Vibration Therapy and Neurological Diseases

Whole-body vibration therapy may benefit strength and quality of life in individuals with neurological diseases, according to a new study.

Vibration therapy, also known as vibration healing, is the use of mechanical vibration to supposedly prevent, treat and promote recovery from a variety of physical ailments, including pain, sports injuries and bone density loss. Whole-body vibration therapy is applied for more systemic complaints. A patient stands on a machine or sits in a chair that vibrates. Many physical therapists for professional athletes use vibration therapy to decrease the recovery time after an injury. However, evidence of benefit is currently unclear.

In a new study, researchers conducted a comprehensive literature search for studies evaluating the effects of whole-body vibration therapy on various factors, including strength, balance and quality of life, for patients with neurological diseases. Thirteen studies evaluating effects in Parkinson's disease, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis and stroke were identified for inclusion.

The researchers found that there is some evidence suggesting potential short-term benefits of whole-body vibration therapy for strength. There was also weak evidence suggesting potential benefits for quality of life. In the long-term, the authors noted that there was limited evidence suggesting potential benefits for balance, strength and walking.

Further well-designed clinical trials are necessary before any conclusions can be made.

Parkinson's disease is a movement disorder that is chronic and progressive, meaning that symptoms continue and worsen over time. Parkinson's disease affects nerve cells in a part of the brain that controls muscle movement.

The term cerebral palsy refers to a neurological disorder that appears in infancy or early childhood (most commonly under 37 weeks of age) and permanently affects body movement and muscle coordination but does not worsen over time.

There is currently good evidence of benefit that suggests music therapy may modestly improve symptoms including some aspects of motor coordination, speech intelligibility and vocal intensity, emotional functions, activities of daily living and quality of life for patients with cerebral palsy and Parkinson's disease.

For more information about vibration therapy, please visit Natural Standard's Health & Wellness Database.

Comments

[Anonymous]

Vibration technique is a very interesting alternative approach to treating certain conditions. I would have never thought that a vibration method of treatment may be beneficial; instead I thought it may be harmful to the human body. I came across some information on the web regarding vibration therapy being used for the maintenance of normal bone formation rates. Then I looked into Natural Standards database and searched using the term “vibration” and came across the theorized evidence that vibration technique may be used for increasing bone density as well as pain alleviation and sports-related injuries. Even though clinical trials have not shown that vibration therapy is actually beneficial to patients, it would be interesting to see long-term studies conducted on this.

[Chris]

I have always been skeptical about vibration therapy and this study is now another reason as to why I am skeptical. With the current lack of evidence there is no reason to recommend this to a patient as a healthcare professional. Another important thing to note is that patients interested in seeking this out as a therapy option will probably have to pay out of pocket; it is highly unlikely that a third party payer would cover these procedures. Essentially recommending vibration therapy to this specific patient population would be increasing their already high disease related financial burden and I would consider this inconsistent with responsible practice.

[Valerie]

After reading this article I am still skeptical about the effects of vibration therapy. When I think of vibration therapy, I picture women sitting in massage chairs while getting pedicures in a salon. Although the vibration in the chairs may be comfortable and relaxing, I have a hard time believing it can help with serious issues such as neurological disorders. The studies are still very unclear as to what benefits vibration therapy has on these conditions, if any exists at all. I agree with the other comments in that more studies and research will have to be done before vibration therapy can be recommended for other reasons besides relaxation.

[Julie]

I guess this puts a whole new spin on "good vibrations"! I'm with the other commenters - this therapy seems a bit strange. However, I have heard of certain types of yoga in which you shake your body parts in order to facilitate the flow of Ki energy throughout your system, thereby (supposedly) promoting holistic health. Maybe this vibration therapy has the same idea? Personally, I wouldn't try it unless much more evidence supports it and sheds light on the mechanism behind its purported benefits.

[Shannon]

While reading this blog all I could picture was a housewife from the 1950s-ish using one of those machines that would vibrate their midsection to supposedly help them lose weight. I completely agree that this is a peculiar therapy. I cannot imagine that sitting a chair or standing on a machine that vibrates your entire body can help relieve pain – I actually imagine it would induce pain, such as headaches. I know it is stated as being unclear, but I wonder what the proposed mechanism of action behind this could be.

[Stephen]

This is definitely one of the more odd alternative therapies that I have heard. It's nice to see the above neurological diseases being researched though. I would have to agree that there needs to be more study to even think about suggesting this but its nice that Natural Standard has information on it. I personally wouldn't recommend it without way more evidence to back it up.

[Daniel]

Vibration therapy? Seriously? I looked at the Natural Standard monograph for vibration therapy. This is what it says, "The mechanism of action behind vibration therapy is unclear" (big surprise) and, "Repeated clinical trials have not shown if vibration therapy is actually beneficial to patients. It is unknown if the unproven benefits of vibration medicine are due to the placebo effect." Vibration therapy gets lumped in with homeopathy as pseudoscience masquerading as clinically relevant therapy in my book. Sorry...