Vibration therapy – also referred to as vibration plate training or mechanotherapy – has a long and distinguished history, dating all the way back to ancient Greek civilization and NASA. People across time have discovered its therapeutic advantages.
This therapy could prevent bone loss, promote muscle growth, improve circulation and relieve any associated discomfort while simultaneously increasing metabolism.
Ancient Greeks
Contrary to their ancient counterparts who believed diseases were caused by gods and demons, Ancient Greeks saw sickness as a disruption of natural bodily balance, rather than something imposed by outside forces such as gods or demons. Therefore doctors focused more on restoring equilibrium than treating symptoms; their diagnosis relied upon blood, phlegm, black bile and yellow bile for guidance.
Ancient Greek warrior society saw great advancement in body vibration machines to treat injured soldiers. When injured soldiers needed therapy for wounds that needed drainage or healing quickly so they could return to battle, plucking strings on bow-like wooden instruments caused vibrations over wounds to increase drainage rates faster and promote cell regeneration, helping wounded soldiers heal quickly so they could get back out there in battle as quickly.
Vibrational sound therapy has long been used as an effective healing modality. Scientists have discovered how music’s soothing sounds and frequencies help soothe, relax, and balance physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual states within humans.
Jonas Gustav Zander began exploring the correlation between mechanical vibration and muscle building in the 1860s. His findings led to the invention of a full-body vibration machine which promised increased muscle gain and weight loss. Whole body vibration training is now widely practiced at gyms and fitness centers alike; Dr. John Harvey Kellogg was among the first modern practitioners to employ vibration as a treatment, using his vibrating platform as one way of improving circulation, relieving constipation, and increasing bone density.
Ancient Romans
Ancient Greeks weren’t the only ones who recognized that vibrations help promote blood circulation and healing; in 1861, Russian physician and inventor Gustav Zander developed an apparatus using weights and pulleys to produce vibration for therapeutic purposes – an early precursor of modern whole body vibration plates (WBV plates).
Ancient Greece saw doctors using body vibration therapy tools as therapeutic devices to assist soldiers recovering from injuries. Doctors employed wooden bow-like instruments with plucked strings that created vibrations to heal cuts and wounds faster; buzzing of these machines allowed pus to drain more freely from wounded patients while stimulating production of human growth hormone, speeding healing treatment.
John Harvey Kellogg, the founder of Kellogg’s cereal, adopted this concept later when using vibrating chairs in his health practice, claiming they helped improve circulation and ease constipation.
Russian scientists began exploring vibration therapy during the 1960s, discovering its muscle-building benefits. Cosmonaut Valery Polyakov used vibration machines as part of his training and managed to stay in space for 438 days!
Vibrators have quickly become an invaluable tool in chiropractic offices, fitness centers, weight loss clinics, naturopath practices and gymnasiums across the globe. Even large corporations and government facilities use vibrators. Marodyne Circulizer is an advanced low-intensity vibration platform which can offer full body stimulation and rejuvenation through advanced low frequency vibration.
Ancient Persians
Vibration therapy (also referred to as vibration training or mechano-stimulation) involves exposure to vibrations for an extended duration. It has many proven health and therapeutic benefits. Gustav Zander, a Russian physician and inventor in the 1860s created something similar to what modern-day whole body vibration machines offer, designed to draw bow across wounds to increase circulation and HGH production for faster healing.
Ancient Egyptians
Ancient Egyptians believed sound was an effective healing force and believed that all things, including humans, consisted of networks of living energies whose flow could be disrupted or restored through various interventions into this force field. This principle can still be seen today in alternative therapies like acupuncture, Ayurvedic medicine and Reiki energy healing. Ancient Egyptians believed in two sources of vital life-force energy known as Ba and Ka, similar to what Chinese medicine considers as its Yin-Yang concepts. Unbalanced energies could result in disease; therefore it was essential to harmonise and balance them. Pharaohs were often depicted in art holding onto cylindrical objects with two clasped hands, representing Egyptian healing rods or Wands of Horus. Ancient Egyptians employed these practices to balance Ba and Ka energies to harmonise and heal immune, endocrine, and nervous systems, as well as practice Sekhem energy healing which was an ancient spiritual hands-on healing system that foreshadowed Reiki.
Egyptian therapists were masters of massage and likely among the first to recognise that stress could contribute to illness. Their tombs featured paintings depicting people with their feet and hands being massaged – perhaps an early form of foot and hand reflexology!
Egyptians were among the pioneers of vibration therapy. It formed an integral part of their health practices based on using herbs and foods to treat various illnesses, while they are credited as being one of the first nations to use electricity for medical purposes; Egyptians were particularly fascinated with electric fish that emit an electrical charge through bilateral polar fields.
Ancient Chinese
A vibration machine produces mechanical oscillations to stimulate human neuromuscular structures. Vibrations increase excitatory signaling of muscle spindles while decreasing inhibitory signaling from Golgi tendinous organs to the motoneuron pool – this stimulates recruitment, proprioceptive spinal reflexes and hormone changes within our bodies that result in better performance for athletes as well as those recovering from injuries. Growth hormone levels also tend to rise with whole-body vibration therapy treatments; making them especially advantageous.
Ancient Greeks first realized the therapeutic potential of vibration therapy while helping wounded soldiers recover from battle. They devised a bow-like wooden device to vibrate across wounds inflicted upon soldiers and cause the skin and tissue vibrations; these vibrations allowed pus to drain away more freely while speeding up healing time.
Gustav Zander, a Swedish medical student in the 1860s, created an apparatus which produced vibrations through weights and pulleys. He used this therapeutic device in his health practice to increase circulation while decreasing constipation.
Today, vibration therapy is utilized by chiropractors, fitness centers, weight loss clinics, naturopaths, professional and Olympic sports teams, large corporations and NASA astronauts – including many senior citizens and postmenopausal women who use it regularly as it has been proven to increase bone density while decreasing fracture risk.
WBV not only benefits musculoskeletal and athletic health, but it has been recognized by Russian scientists for preventing bone loss during space travel. Cosmonaut Valery Polyakov was able to spend 438 days in space without suffering significant bone mass loss – thanks to WBV!
Ancient Indians
Indian subcontinent is home to one of the world’s oldest civilizations, “Ancient India”. This period from when urban culture first emerged during 3rd millennium BCE through to end of Gupta Empire in 500 CE is commonly known by this name.
Hinduism underwent an important transition during this era, moving away from an emphasis on ritual sacrifice to worshipping individual gods primarily associated with Shiva and Vishnu but also including other deities. Cults dedicated to them emerged and worshipping individual gods became widespread practice.
Musical instruments were long used to aid healing processes in ancient India, where ancient Indians recognized the ability of sound to influence mood and emotion. Through experimentation they identified specific frequencies which caused positive effects in body and mind. Historians have studied how different frequencies impact brain waves which in turn may help relieve depression, reduce pain levels, or improve sleep patterns.
At that time, it was believed that sound vibrations could stimulate the anahata chakra (also known as heart chakra). This chakra serves as the hub for spiritual connection with all parts of creation.
Ancient Indians used their knowledge of body and mind to devise Ayurveda as a system of medicine. This medical approach included preventative, curative and health maintenance processes.
