Therapy vibration devices like vibrating foam rollers and handheld gun percussion massagers are increasingly used as fitness tools to increase myofascial pliability, yet few professionals possess an in-depth knowledge of their use.
Vibration devices induce rapid repetitive skeletal muscle contractions to decrease pain while improving myofascial pliability and nerve function, as well as reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness after exercise.
What is Vibration Therapy?
Vibration therapy is a noninvasive therapy that employs mechanical vibrations to stimulate muscles and soft tissues. Based on mechanotransduction principles, vibration therapy converts mechanical forces into cellular responses with physiological benefits for its users.
Vibration therapy comes in two basic varieties, whole body (WBV) and localized. With WBV, patients stand or sit on a vibrating platform to experience effects throughout their bodies; localized vibration therapy uses handheld devices like G5’s percussive and oscillating massagers to target specific parts of the body with vibrations.
WBV is an effective solution to alleviate back, neck, and knee discomfort as well as reduce muscle tension from buildup of lactic acid. WBV helps with muscle flexibility and mobility by increasing ligament elasticity, tendon flexibility, joint mobility, normalizing the trophic process in paravertebral muscles and normalizing trophic process in paravertebral muscles. Furthermore, according to research published in Disability and Rehabilitation Journal; NASA uses WBV therapy on long space missions for astronauts as an aid against bone loss!
Vibration therapy can also assist in relieving pain by encouraging the endocrine system to release dopamine and serotonin, leading to relaxation. Furthermore, vibrations may help ease muscle knots – bands of muscle tissue which refer pain elsewhere – alleviating headaches, migraines and associated aches like sciatica arthritis low back pain.
Although more research needs to be conducted into how vibration therapy works, studies show its many potential health benefits. These include relieving stress and anxiety, improving sleep quality, strengthening muscles, improving joint flexibility, improving balance and coordination skills, boosting mood, preventing osteoporosis as well as speeding recovery after surgery or injury. Vibration therapy also requires minimal equipment to conduct effectively which has made it a popular way to enhance exercise and athletic performance.
How Does Vibration Therapy Work?
Vibration therapy uses short pulse patterns of mechanical stimulation to cause muscles and bones to contract and relax, stimulating blood flow, tissue growth, disruption of pain signals to the brain, muscle strength training and overall improvement. Vibration therapy has been used successfully in treating various conditions and injuries such as back pain, arthritis knee stiffness carpal tunnel syndrome rehabilitate knee hip ankle surgeries among others.
Athletes often turn to vibration therapy to increase performance and speed their recovery from intense workouts, particularly after intensive sessions. Since it simulates exertion, vibration therapy lowers cortisol levels – the stress hormone – while simultaneously increasing blood flow and metabolism to promote healing through natural means. Vibration therapy may also reduce muscle soreness, increase flexibility and balance as well as bone density.
Vibration therapy uses vibrations to stimulate muscles and produce osteoblasts – cells responsible for bone building – which in turn combat bone density loss with age, decreasing risk of fractures. Furthermore, vibration therapy‘s vibrations may help alleviate aching joints or muscles by improving circulation or stimulating collagen production – essential components in tissue repair processes.
There are two primary forms of vibration therapy: whole-body and localized. For whole-body vibration therapy, patients stand or sit on a vibrating platform that transmits vibrations throughout their entire bodies; for localized vibration therapy, vibrations are administered using handheld devices placed over particular body parts.
Vibration therapy‘s vibrating action can train the muscles of your feet and legs to increase balance, providing relief to people suffering from chronic foot or leg injuries or recovering from surgery. Furthermore, vibration therapy has been proven effective at strengthening muscle strength and nerve functionality – making it useful for arthritis, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia patients as well as those experiencing trigger points which cause pain elsewhere in their bodies. It may even relieve tension within trigger points.
What Can Vibration Therapy Do for Me?
Vibration therapy has quickly become popular due to the many potential health advantages it can provide. From strengthening muscles, relieving pain or increasing athletic performance – vibration devices may offer assistance.
Vibration therapy devices can assist in treating circulation issues and cellular damage, among other ailments. Poor circulation often leaves muscles sore after workouts or activities; when this happens, muscle contractions stimulated by vibration can increase blood flow to increase circulation, ease tension in tightened muscles and speed healing of injured tendons, ligaments, muscles or discs.
Some devices can produce whole-body vibration, while others can target specific parts. A therapist might use a vibrating platform for patients to stand or sit on while hand-held devices target specific muscles based on frequency, amplitude and time parameters used.
One study published in 2014 demonstrated how vibration therapy assisted children with cerebral palsy to increase strength and decrease spasticity, an involuntary stiffening of muscles that affects gait and posture, through activating muscle spindles and motor neurons that induced muscle contraction thereby decreasing spasticity, enabling more normal strides for these children when walking.
Many individuals suffering from arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions find vibration therapy can provide effective relief of their symptoms. Vibration from devices stimulates muscle contractions that relieve tensed muscles while speeding healing of injured tendons, ligaments, muscles, bones and discs. Furthermore, vibration therapy helps calm nerves which have become compressed or irritated.
Some vibration devices can also help increase bone density, making them useful tools for those suffering from osteoporosis or chronic bone conditions. Vibrations stimulate muscle activation which leads to the production of more bone cells – this offers an effective alternative solution without side effects that could even replace medications entirely depending on the individual case.
How Can I Get Started with Vibration Therapy?
Vibration therapy should never replace physical activity and recovery activities; rather, it’s an excellent complement. Vibration plates produce rapid muscle contractions which strengthen circulation while strengthening muscles – this makes vibration therapy an effective treatment for building balance and motor skills in legs and feet. Whole body vibration therapy has also been proven to enhance recovery following high intensity eccentric resistance exercises more so than traditional recovery methods such as passive stretching or ultrasound treatments.
Vibration therapy can help those experiencing painful conditions or injuries find relief by stimulating endorphin release and interrupting pain signals in the nervous system, thus decreasing inflammation and swelling as well. Furthermore, this therapy may also be used to treat joint and bone issues such as arthritis, fibromyalgia or osteoporosis.
Studies demonstrate the effectiveness of vibration therapy for strengthening muscle strength and flexibility while increasing bone density. Vibration therapy can also enhance balance and mobility to lower risk of falls – this can especially benefit seniors experiencing issues with balance or mobility issues. It may also increase proprioception and coordination to make vibration therapy an invaluable treatment option when dealing with injuries caused by falls or traumatic brain injury.
Vibration therapy can be administered using either a full-body vibration platform, on which patients can lie or stand, or via a smaller device which targets one area. Vibrations produced by the machine cause muscles to contract rapidly — about 30 times per second — stimulating metabolism and burning more calories, leading to weight loss and improved fitness levels.
Ripple Ball vibrating therapy tools provide an excellent way to facilitate myofascial release, which may also provide relief for chronic pain conditions. When using these vibration tools, clients should only apply moderate pressure over soft tissues without touching bones or spine; additionally they should consult their practitioner prior to beginning use and only continue when comfortable with the pressure applied by vibration devices.
