What is Whole Body Vibration?

What is Whole Body Vibration (WBV)?

By: Edward G. Loniewski, DO, FACOS, FAOAO

How is the Universe All Glued Together?

Everything we see and touch in our world is held together through electromagnetic forces. All molecules are held together through these forces; even every cell in our bodies are held together through “nature’s superglue.” When we walk and weight bear on our bones, a very small electromagnetic field is released. This is called a piezoelectric field, which our bones and joints emit in a weak, yet detectable way.

Our bodies emit healthy fields when they are working correctly, and unhealthy fields when they are diseased or have an injury. The normal fields emitted by a healthy knee joint is approximately 30 Hz. The symbol after this number, “Hz”, is called a hertz, named after the person who first discovered electromagnetic fields named Rudolf Hertz. It stands for cycles of the electromagnetic field per second. These fields can be generated by your joint through normal weight bearing and walking; however, if your joint has arthritis or even a minor injury, the normal healthy fields are disrupted. The theory of whole body vibration is the restoration or recreation of these healthy fields though cycles per second, or hertz.

Shaking Things Up In Paris France

One of the first physicians to use vibration therapy to treat disease was Jean-Martin Charcot (1825- 1893) who was one of the most famous neurologist in modern medicine. He observed and carefully documented over 5,000 patients housed at the Salpetiere Hospital in Paris, France according to the characteristics of their disease.

Upon carefully listening to Parkinson’s patients who reported relief of their tremors and pains after taking a train ride to his hospital, he developed a chair which mimicked the train ride and noticed some symptom improvement. John H. Kellogg (1852-1943) of Corn Flakes fame patented a similar chair vibrating at 20 Hz, and proposed this helped with circulation and muscle growth.

Rocking in the USSR!

Russian elite athletes and cosmonauts were later trained on vibrating pulley systems developed by Dr. Vladimir Nazarov to increase core strength and prevent bone loss during long space flights. World class athletes using vibration therapy lead to the development of the Nazarov Institute, and it’s training principles were quickly adapted by other world class athletes such as Lance Armstrong and entertainers such as Madonna.

The basic principles of vibration therapy lead to a patent by a German company on pivotal whole body vibration through a device called the Galileo™. This was the first device to receive FDA approval for increasing bone density as well as reducing urinary incontinence.

Pivot vs. Linear…. Shift or Shake

Today, we have two major camps of theory for the use of whole body vibration pivotal and linear. The first, called the pivotal method, uses a teeter-totter type of design to rapidly move the feet up and down over a central pivotal point to create a cycle of movement, as well as a gravitational force through the very small, but rapid change in height of the platform. The second method, the linear method, also produces a rapid change in height by moving up and down a few millimeters - but does this as a flat surface. The problem with the linear movement is that it does not reproduce the oscillating motion of normal gait, and some of the reciprocal movements causing muscle contracture and relaxation are lost.

Today, we use whole body vibration to treat common orthopedic conditions such as arthritis, osteoporosis, loss of balance, and for faster recovery after surgery. However, we also use this interesting therapy to help stem cells proliferate after cell based treatments.

How Does Whole Body Vibration Work?

During WBV treatment, patients are asked to stand on a device and hold onto a bar while the device vibrates at specific speeds or frequencies. A therapist may ask you to perform specific exercises while experiencing these vibrations in order to direct the forces to specific muscles or areas of your body. Altogether, the entire process takes about 10 - 15 minutes.

As WBV progresses, the very rapid vibrations in the up and down motion of the device produce special involuntary contractions of the muscles which can exceed 1,500 times per minute. These high rates of contracture are not normally experienced by any other known exercise. The result of this treatment is a rapid metabolism of the muscles, and as little as ten minutes of this exercise can equal over one hour of active exercise.

Not only are the skeletal muscles exercised during WBV, but also the ligaments, tendons, lymphatic system, bones, and smooth muscles. The result is a total body exercise which is not possible with conventional exercise equipment.

If you would like to learn more about how WBV, as well as the basic scientific literature supporting the use of WBV, you can click here to learn more.

How Convenient Is Whole Body Vibration Therapy?

Normally, prospective patients will be evaluated by a board certified orthopedic surgeon to determine if whole body vibration would be effective for their specific condition and circumstance. There are normally six to nine treatment sessions given over a three to six week period, one to three times a week. Each session lasts approximately 20 minutes. Sometimes, WBV is combined with other therapies such as the MLS Laser or traditional physical therapy.

Is Whole Body Vibration Painful?

The majority of patients receiving whole body vibration therapy report no pain, and most even report the relief of pain. However, sometimes patients may experience muscle soreness, headaches, or dizziness as the result of treatment. Simple adjustments in the settings of the WBV device or a change in the patient’s posture while standing on the device can quickly resolve these symptoms.

How Much Does Whole Body Vibration Cost?

Whole body vibration (WBV) is an FDA approved treatment. Even so, it is not covered by any insurance carrier. The team at Cellular Healing is very sensitive and concerned about our patient’s out of pocket costs, and its for this reason that we offer programs starting at $700 for nine treatments.

If the WBV is combined with traditional physical therapy supervised by a physical therapist, traditional insurance programs may cover portions of WBV therapy. Most health sharing plans are affiliated with a religious organization and you must choose this rather than Affordable Care Act (ACA) sanctioned plan. Also, if you have a health spending account, the expenses associated with this procedure may be offset by these accounts.

What Are the Benefits of Whole Body Vibration?

The very rapid muscle contraction and frequency of the mechanical vibrations can help the human body in multiple ways. Below are a number of peer reviewed and published scientific articles examining the benefits of whole body vibration.

Increased muscle mass (Edwards JH, Reilly GC. Vibration stimuli and the differentiation of musculoskeletal progenitor cells: Review of results in vitro and in vivo. World Journal of Stem Cells. 2015;7(3):568-582. doi:10.4252/wjsc.v7.i3.568.)

• Increased muscle strength (Marín-Cascales E1, Alcaraz PE1,2, Rubio-Arias JA1,2. Effects of 24 Weeks of Whole Body Vibration Versus Multicomponent Training on Muscle Strength and Body Composition in Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Rejuvenation Res. 2017 Jun;20(3):193-201. doi: 10.1089/rej.2016.1877. Epub 2017 Jan 19.)
• Increased bone mass (Ma C, Liu A, Sun M, Zhu H, Wu H. Effect of whole-body vibration on reduction of bone loss and fall prevention in postmenopausal women: a meta-analysis and systematic review. Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research. 2016;11:24. doi:10.1186/s13018-016-0357-2.)
• Improved balance (Gloeckl R1, Jarosch I2, Bengsch U3, Claus M3, Schneeberger T4, Andrianopoulos V2, Christle JW5, Hitzl W6, Kenn K4. What's the secret behind the benefits of whole-body vibration training in patients with COPD? A randomized, controlled trial. Respir Med. 2017 May;126:17-24. doi: 10.1016/j.rmed.2017.03.014. Epub 2017 Mar 14.)
• Improved lymphatic flow (Ohkuma, m; Treatment of Peripheral Lymphedema by concomitent application of magnetic fields, vibration and hyperthermia: A Preliminary Report; Lymphology, 35, 2002, p 87-90 )
• Increased oxygen capacity (Neves CDC1, Lacerda ACR1, Lage VKS1, Soares AA1, Chaves MGA1, Lima LP1, Silva TJ1, Vieira ÉLM2, Teixeira AL2, Leite HR1, Matos MA1, Mendonça VA3. Whole-body vibration training increases physical measures and quality of life without altering inflammatory-oxidative biomarkers in patients with moderate COPD. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2018 May 3. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.01037.2017. [Epub ahead of print])
• Reduced pain of osteoarthritis (Park YG, Kwon BS, Park J-W, et al. Therapeutic Effect of Whole Body Vibration on Chronic Knee Osteoarthritis. Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine. 2013;37(4):505-515.)

In addition to these physical findings, cellular changes such as the following may occur:

Increasing the number of bone marrow derived stem cells (Edwards JH, Reilly GC. Vibration stimuli and the differentiation of musculoskeletal progenitor cells: Review of results in vitro and in vivo. World Journal of Stem Cells. 2015;7(3):568-582. doi:10.4252/wjsc.v7.i3.568.)

• Decreasing T-Cell inflammatory response (Tossige-Gomes R, Avelar NCP, Simão AP, et al. Whole-body vibration decreases the proliferative response of TCD4+ cells in elderly individuals with knee osteoarthritis. Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research. 2012;45(12):1262-1268. doi:10.1590/S0100-879X2012007500139.)
• Reduce development and growth of fat cells (Sen B., Xie Z.-H., Case N., Styner M., Rubin C. T., Rubin J. Mechanical signal influence on mesenchymal stem cell fate is enhanced by incorporation of refractory periods into the loading regimen. Journal of Biomechanics. 2011;44(4):593–599. doi: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2010.11.022.)

Who Can Benefit From Whole Body Vibrations?

With a glance at the previously mentioned peer reviewed and published articles, one could reasonably conclude whole body vibration may prove helpful for the following conditions and types of patients:

Older patients with the following issues:

• Osteoporosis (weak bones)
• Muscle weakness
• Balance problems or frequent falling
• Poor lymphatic drainage
• Osteoarthritis
• Urinary incontinence
• COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
• Younger patients with the following issues:
• Muscle injuries
• Recent surgeries (pending surgeon approval)
• Obesity
• Chronic Inflammatory diseases (Rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis )
• Recent stem cell procedures
• Athletes looking to improve performance

All of the above are only potential candidates, and each specific condition or combination of conditions has not been evaluated by peer reviewed scientific studies. However, the staff at Cellular Therapy has utilized this therapy successfully for over 15 years, using the Galileo Whole Body Vibration Unit on thousands of patient visits with consistently positive and reliable results.

Why Use Cellular Healing for Whole Body Vibration?

Cellular Healing was the first orthopedic practice in the Midwest to use the Galileo 2000 device the only patented pivotal whole body device to receive FDA clearance. In addition, we have the most experienced therapists in the area weighing in on the proper use of this device. Over the past decade, thousands of patients have been treated with this therapy and have come to understand the most effective settings and exercises to provide an optimal outcome. Our team can also integrate WBV therapy with other traditional therapies including exercise, heat, and ultrasound. Lastly, all of our therapists are supervised by a board certified orthopedic surgeon, allowing patients to feel confident that they will receive the highest standard of therapy available anywhere.

If you would like a face to face consultation with any of our experts at Cellular Healing to discuss the benefits of whole body vibration and how this may help you or a loved one, please call 248-893-3200 for an appointment.  If you would like to REGISTER FOR OUR SEMINAR to learn more, just click.