Whole Body Wellness With Wave Vibration Therapy
Wave vibration therapy is a whole-body wellness modality that utilizes sound frequencies to produce tactile sensations for healing. It evolved from ancient practices of sound bath healing.
Standing on a vibrating platform stimulates your cardiovascular, lymphatic and nervous systems as well as muscle fibers for passive exercise that targets muscles you might never even know exist!
Increased Blood Circulation
Whole-body vibration (WBV), using a vibrating plate with low frequency (20-50 Hz), has become an extensively researched treatment modality due to its positive musculoskeletal and physiological responses. Numerous studies demonstrate increased strength3,4, bone density5, muscle mass6, performance7 as well as balance.1,2 WBV can also serve as an excellent rehabilitative tool that improves balance and posture while decreasing falls in elderly patients.1,2.
Vibration therapy increases circulation by stimulating the production of hormones that accelerate healing processes in the body. It can also loosen tight muscles and expand range of motion; professional athletes frequently turn to it to aid recovery and enhance overall performance.
Combining music and vibration therapy satisfies multiple senses at once to soothe the mind and relieve tension. Users experience a soothing wave of synchronized sound and vibration from the soles of their feet up through their scalp, helping them forget time while possibly leading them towards light meditation.
Researchers have discovered that vibration therapy can significantly decrease lactic acid build-up in muscles and increase muscle oxygenation after exercise, thanks to increased blood flow to them which flushes away any waste products and allows muscles to perform at their optimal level.
Recent research demonstrated how frequency of vibration has an impactful influence on muscle oxygenation. Authors discovered that lower vibration frequencies increase peripheral blood flow to skeletal muscle while higher frequencies do not; researchers speculate this difference might be caused by how quickly vibration activates skeletal muscles; lower frequencies provide more time between contractions to allow adequate perfusion.
Other studies have also discovered that short-term vibration exposure significantly raises markers of angiogenesis, vascular endothelial function and muscle performance; however, due to limited data comparison between side-alternating and vertical vibration therapy it remains unknown how these two forms of vibration influence results. Therefore further investigation is required in order to discover exactly how vibration therapy increases blood flow and muscle oxygenation.
Increased Growth Hormones
Vibration therapy can do more than improve blood circulation; it also stimulates hormone secretion and circulation. Numerous studies have demonstrated how vibration therapy increases growth hormones such as testosterone production. This may help slow muscle loss with age while simultaneously relieving pain and improving performance of physical tasks. Furthermore, vibration therapy has been proven to increase bone density as well as speed recovery from injuries.
Sarcopenia, which refers to a natural decline in muscle mass and strength that comes with age, can make everyday activities difficult for older adults living with the condition. Exercise and vibration therapy are proven effective ways of combatting this decline – researchers found that when people use vibration machines for just six weeks they experienced significant increases in protein production by their muscles; helping preserve muscle mass while simultaneously strengthening the immune system and delaying aging processes.
Vibration therapy can also help increase energy levels. Vibrations help boost metabolism and burn more calories while simultaneously clearing away trapped toxins from lymphatic drainage systems and relieving lymph congestion – giving your energy levels a boost while improving concentration, creativity and overall mood.
Wave vibration therapy can also provide relief and promote relaxation by stimulating the endocrine system and producing serotonin, an important mood regulating hormone. Vibrations may also increase flexibility, range of motion, and help protect against osteoporosis by strengthening bone strength.
Researchers recently conducted a controlled trial demonstrating the effect of whole body vibration (WBV) on the endocrine systems of healthy men. Researchers noticed an acute increase in certain hormones including growth hormones as they used vibration machines similar to explosive power training machines – similar to what may occur with testosterone and IGF-1 injections.
Reduced Stress
Stress levels play a critical role in our overall wellbeing, yet many struggle with finding ways to effectively manage their anxiety. What may excite and energize one person can cause paralyzing anxiety for another; public speaking may exhilarating while barely raising eyebrows in others. Vibration therapy may help ease tension by encouraging relaxation and soothing muscle tension – using vibration platforms with specific frequencies oscillating at certain frequencies to stimulate muscles via an involuntary stretch reflex that causes them to contract and relax rapidly in rapid succession.
This rhythmic pattern helps soothe and lower cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone. Studies have also shown that wave vibration increases secretion and circulation of growth hormones; also speeding up healing processes and recovery processes naturally occurring within our bodies. You can use this treatment on its own or combine it with other forms of exercise to maximize the benefits.
Wave vibration therapy has also been demonstrated to increase balance and posture while decreasing fall risk for elderly individuals and physical therapy patients. Research indicates that wave vibration can stimulate bone density by increasing cell energy production and improving nutrition delivery throughout the body.
There are various kinds of vibration devices, including whole-body (WBV) and localized vibration therapy devices. WBV devices use platforms to emit vibrations that can be felt across the entire body while localized therapy uses handheld devices that target specific muscle groups. There are even machines which offer both WBV and localized vibrations at once.
Since researchers are still exploring the long-term benefits of vibration therapy, studies such as Rosado’s have yet to establish whether its positive impacts will last or how quickly cognitive enhancement with vibration therapy wears off over time. Rosado’s study indicated that cognitive enhancement with vibration therapy faded after only short duration, suggesting longer term protocols would be needed in order to firmly establish its effects. Regardless, vibration therapy poses no major risks and has been approved by the American Council on Exercise; however it should always be discussed with your healthcare provider first if your condition may worsen due to jarring motions; for instance if deep vein thrombosis or severe osteoporosis exists in order to avoid potential mistreatment or worsened outcomes.
Increased Muscle Strength
Vibration therapy creates vibrations which cause muscles to contract and relax rapidly, burning more energy to strengthen them and build strength. This therapy is especially useful for individuals with weak or compromised muscles or joints as it helps strengthen these areas and increase flexibility while simultaneously decreasing symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease and increasing bone density.
Studies have demonstrated that adding vibration training to resistance training leads to improved muscle strength and performance, due to mechanical vibrations stimulating a tonic vibration reflex (Cardinale and Bosco 2003). Vibrations also activate muscle spindles and increase twitch fiber numbers which stimulates neuromuscular responses activating more twitch muscle fibers for faster recovery between workouts resulting in greater strength gains as well as faster recoveries between them. This type of exercise can also result in faster strength gains while providing faster gains overall.
Vibration exercises help the body release natural painkillers that help ease muscle soreness by contracting and relaxing muscles rapidly, stretching them out to alleviate tension or stiffness in them, increasing blood flow to them, as well as decreasing inflammation.
Wave vibration therapy can also help increase muscular strength, balance and flexibility – its effects becoming even more prominent when combined with traditional weight-lifting exercises. One study indicated that pairing WBV training with traditional resistance training resulted in greater increases in isokinetic dynamometer strength testing as compared with using only traditional resistance training alone.
Wave vibration therapy has been shown to be safe for elderly, severely disabled and multiple sclerosis/hemiplegia patients alike. Before embarking on any new workout regime, it’s advisable to speak to your physician beforehand, particularly if pregnant or having health conditions like blood clotting issues/tumors/pacemakers as it should not be used without medical advice from their healthcare provider. The American Council on Exercise also advises against vibration therapy use due to potential dangers posed by blood clotting issues/tumors/pacemakers.
Even though vibration therapy offers numerous advantages, its price may make it inaccessible for many individuals. A more cost-effective way of enjoying its effects may be a BOSU ball: simply standing on an unstable half ball will force muscles to work to stay balanced; although this won’t offer all of the same advantages of full-sized vibration machines, it still works to improve balance and core strength.