; vibration therapy was in fact used for headache treatment in that era, although its appearance differed greatly from that portrayed. Lead Stories reached out to Melissa Grafe from Yale’s Medical Historical Library who provided Google Books and archiveal links showing vibration therapies being employed during that era as well.
These treatments were manual massage and exercise techniques such as effleurage, petrissage, friction and tapotement; vibration was combined with these manual techniques to give a full-body vibrational massage called mechanotherapy; these gentle movements helped alleviate ailments like nervous tension and pain, headaches, respiratory difficulties and rheumatism while also improving circulation and aiding digestion. As early as 1883 medical writers described vibration as both pleasant and unpleasant forces.
What is it today?
Vibration therapy has evolved into whole-body vibration (WBV) machines used in health clubs, gyms, and medical centers as well as being an at-home fitness tool used to reduce pain, improve balance and strength, manage weight loss and manage fatigue. But its history dates back further still.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, numerous devices were devised that utilized vibration to strengthen muscles or shed pounds. Some may be considered quack remedies while others used vibration to induce muscle contractions – one such invention was known as “reducing machine”, which used an oscillating band placed around waist to break off fat accumulation while also toning muscle tone.
After initial discoveries were made, it was realized that vibration therapy could positively impact bone health by stimulating osteoblasts to increase bone density while simultaneously increasing strength and flexibility. Therefore, vibration therapy is now used in rehab settings to increase strength, balance and mobility – often helping those recovering faster from injuries or surgeries by strengthening them faster while decreasing risks of falls.
Vibration therapy uses mechanical vibrations to contract and relax muscle groups in order to promote weight loss, strengthen bones, improve balance and flexibility and promote weight management. It can be performed either sitting, standing or lying on a vibration plate, belt or machine; please be aware that this differs from vibration slimming machines which use large vibrating bands placed around waist to burn fat while toning muscle tone.
Studies have revealed that vibration therapy can boost energy levels and promote overall well-being, through the regulation of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine that regulate mood and mental state. Furthermore, vibration can lower cortisol levels which contribute to stress and anxiety.
Vibration therapy has also been proven to aid anxiety reduction by lowering blood pressure and increasing relaxation, managing chronic pain more effectively and improving sleep quality. Vibration therapy is easy to incorporate into daily routines at home – the great thing is its accessibility!
What is the future of vibration therapy?
Vibration therapy is a noninvasive therapy using mechanical vibrations to stimulate muscles and soft tissues. The therapy works on the principle of mechanotransduction, which converts mechanical forces into cellular responses resulting in increased elasticity, mobility and blood supply for target areas as well as reduction of pain as well as improvement of balance and movement disorders. Common applications for vibration therapy are to treat injuries to muscles such as osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia or chronic low back pain; its most prevalent uses being used to treat such conditions.
Studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of vibration therapy as a means to decrease pain by stimulating endorphin release and disrupting painful signals from the nervous system. Furthermore, vibration therapy has been found to increase skeletal strength by regulating mesenchymal stem cell differentiation to build muscles and bones – this method is especially helpful in older populations where osteoporosis may develop, helping promote bone formation while providing improved skeletal stability.
Vibration therapy has proven its worth as an aid to wound healing as well. One study demonstrated how vibration therapy could decrease wound size and speed healing in diabetic foot ulcer patients due to vibrations stimulating an involuntary stretch reflex that triggers multiple muscle contractions per second that send signals back to the brain, sending feedback signals back through nerve endings and connecting back with brain centres.
One study demonstrated that vibration therapy significantly reduced peripheral neuropathy pain associated with chemotherapy treatments for cancer, suggesting it may provide a safe, cost-effective and simple alternative or supplement to current treatments for peripheral neuropathy.
Vibration therapy‘s results in relieving pain and promoting wound healing are encouraging, though further investigation should include larger sample sizes and more in-depth investigation of conditions under which vibration therapy works best.
G5 offers an array of vibration therapy products designed to treat injuries and illnesses of various sorts. Explore our selection or consult one of our specialists about how vibration therapy could help you lead a happier, healthier lifestyle.
