Vibration therapy has grown increasingly popular as an approach to building muscle strength and aiding recovery for those struggling with cancer and other serious medical conditions. It can even help individuals maintain health during chemotherapy treatments.
Whole body vibration machines feature platforms that vibrate, forcing you to contract and relax your muscles dozens of times per second, helping reduce pain, enhance tissue extensibility, and relieve delayed onset muscle soreness.
1. Handheld Massagers
Handheld massagers or percussive therapy devices offer targeted vibration experiences at your fingertips, providing targeted vibration therapy to improve strength and flexibility, reduce muscle pain and stress relief at home. However, it’s essential to understand how these tools work as well as their limitations to ensure optimal results are realized.
Vibration therapy has grown increasingly popular with all sorts of individuals, from office workers with sedentary jobs to athletes recovering from vigorous workouts. Thanks to portable, at-home devices that target specific muscle groups – handheld massagers, vibrating foam rollers, and vibrating plates are just some of the devices available – vibration therapy has become more accessible than ever.
While many devices mimic the effects of manual massage, others offer additional features and can provide additional benefits. For instance, using vibration therapy with a massage gun to stretch muscles and fascia may increase joint range of motion and myofascial pliability for greater joint range of motion and myofascial pliability as well as enhance relaxation while improving circulation to help combat swelling and inflammation.
To maximize the benefit of your handheld massager, it is key to select one with multiple speed settings and power levels. This allows you to tailor its intensity according to your individual needs while protecting you from unintentionally applying too much pressure. Many handheld massagers feature interchangeable attachments or heads which may help target specific muscles or areas of the body.
Before using a handheld massager, be sure to familiarize yourself with its user manual. Doing so may help avoid injuries like bruising and tissue damage from occurring; furthermore, this document should detail any relevant safety precautions or instructions that might apply.
For optimal handheld massager performance, look for lightweight yet ergonomic designs that allow your arm to rest without getting tired from holding it against muscles. Also look for something quiet as making noise can interfere with relaxation and reduce stress levels.
2. Wearable Bands
Vibration-based wearable bands are widely available to help reduce tremors, improve balance and ease aches and pains. While some provide whole-body vibration therapy experiences, others specialize in localized vibration therapy treatments for specific issues. Some devices such as wrist bands, wearable foam rollers and vibrating balls also can be used to loosen muscle knots post workout for quicker recovery time.
Some wrist-based vibrating bands are designed to address specific conditions, like essential tremor, Tourettes syndrome, or anxiety. One device called Apollo Neuro uses tapping sensation to stimulate vagus nerve and balance nervous system. Furthermore, it activates autonomic nervous system which may help control symptoms associated with these conditions such as tremors. Retailing at $349 with membership required to access app that generates schedule of vibrations such as “energy and wake up”, “focus and clear”, and “calm and relax”.
The Steadi-Two wristband uses magnetic tuned mass dampening technology to mitigate hand tremor. The device contains a disc made up of magnets which moves with your hand when shaking occurs, creating an offset against any potential tremors that arises. Furthermore, there’s also an app available which tracks trends of hand tremor. Although not a cure for tremors themselves, its benefits may help with everyday tasks like writing or driving more safely.
Other wearable vibration devices are designed to treat specific health conditions, including hearing loss and tinnitus. Neosensory is a bracelet that uses vibration coupled with sound to retrain the brain and decrease tinnitus; one study showed it had improved hearing in those suffering from noise-induced tinnitus while decreasing it for those experiencing natural causes of their hearing loss.
Other wearable devices that use vibration to promote health include wrist bands that monitor activity, heart rate and rhythm, quality of sleep and more. Some devices utilize electromyography (EMG) technology that enables users to control smart devices using simple gestures like finger tapping or thumb swiping – no mouse or touchscreen required! Furthermore, these wearable devices can alert the user to important events, like fire alarms or doorbell ringing notifications.
3. Vibrating Foam Rollers
Foam rolling (myofascial release) has long been a part of gym enthusiasts’ post-workout routines. This exercise helps soothe muscle knots while improving flexibility; now experts have added vibration therapy into this practice for even greater effect while lessening pain intensity.
Vibrating rollers come in an assortment of sizes, textures, and firmness levels to meet a range of needs. Some come equipped with built-in vibration mechanisms which you can control using either an app or button; the best ones offer rechargeability with multiple vibration settings to tailor intensity levels depending on individual requirements.
Studies on vibrating foam rollers (VFR) have explored their effects on pain relief, range of motion (ROM), and recovery markers in individuals experiencing muscle fatigue. Though the results were inconclusive, these findings align with physiological theories which propose that vibration can improve flexibility and movement range by altering thixotropic properties of muscles and fascia.
VFRs can be used both before and after workouts to increase flexibility while stretching sessions or recovery are underway. They’re especially beneficial to people unable to receive massage therapy; VFRs help activate muscles that may otherwise remain dormant – such as neck and back muscles – making this affordable, portable tool an excellent way to expand training results and expand flexibility.
With so many choices available to you, it can be daunting trying to locate one that will meet all of your needs. That’s why we have selected some excellent solutions to fit a range of budgets – from inexpensive rollers for beginners all the way up to premium models that feature advanced features.
Chirp’s roller is designed specifically to target back pain, making it a good option for those suffering chronic issues. With its ergonomic spinal groove and spiky surface designed for more sensitive muscle groups, this roller offers four levels of vibration therapy to fit every user – though some might find its highest intensity too intense! You can connect it via bluetooth with your phone to control vibration levels; some users might find this one too intense!
4. Vibrating Plates
Vibrating plates are small platform devices designed to send mechanical vibrations throughout your body, which may help contract and relax muscles, promote blood flow and increase hormone production, according to studies. They may also promote bone health as well as balance and strength gains for those suffering from sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss) although some studies have not discovered significant benefits.
AIMS Neuroscience published a 2023 study which demonstrated the benefits of vibration plate use for 15-30 minutes each day for healthy people to increase cognitive functions such as memory and thinking abilities. Another 2021 study demonstrated how whole-body vibration therapy may aid weight loss and muscle building by forcing muscles to contract and relax repeatedly throughout each vibration, increasing strength without movement.
Before beginning whole-body vibration therapy, it’s wise to consult your physician first. People with histories of dizziness or balance disorders, epilepsy, arrhythmias or pacemakers should not use vibration plates because this could result in dangerous instability. Furthermore, pregnant and heart condition patients should avoid vibration plate exercises since vibration plates can stimulate rapid heart rates and raise blood pressure rapidly.
Studies indicate that whole-body vibration may help enhance fat loss and promote bone density when combined with a balanced diet and regular physical activity, though more research needs to be conducted in this regard.
Whole-body vibration has been widely supported by TikTok stars such as Serena Williams, Mark Wahlberg and Stevie Nicks. Originally developed for astronauts to prevent muscle and bone loss while in space, whole-body vibration has since been used to treat sports injuries both human and equine as well as for rehabilitation after surgery.
No matter which vibration plate method you decide to try, they’re no replacement for tried-and-true methods of weight loss and muscle building like exercise and caloric restriction. Calorie deficit and exercise remain effective ways of accomplishing weight loss and toning up. If vibration therapy becomes part of your health routine, take things slow at first to listen to what your body tells you; any time discomfort arises it is best to stop.
