There is an array of devices on the market designed to give your flesh a shake. From jacuzzi jets that gently move soft tissues, to percussion massagers like the Thumper, and “massage guns” designed to drive their heads into muscles – this business is big.
But does it actually feel good and is it therapeutically useful? In this article we explore the evidence.
Increased venous return
Venous return, the flow of blood from the periphery back into the right atrium, typically equals cardiac output except for brief intervals, prompting clinicians and researchers to study factors primarily influencing this side of circulation. Venous return is determined by several factors including pressure gradient for venous return (mean aortic pressure minus mean right atrial pressure), resistance to venous return in systemic circuits as a whole and elastic properties of thin-walled veins.
Guyton’s dog experiments involved altering venous filling pressure (or total vascular resistance to venous flow) to produce various slopes for the venous return curve, illustrated below in Figure. Steeper slopes correspond with lower return values; when volume declines to an insignificant point, this plateau plateaus and further decreases don’t bring additional increases in return – likely because central veins collapse under increased venous resistance.
Many physiotherapists employ vibration massage therapy devices to ease muscle tightness and promote circulation, with growing evidence showing its benefits to injured patients. The frequency, amplitude and duration of vibrations depend on each individual patient’s needs – for instance lower frequencies with longer vibration duration can reduce muscle tightness while increasing flexibility, while higher frequencies with shorter vibration durations may help decrease delayed onset muscle soreness or improve muscular readiness before or after exercise.
However, it should be kept in mind that vibration therapy has not been clinically proven to treat certain conditions like gout, arthritis, stress fractures or fibromyalgia. Furthermore, vibration therapy might cause pain for those suffering acute inflammation; thus it should only be considered by those at low cardiovascular risk or who require frequent medical evaluation before considering this therapy option. Various vibration massage machines exist for both commercial and personal use based on Dr Graeme models that stimulate muscle tissue at frequencies between 40-50Hz.
Reduced tightness
Vibration massage devices feature pads which rest against the skin, emitting vibrations that penetrate muscles with equal frequencies, amplitude and time parameters to produce vibrations which penetrate tissues deeply enough for deep tissue stimulation and muscle movement. When done at the correct frequency, amplitude and time parameters, this can feel wonderful for tissues while stimulating muscle movement – this may help relieve tightness in muscles while increasing range of motion; particularly useful in combatting exercise-related musculoskeletal injuries as well as recovering from high intensity sports and activities.
Vibrations may also help to improve circulation. This will allow more oxygen and nutrients to reach muscles while flushing away waste products and replenishing fluid reserves with fresh supply – and could thus benefit a wide range of conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia or chronic pain syndromes.
Vibration therapy could also help those suffering from frozen shoulder (aka adhesive capsulitis) by dissolving “muscle knots” that contribute to this condition. While these claims remain highly speculative and would require further study for verification purposes.
Vibration has also shown great promise in treating delayed onset muscle soreness. Two separate studies demonstrated how using vibration prior and/or post exercise could ease this phenomenon – making vibration an invaluable aid for rehabilitation settings or higher level athletic endeavors that allow people to stick with their training programs without experiencing as much pain and discomfort.
Although vibration therapy can be very helpful in treating many conditions, clinicians must be wary of its application in certain instances. These include stress fractures / reactions, neuropathy, fibromyalgia, epilepsy and areas with open wounds or rashes. Furthermore, vibration may not be effective against acute inflammation conditions like gout, bursitis, arthritis and may produce uncomfortable thudding and bumping sensations for some users; so only use for short durations to ensure maximum comfort.
Increased circulation
Vibration massagers produce vibrations which can aid circulation. By stimulating blood vessels and raising heart rates, vibration massagers increase oxygen flow into tissues to promote good health while simultaneously eliminating wastes from your body – this ensures injury is prevented quickly and recovery speeds up.
Many musculoskeletal conditions are characterized by tightness and poor circulation, making regular vibration massage an effective treatment to loosen tightened muscle tissue for decreased pain and improved mobility. Vibration therapy has also been proven to be useful in reducing swelling following injuries such as sprains or strains; and by increasing production of elastin and collagen it may even prevent muscles from pulling apart when stretched.
Conventional massage relies on physical pressure and penetration to reach deeper muscle layers, often with painful results and risks of injury or damage. Percussion massagers (massage guns) penetrate further, but their use of jackhammer-type mechanisms means they are much more likely to cause injury than vibration devices.
Vibration massage can increase the number of new blood cells entering an area while helping flush away inflammatory compounds. Furthermore, vibration massage increases cellular exchange processes that allow muscles to transport nutrients while excreting waste products from their system.
Vibrations can also help loosen muscle fibers by separating and freeing them to move more freely, which may help loosen tight muscles and could explain why vibration therapy has proven so successful for treating back pain. Massage guns cannot easily access deeper muscles that contribute to spinal stability that conventional massage cannot.
Vibration therapy will not work well with all conditions, such as stress fractures (it would likely make the discomfort worse) and fibromyalgia. But many other conditions will respond, including back pain, tendonitis and other inflammatory conditions. Vibration therapy could even be useful in helping athletes relax muscle tissue before exercising or competing to enhance performance and reduce discomfort.
Relaxation
Vibration techniques increase soft tissue temperatures through friction and increase blood circulation to muscles, helping release tightness in tight muscles while increasing oxygen and nutrients supply to muscle fibers. They may even help decrease delayed-onset muscle soreness after exercising. Based on its frequency and amplitude, vibration massage devices allow therapists to stimulate or calm the nervous system. For maximum therapeutic effect, vibrations should ideally be delivered between 40-50 Hz. Pregnancy or medical conditions such as stress fractures / reactions, neuropathy, fibromyalgia, epilepsy or heart disease should preclude vibratory massage therapy as should any bony prominences or open wounds that require healing.
Genuine vibration massagers sit on the surface and transmit vibrations directly, unlike the kind of percussion machine commonly seen in gyms (on the right), which use their heads to drive into muscles like t-bars – potentially hurting and providing much lower frequencies of vibrations than what would actually benefit.
Vibration massage can be used safely by most people; however, it’s wise to consult your physician prior to beginning. Furthermore, vibration massage should not replace regular massage and it is best advised that regular visits be maintained with your therapist for effective care. Professional physiotherapists or chiropractors interested in learning more about vibration massage or receiving samples for use with their patients should visit our practitioner page – where our staff would be pleased to explain how the device works as well as offer practical advice on incorporating vibration therapy into clinical practices.
