Information Wellness Blog

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.

Vibration therapy (VT) is a safe mechanical stimulus that delivers anabolic signals to the musculoskeletal system. Vibrations with various frequencies, wavelengths and durations may be utilized during therapy sessions for maximum benefit.

Low intensity VT, which mimics the physical effects of exercise, has been found to effectively increase both skeletal and muscle strength by stimulating anabolic signals while counteracting catabolic ones in bone. Furthermore, this form of treatment regulates differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into muscles which promote growth.

Reduces Stress

Vibration therapy works by stimulating the endings of muscle spindles. These small sensors send signals to the brain that provide vital information regarding when muscles stretch or contract – crucial information that ensures proper muscle balance and movement. Studies have revealed that vibration therapy stimulates these sensor signals, improving balance and coordination while simultaneously strengthening and increasing flexibility.

Vibration therapy can reduce pain and speed recovery following injury by increasing blood flow to injured areas and supporting tissue repair. Furthermore, vibration can also help relieve stress by loosening tension in muscles and relieving stress from tension headaches.

One study demonstrated that people with spinal cord injuries who received whole-body vibration therapy a few times each week experienced significant improvements in their mobility and ability to complete tasks compared with those who didn’t receive WBV; these gains were even greater when combined with traditional physiotherapy sessions.

Relieves Anxiety

Vibration therapy triggers the body’s own natural feel-good chemicals – endorphins – to ease tension and promote relaxation, as well as helping lower cortisol levels – the primary stress hormone. Vibration therapy also has been proven effective at helping lower cortisol levels; helping reduce stress by decreasing cortisol production levels (the main stress hormone).

Vibration therapy uses mechanical vibrations (powered by electricity) or manual vibrations, such as massage rollers. Both forms offer gentle yet consistent vibrations similar to light exercise, making vibration therapy ideal for light aerobic workouts. To participate, stand on a platform vibrating at specific frequencies and amplitudes; depending on the device type you may even be able to sit or lie down during treatment sessions.

Vibration therapy has proven itself effective at relieving depression and anxiety symptoms among college students with histories of physical inactivity and elevated depression, anxiety, and stress levels. After four weeks of twice weekly WBV platform exercise sessions with 30 college students with high depression scores assessed on both scales; those assigned to WBV platforms showed significant improvements compared with their counterparts in exercise only groups.

Relieves Depression

Low intensity vibration therapy has also been demonstrated to have beneficial effects on depression and stress. This may be attributable to neuronal adaptation to vibration stimulus or to pain relief that results from WBV training; another study reported increased performance on a stroop test test designed to measure selective attention and inhibition; this effect is believed to be caused by stimulation of subcutaneous nerves by vibration stimulus.

One study that evaluated LLLT with and without WBV concluded that when combined, these treatments significantly enhanced mental health measures of depression, anxiety, stress and energy/fatigue as measured by the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 (SF-36) test scores than either alone. Participants in this research included college students leading inactive lifestyles who scored high on both the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) and Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 (SF-36) tests at baseline before randomly being assigned either to WBV group or exercise group after four weeks of twice-weekly training when their scores were measured again after four weeks of twice-weekly training was over again measured against their baseline scores.

Results revealed that both groups experienced improvements on the SF-36 mental health measures; however, those in the WBV group demonstrated greater improvements than those doing exercise alone for depression, anxiety and energy/fatigue indicators. These improvements can be attributed to neuronal adaptive responses and pain relief that occur during WBV sessions.

Promotes Weight Loss

Vibration therapy uses mechanical vibrations to contract and relax your muscles. While not readily available on the NHS, you may encounter machines in gyms or physiotherapy services that offer it.

A 2021 study discovered that Whole Body Vibration (WBV) can assist people in losing weight even without altering their diet or exercise routine. WBV also improves balance, which decreases the risk of falls which lead to fractures later on.

Integrating vibration therapy into your wellness regime can improve the effectiveness of your workouts and help you burn more calories without spending more time at the gym. Furthermore, studies have proven its ability to increase blood flow to muscles after workouts for faster post-recovery as well as provide essential oxygen delivery to cells.

Vibration therapy is a type of vibration training that utilizes a vibrating platform on which to stand, sit, or lie down. Vibrations used by this therapy contract and relax your muscles to simulate exercise’s effects; you can use vibration plates for weight loss, strength training or rehabilitation purposes – research has even indicated it may strengthen bones by pulling on them similarly to when exercising with muscles – with forces produced equalling about 1/3 that of gravity!

Strengthens Bones

As people age, their bone density naturally decreases over time, leading to weak and fragile bodies and osteoporosis. Drugs may help strengthen bones but have side effects; low intensity vibration plates like LivMD may provide an effective alternative that strengthens bones while helping prevent osteoporosis.

Vibration therapy has been found to strengthen bones and prevent osteoporosis in multiple studies. One such research paper showed that postmenopausal women using vibration machines twice weekly for 12 months experienced greater gains in bone density compared with a control group which did not use vibration machines.

Vibration therapy appears to help stimulate mesenchymal stem cells responsible for bone and muscle building. Furthermore, this therapy may reduce sarcopenia symptoms that cause frailty and falls among elderly populations.

Therapy using vibration can be an effective means of strengthening bones by mimicking the mechanical stresses that come from exercise, yet more research needs to be conducted on how long and with what frequency and intensity vibration should be administered for best results. If these criteria aren’t met properly, therapy could even cause bones to break. In such a case, individuals can consult a healthcare professional in finding their best vibration therapy option.

Helps Rehabilitate Muscle Spindles

Vibrations stimulate muscle spindles, increasing stretch reflex and helping alleviate chronic low back pain while also increasing flexibility of the lumbar spine.

Vibration therapy helps strengthen muscles, reduce stiffness and increase bone density. One study conducted on participants with chronic low-back pain demonstrated significant improvements in femoral neck BMD and lumbar spine bone strength after receiving vibration therapy treatments, suggesting it promotes the activity of mesenchimal stem cells responsible for creating new bone tissue formation.

Studies on vibration therapy demonstrate a range of physiological reactions, such as changes to blood flow, muscle force and flexibility, bone density and endocrine function. Results depend on intensity, frequency and application of vibration therapy.

Vibration therapy may mask the discharge of fast-adapting cutaneous mechanoreceptors and stimulate muscle spindles, increasing their contractile forces and recruitment of previously inactive muscle fibers by A-motoneurons. Furthermore, vibration can impact gate control mechanisms of Golgi organ afferents leading to inhibition of agonist-antagonist coactivation and cause postvibration tingling sensations – as well as reduce fatigue onset and speed up rehabilitation processes.

Safe for Osteoporosis

Vibration therapy has been shown to significantly increase bone density and decrease fracture rates for those living with osteoporosis. Vibrations created by machines mimic mechanical stresses which typically encourage bones to strengthen over time, providing another noninvasive therapy option as an adjunctive treatment approach for treating this disease – in conjunction with weight bearing exercises, adequate vitamin D levels, or prescription drugs which stimulate or inhibit bone breakdown.

Research findings vary, with some studies suggesting vibration therapy increases lumbar and femoral neck BMD among postmenopausal women. However, in these studies the intensity of vibration used far exceeded that produced by most commercially available vibrating plates; an experienced therapist will ensure the level of vibration suits individual’s specific conditions and levels of bone density.

Low intensity vibration machines resemble large bathroom scales in that they produce small up and down movements that affect feet, legs, hips and spine. While it should not have any serious adverse side effects for most individuals, NASA astronauts found this device improved strength and balance significantly; now this same technology has been further refined for home use.