Whole Body Vibration Therapy for Bone Health

[Dean Pomerleau]

Tom,

 

First,, that corrupt DOI on Pubmed that bit you wasn't obvious. I had to jump through hoops to get it. I did a Google search on the paper title, went to the publisher's website and copy/pasted the correct DOI into sci-hub.cc.

 

Regarding:

You mentioned in another thread - jokingly(?) - that I seem "conservative", possibly implying that perhaps I'm being over-cautious.... I'm on the CR-cum-healthy lifestyle adventure not alone, but joined by my wife. She relies on my guiding our health-lifestyle choices, and so I feel acutely the responsibility and obligation to "first do no harm" to the best of my ability - this naturally leads to a much more conservative approach...

 

I wasn't joking (that time), but nor was I being critical. I was simply observing your more conservative approach than mine. I never meant (or mean) to be mean or critical of anyone earnestly sharing and doing the best they can for themselves and others (including other non-humans - Dr. Bennett...).

 

We all have different interests and priorities. I totally understand the responsibility you feel for both yourself and your spouse. It's great to have your voice of caution and prudence to counterbalance me, and especially Sthira :-).

 

Please keep up your great contributions. No hurry. It teaches the rest of us patience. Speaking of which - last evening, just before I was going to bed (8pm), I was putting the finishing touches on a very long post to the recipe thread with my latest culinary masterpiece when my browser suddenly crashed. I'd neglected to use my gmail-a-draft-to-myself backup strategy, so I lost nearly all of it. Sigh. Lesson learned. I'll recreate it over the course of today, and post it later. It will be worth the wait, I assure everyone reading this. I'll just tease you all now with the name of the recipe - Chilled Sweet Bean Macarons.

 

Have a nice day, and be patient with the people and events you encounter. Rest assured everything is happening exactly as it should and everyone is doing the best they can, given their inevitably flawed and incomplete model of how things work. 

 

--Dean

[Todd S]

Dean,

 

Tom, Todd or anyone else, can you share your current protocols? I'm very curious how you guys are using it, and would be happy to get feedback from you on my protocol.

 

Your protocol sounds fine to me.

 

I'm still only doing daily morning (supported) handstands for about a minute on strong mode with speed 10 (as I described previously). I haven't yet figured out where to fit upright vibration sessions into my daily schedule.

 

From the studies that have been posted, there are two particular things that I think would be interesting to reproduce. One is that the vibration transmission through the body decreases as the speed (frequency) is increased. The other is that the magnitude of vibration at a body part is amplified when vibrated at (or near?) the resonant frequency of the body part.

 

You and I have in the past mostly done measurements at just speed settings of 10 and 20. I'm guessing that measurements taken at speeds of 4,8,12,16,20 -- in both Soft and Strong modes -- might provide enough data points to see the those things that I wanted to reproduce.

 

This evening I used masking tape to fasten my phone to the vibration plate. I then stood on the plate (but not on the phone) -- to standardize with bodyweight applied -- to get some 'base' (at the plate) measurements at those five speeds both in Soft and Strong modes. I have the results but will wait until I have more data (for comparison) to post them.

 

I'm thinking of somehow strapping my phone to my hip -- maybe with an elastic band of some sort -- to get something to compare with the 'base' data. Currently this is more of interest to me than further measurements at the jaw.

 

Todd

Edited June 30, 2016 by Todd S

[TomBAvoider]

I have now sifted through the first 1,000 studies using the term “Whole Body Vibration” on PubMed. Having achieved this landmark, it is time for the next update.

 

First, further clarity about ISO-2631 is still not forthcoming. In fact, some doubts are raised about measurements underlying the methodology of findings, as seen here: PMID: 21632033 (for full text, see sci-hub)

 

Some important oversights in the assessment of whole-body vibration exposure based on ISO-2631-1.

 

I continue to look for harm resulting from WBV, including those limited to case reports. As expressed earlier, one of the concerns is effects on the eyes and hearing. Systematic studies for eye and ear effect were all done on animals showing damage at various levels in rats and rabbits. I have not included such studies here, as not only are they in animals, but the protocols are frequently not applicable to our use scenarios. Therefore I have limited my searches to human subjects who use dedicated WBV machines. Several such cases follow.

 

The following is concerning insofar as the age and general health is applicable to us - PMID: 25389881 (for full text see sci-hub), bleeding in the eye (this one has already been discussed by us earlier, see Dean's remarks; I include it here for the sake of completeness):

 

Vitreous hemorrhage after whole-body vibration training.

 

This applies to those who may have intraocular lens implants - I suppose a possibility for those of us who decide to correct our vision with the most advanced tools available. PMID: 20870128 indicates caution with WBV displacing IOL in two different women:

 

Intraocular lens dislocation after whole-body vibration.

 

Danger of paroxysmal positional vertigo when using WBV machines: PMID: 20003605:

 

Self-limiting benign paroxysmal positional vertigo following use of whole-body vibration training plate. 

 

I am of two minds in presenting PMID: 22590988 in the WBV risks column, because on the one hand this is a serious kidney injury (blood in urine) in a young athlete, but on the other hand the platform used is a side-alternating vibration platform (which is not the vibration modality our machines are using) and this aspect might be ultimately responsible:

 

Hematuria in a runner after treatment with whole body vibration: a case report.

 

Here’s one I’d like to see the full text of, but unfortunately, can only provide an abstract - of possible concern wrt. prostate health: PMID: 19526111

 

Effects of whole-body vibration on prostate morphology.

 

Moving on to protocol and outcome studies, first there is finally a study that addresses the question of impact of shoes and amplitude with WBV: PMID: 19826294

 

Neuromuscular activity during whole-body vibration of different amplitudes and footwear conditions: implications for prescription of vibratory stimulation. 

 

For lower limbs using WBV has been found very beneficial in developing isokinetic strength, and additionally they are evaluating amplitude protocol: PMID 23096064 (for full text see sci-hub) - one caveat is that these were all adults in their 20’s.

 

Effects of different amplitudes (high vs. low) of whole-body vibration training in active adults.

 

Along similar lines there’s also this: PMID: 20801671

 

Optimal whole-body vibration settings for muscle strength and power enhancement in human knee extensors.

 

This is an excellent study with clear protocols that are applicable to healthy older adults, and finds significant upper and lower body benefits of WBV plus explores the use of accessories such as mats and hand-held straps - PMID: 22406015 (for full text see sci-hub).

 

Whole-body vibration increases upper and lower body muscle activity in older adults: potential use of vibration accessories.

 

This study is more of a curiosity, as the subjects studied were diabetic (type 2), and with low stamina (i.e. not us). However, since we’ve been looking at glycaemia control in general, I thought it interesting that WBV was found to be a good substitute for aerobic exercise when it comes to glucose control: PMID: 22375223.

 

Effects of aerobic exercise and whole body vibration on glycaemia control in type 2 diabetic males.

 

For the joggers/runners among us, the following WBV protocol resulted in “significant” improvement in running economy: PMID 22344045 - caveat competitive athletes.

 

Improvement in running economy after 8 weeks of whole-body vibration training.

 

Detailed WBV protocols for maximizing muscle performance: PMID: 22080316, caveat - young healthy active males.

 

Determining the optimal whole-body vibration dose-response relationship for muscle performance.

 

Hamstring and lower back muscle strength benefitted from WBV in young subjects - PMID: 20585287 to a fairly large degree:

 

Effects of individualized whole-body vibration on muscle flexibility and mechanical power.

 

Combination of WBV and resistance training was best for increasing lean tissue and decreasing the percentage of body fat, whereas resistance training alone only addressed lean tissue - PMID 19386449 - caveat postmenopausal women:

 

Whole-body vibration augments resistance training effects on body composition in postmenopausal women.

 

[To be continued]

Edited July 26, 2016 by TomBAvoider

[Dean Pomerleau]

Tom wrote:

 

I have now sifted through the first 1,000 studies using the term “Whole Body Vibration” on PubMed. Having achieved this landmark, it is time for the next update.

 

Wow Tom - that's amazing! Thanks for you superhuman efforts.

 

Here’s one I’d like to see the full text of, but unfortunately, can only provide an abstract - of possible concern wrt. prostate health: PMID: 19526111

Effects of whole-body vibration on prostate morphology.

Here is the full text Tom:

 

http://link.springer.com.sci-hub.cc/article/10.1007%2Fs10517-009-0362-0

 

Algorithm for getting it:

1. Search Google for Journal it was published in.
2. Go to Journal website
3. Search for article by title on the journal website
4. paste: "sci-hub.cc" after the ".com" in the URL for the article to get it from sci-hub.

Here is what a quick scan of it says. Farmers who rode tractors or other vibrating farm equipment for an average of 27 years have more prostate problems (trouble urinating, and painful urination) than people who don't ride on vibrating farm equipment for 20+ years. Not very surprising and not particularly relevant given the different frequency, amplitude and duration of the WBV we are exposing ourselves to with our vibration machine.

 

Interesting that PMID 19826294 did not show that shoes universally dampen transmitted vibration energy, but in fact amplifies it to calf muscles (gastrocnemius medialis). That surprised me.

 

Nice to see a number of other studies showing benefits of WBV across a wide range of demographics, from highly trained young male athletes to sedentary postmenopausal women. I'm very much looking forward to learning about the protocol you come up with for you and your wife after this long journey pursuing the scientific evidence behind WBV therapy.

 

--Dean

[Sthira]

If it turns out this thing is carcenogenuc then I'm screwed. I've been using vibration machines for years on nearly every part of my body (except headstand -- I tried that once, and only once). But I do use it on lower settings for short timings with shoulder stands.

 

If you want to break up stiff fascia this little machine and some long-hold yin yoga are about as good as it gets. It's amazing for feet, ankles, calves, shins, knees, hips, torso, spinal flexion, opening tight shoulders, wrists... My toes are transformed, and I'm sure I overdo it, but my body moves like silk in part due to secret weapon vibration machines.

[AlPater]

I wonder if riding a roller coaster 240 times would improve bone health as much as kidney health.

 

https://www.crsociety.org/index.php?app=core&module=search&do=search&fromMainBar=1

Validation of a Functional Pyelocalyceal Renal Model for the Evaluation of Renal Calculi Passage While Riding a Roller Coaster.
Mitchell MA, Wartinger DD.
J Am Osteopath Assoc. 2016 Oct 1;116(10):647-652. doi: 10.7556/jaoa.2016.128.
PMID: 27669068
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27669068
http://jaoa.org/article.aspx?articleid=2557373

[Dean Pomerleau]

Here is a blast from the past that might be of interest to relative "newbies" out there :-).

Is anyone still using the vibration therapy platforms several of us bought as a result of this thread? I just noticed mine sitting lonely in the corner of my man-cave and decided to do a PMID search on recent meta-analyses. There still appears to be good evidence for vibration therapy's ability to maintain bone health [1] and increase muscle mass, at least in "young" adults (avg age ~55) like many of us [2].

I think I'm going to start using it again (a few times a day when I walk past it) for a total of about 10 minutes / day.

--Dean

-------------------------------------

[1]  Medicine (Baltimore). 2018 Aug;97(34):e11918. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000011918.

Whole-body vibration training and bone health in postmenopausal women: A
systematic review and meta-analysis.

Marín-Cascales E(1), Alcaraz PE(1)(2), Ramos-Campo DJ(1)(2), Martinez-Rodriguez
A(3), Chung LH(1)(2), Rubio-Arias JÁ(1)(2).

Author information: 
(1)Research Center for High Performance Sport.
(2)Faculty of Sport Sciences - Catholic University of Murcia, UCAM, Murcia.
(3)Department of Analytical Chemistry Nutrition and Food Science - University of 
Alicante, Alicante, Spain.

BACKGROUND: The aims of the present systematic review and meta-analysis were to
evaluate published, randomized controlled trials that investigate the effects on 
whole-body vibration (WBV) training on total, femoral neck, and lumbar spine bone
mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women, and identify the potential
moderating factors explaining the adaptations to such training.
METHODS: From a search of electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and
Cochrane) up until September 2017, a total 10 studies with 14 WBV groups met the 
inclusion criteria. Three different authors tabulated, independently, the
selected indices in identical predetermined forms. The methodological quality of 
all studies was evaluated according to the modified PEDro scale. For each trial, 
differences within arms were calculated as mean differences (MDs) and their 95%
confidence intervals between pre- and postintervention values. The effects on
bone mass between exercise and control groups were also expressed as MDs. Both
analyses were performed in the total sample and in a specific class of
postmenopausal women younger than 65 years of age (excluding older women).
RESULTS: The BMD of 462 postmenopausal women who performed WBV or control
protocol was evaluated. Significant pre-post improvements in BMD of the lumbar
spine were identified following WBV protocols (P = .03). Significant differences 
in femoral neck BMD (P = .03) were also found between intervention and control
groups when analyzing studies that included postmenopausal women younger than 65 
years.
CONCLUSIONS: WBV is an effective method to improve lumbar spine BMD in
postmenopausal and older women and to enhance femoral neck BMD in postmenopausal 
women younger than 65 years.

DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000011918 
PMCID: PMC6112924
PMID: 30142802  [Indexed for MEDLINE]

 

--------------------------------------------

[2] Medicine (Baltimore). 2017 Nov;96(45):e8390. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000008390.

The effect of whole-body vibration training on lean mass: A PRISMA-compliant
meta-analysis.

Chen H(1), Ma J, Lu B, Ma XL.

Author information: 
(1)aTianjin Hospital bTianjin Medical University cBiomechanics Labs of
Orthopaedics Institute, Tianjin Hospital, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.

BACKGROUND: Whole-body vibration training (WBVT) confers a continuous vibration
stimuli to the body. Although some reports have discussed the effects of
whole-body vibration (WBV) on bone mineral density and muscle strength, study of 
WBV effects on lean mass have not been determined. The purpose of the present
meta-analysis was to evaluate published, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that
investigated the effects of WBVT on lean mass.
METHODS: We identified only RCTs by searching databases, including Web of
Science, PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and the Cochrane Library from inception to March
2017. Data extraction, quality assessment, and meta-analysis were performed.
RESULTS: Ten RCTs with 5 RCTs concentrating on older people, 3 on young adults,
and 2 on children and adolescents were included. We additionally explored the
effect of WBVT on postmenopausal women (6 trials from the 10 trials). Significant
improvements in lean mass with WBVT were merely found in young adults (P = .02)
but not in other populations compared to control group.
CONCLUSION: The effect of WBVT found in the present meta-analysis may be used in 
counteracting the loss of muscle mass in younger adults. Moreover, optimal WBVT
protocols for greater muscle hypertrophy are expected to be investigated.

DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000008390 
PMCID: PMC5690715
PMID: 29137022  [Indexed for MEDLINE]

[TomBAvoider]

I must admit shamefacedly, that my vibration machine has been stashed away where I don't have to look at it - have not used it in a very long time 😞

It appears that it's yet another gadget that I purchased and then not used beyond the initial burst of enthusiasm. I suppose what sapped my determination is a lack of very clear cut benefits for someone in my position - i.e. I am not "young" or an "athlete" or "woman" or "elderly in assisted living facility", or "victim of an accident", or "in physical therapy" etc., etc., etc.

Be that as it may, I have not learned my lesson. Instead, I have gone ahead and purchased yet another gadget, and I suppose I should man up and describe what it is in a new thread. I'm in the process of gathering courage and fighting off embarassement. Stay tuned.

[Todd Allen]

Tom, love of gadgets and insatiable desire for novelty are curses of humanity.  I've long given up hope of suppressing those urges.  I can't get no satisfaction but I sometimes find I can get what I need with modest cost.  Here's my latest purchase still on the boat from China...

https://m5stack.com/products/new-arrival-2019-m5stickc-esp32-pico-mini-iot-development-board-finger-computer-with-color-lcd?variant=17203451265114

The modest cost part though is delusional.  To make any practical use of this gadget will require a ridiculous amount of time and effort.

[TomBAvoider]

The modest cost part though is delusional.  To make any practical use of this gadget will require a ridiculous amount of time and effort.

• The knowledge that it is a huge time sink is precisely the reason why I consciously stayed away from arduino development 🙂

[Todd S]

Thanks Dean for bringing this topic up again.

More than a year ago I paused use of my vibration machine (during early morning supported handstand) along with pausing all handstand progressions due to a shoulder injury that was not likely caused by handstand work. I think the injury was caused by inappropriate execution of a thoracic bridge progression step. That is, I was doing a "twisting bear" transition into more of a "table" rather than the correct "bridge" positioning of the shoulders. Connective tissue recovery takes a long time. After a lengthy recovery period -- including adoption of exercises in consultation with a physical therapist -- I have recently restarted supported handstand training -- with no recurrence of pain.

The vibration machine is still where it was -- and I expect to begin using it again soon.

--Todd S

[Dean Pomerleau]

Todd,

It's nice to hear from you. I'm sorry to hear about your injury and I'm glad you are well on the way to recovery. Somewhat similarly, I'm pretty sure I cracked a rib about a year ago while attempting a yoga bow pose. it took about a month to recover enough to engage in vigorous exercise again. I've avoided that pose since.

I can't credit vibration therapy for my recovery, since I wasn't using it at the time. But perhaps I should have been. This recent meta-analysis [1] suggests whole body vibration therapy may be quite beneficial for healing factures, although so far the evidence comes mostly from animal models.

--Dean

----------------------

[1] Eur Cell Mater. 2017 Sep 7;34:108-127. doi: 10.22203/eCM.v034a08.

The effect of whole body vibration on fracture healing - a systematic review.

Wang J, Leung KS, Chow SK, Cheung WH.

This systematic review examines the efficacy and safety of whole body vibration (WBV) on fracture healing. A systematic literature search was conducted with relevant keywords in PubMed and Embase, independently, by two reviewers. Original animal and clinical studies about WBV effects on fracture healing with available full-text and written in English were included. Information was extracted from the included studies for review. In total, 19 articles about pre-clinical studies were selected. Various vibration regimes are reported; of those, the frequencies of 35 Hz and 50 Hz show better results than others. Most of the studies show positive effects on fracture healing after vibration treatment and the responses to vibration are better in ovariectomised (OVX) animals than non-OVX ones. However, several studies provide insufficient evidence to support an improvement of fracture healing after vibration and one study even reports disruption of fracture healing after vibration. In three studies, vibration results in positive effects on angiogenesis at the fracture site and surrounding muscles during fracture healing. No serious complications or side effects of vibration are found in these studies. WBV is suggested to be beneficial in improving fracture healing in animals without safety problem reported. In order to apply vibration on fractured patients, more well-designed randomised controlled clinical trials are needed to examine its efficacy, regimes and safety.

DOI: 10.22203/eCM.v034a08

PMID: 28880360

[Dean Pomerleau]

Whole Body Vibration Improves (Mice) Gut Microbiome, Reduces Inflammation and Boosts Glucose Metabolism

This new study [1] (popular press article) aimed to explain the previously demonstrated ability of whole body vibration therapy to reduce inflammation, improve glucose tolerance, prevent fatty liver and boost brown fat.

It examined mice subjected 4 weeks of 10min/day vibration therapy of a magnitude similar to the WBV machine several of us purchased and which I use 10min/day. It found the WBV therapy appeared to reconfigure the mice gut microbiome and innate immune system (boosting the level of circulating anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages) so as to reduce inflammation and increased butyrate production in the gut. Here was the author's conclusion:

Sustained inflammation underpins a wide range of diseases from cardiovascular and metabolic dysfunction (e.g., cardiorenal diseases, diabetes), cognitive impairment (e.g., dementia) to several levels of neoplastic-dysplastic transformations (e.g., cancer). These current findings support the notion that WBV has the potential to alter the microbiota in a way that triggers innate and mucosal immunity to produce anti-inflammatory responses, down-regulating the hyper-inflammatory state and reversing the adverse consequences. More studies are required to solidify this novel approach, which can be a very affordable and an effective therapeutic modality in the prevention and treatment of many diseases, including diabetes and obesity.

Although the usual caveat about rodent studies apply, it is nonetheless encouraging to see researchers elucidating the pathway by which WBV therapy can improve health. The fact that WBV therapy boosts anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages (also called Alternatively Activated Macrophages, or AAMacs) may also explain why WBV therapy boosts brown/beige fat, a fact that has always puzzled me and seems pretty random. As discussed here, M2 macrophages (referred to as AAMacs in that post) are one of three important sources of norepinephrine in the body, and norepinephrine is the trigger molecule for fat browning. So if whole body vibration increases prevelance of M2 macrophages, it would naturally lead to more brown and beige fat.

--Dean

---

[1] Int J Mol Sci. 2019 Jun 26;20(13). pii: E3125. doi: 10.3390/ijms20133125.

Whole Body Vibration-Induced Omental Macrophage Polarization and Fecal Microbiome
Modification in a Murine Model.

Yu JC(1), Hale VL(2), Khodadadi H(3), Baban B(4).

Human nutrient metabolism, developed millions of years ago, is anachronistic.

Adaptive features that offered survival advantages are now great liabilities. The
current dietary pattern, coupled with massively reduced physical activities,
causes an epidemic of obesity and chronic metabolic diseases, such as type 2
diabetes mellitus. Chronic inflammation is a major contributing factor to the
initiation and progression of most metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Among
all components of an innate immune system, due to their dual roles as phagocytic 
as well as antigen-presenting cells, macrophages play an important role in the
regulation of inflammatory responses, affecting the body's microenvironment and
homeostasis. Earlier studies have established the beneficial, anti-inflammatory
effects of whole body vibration (WBV) as a partial exercise mimetic, including
reversing the effects of glucose intolerance and hepatic steatosis. Here for the 
first time, we describe potential mechanisms by which WBV may improve metabolic
status and ameliorate the adverse consequences through macrophage polarization
and altering the fecal microbiome.

DOI: 10.3390/ijms20133125 
PMID: 31247969 
 

[Gordo]

I finally got a chance to try one of the "serious" (i.e. expensive) WBV machines - I was surprised by how strange it felt.  My first thought was "this can't be good for your brain" haha.  But in all seriousness, do you guys think there could be any long term problems with shaking the brain like that?  Along the same lines, I was wondering if bouncing on trampolines (another exercise recommended for bone health/strength) could also cause long term brain issues...

[Dean Pomerleau]

Gordo,

1 hour ago, Gordo said:

But in all seriousness, do you guys think there could be any long term problems with shaking the brain like that? 

Tom, Todd S and I had a protracted discussion and DIY testing of the WBV machine we purchased in order to assess the potential for adverse side effects. See posts here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and especially the hands-on testing discussed here, here, here and here and summed up here, here and here from earlier in this thread for discussion.

Bottom line - using the machine we purchased for <10min per day wearing shoes and using a variety of standing postures (e.g. knees bent) seems well in line with the vibration protocols that have been shown to have health benefits in controlled studies, and still be safe. In particular, our measurements showed that the g-force at our head was well below the ISO guidelines, even for many hours of exposure. 

--Dean

[Kenton]

I have had the same machine for 5+yrs & use it ~3min daily. My colleague Mark Emdee has one and uses it similarly, as does my mother (total of 3 🏠s & 3 machines 8^D).

[TomBAvoider]

PSA: Vibration Machine Maintenance/repair

I have the same machine Dean references (and I think Kenton too?), and I've been using it in ten 1-minute sessions (with 30 seconds break between each minute) per day, 5 days a week for the past few months. Just yesterday it started making a horrible "disintegrating" sound as if all screws were coming loose. I stopped, and investigated, and after quite a bit of sleuthing, I noticed the problem is actually quite plainly visible: the platform on which you stand is atop four pillars and each pillar has a screw going through the top. Those screws came loose on my machine, in fact one almost came out completely. So all I had to do to fix it, was use an allen key wrench to tighten them back - important note: the sockets are gauged in mm (the machine is made in China which uses the metric system), so you need to use a metric system allen key wrench set (otherwise you'll likely strip the sockets). Anyhow, after tightening, it's back to working well. Btw. I took a good look at the machine, and figured it's worth keeping an eye on all the various screws and nuts and attachments on the machine, because the way most of them come loose is through vibration, so this machine is the nightmare scenario for these types of attachments coming loose. It's probably worth looking over any whole body vibration machine from time to time, to make sure nothing is coming loose, as a kind of maintenance, because you don't want it to come flying apart while you're using it :) YMMV.

[dallas470]

Dude, just lift weights and the added muscle will stimulate bones that are more dense. 

[InquilineKea]

I jut bought https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QJ2K219/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;th=1&amp;fbclid=IwAR0H9G7Ird9RC-jUaOc-fBSS5cSyvBF_NHzn0ZzgicAhDF7kXBCSHecrlME - seems to be lightweight and cheap enough (unlike the $2000+ machines) and vibrates at 60hz.

Edited March 22, 2021 by InquilineKea

[Ron Put]

To me, it seems that these would make sense for someone with limited mobility, but not so much for anyone who can get out on a trail and walk/run for a few minutes a day, in addition to some regular exercise. But, what do I know...?

[BrianA]

Low magnitude vibration alleviates age-related bone loss by inhibiting cell senescence of osteogenic cells in naturally senescent rats

https://www.aging-us.com/article/202907/text

[Ron Put]

I still don't see the value of this for able-bodied humans who engage in suitable physical activity.

The effects of whole body vibration on humans: dangerous or advantageous?

The effects of whole body vibration (WBV) have been studied extensively in occupational medicine. In particular, it has been shown that when the body undergoes chronically to whole body vibrations spinal degeneration is likely to be one of the deleterious outcomes. Low back pain has been shown to be the leading major cause of industrial disability in the population under the age of 45 years and has been linked to whole body vibration exposure encountered in some industrial settings. Whole body vibration has been recently purposed as an exercise intervention suggesting its effectiveness in increasing force-generating capacity in lower limbs and low back. It has also been reported to be an effective non-pharmacological intervention for patients with low back pain. Relatively short exposure to whole body vibration has been also shown to increase the serum levels of testosterone and growth hormone. The combined effects on the neuromuscular system and endocrine system seem to suggest its effectiveness as a therapeutic approach for sarcopenia and possibly osteoporosis. Due to the danger of long-term exposure to whole body vibration, it is important to develop safe exercise protocols in order to determine exercise programs for different populations.

[Saul]

I agree.

  --  Saul

[Mechanism]

Despite the long thread and a multitude of other publications there remains much to work out respect to both safety and efficacy, but the literature continues to grow.

A recent publication of interest:

Wen J, Bao M, Tang M, He X, Yao X, Li L. Low magnitude vibration alleviates age-related bone loss by inhibiting cell senescence of osteogenic cells in naturally senescent rats. Aging (Albany NY). 2021;13(8):12031-12045. doi:10.18632/aging.202907

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8109117/

Abstract

Dysfunction of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), osteoblasts and osteocytes may be one of the main causes of bone loss in the elderly. In the present study, we found osteogenic cells from aged rats all exhibited senescence changes, with the most pronounced senescence changes in osteocytes. Meanwhile, the proliferative capacity and functional activity of osteogenic cells from aged rats were suppressed. Osteogenic differentiation capacity of BMSCs from aged rats decreased while adipogenic capacity increased. The mineralization capacity, ALP activity and osteogenic proteins expression of osteoblasts from aged rats decreased. Additionally, osteocytes from aged rats up-expressed sclerosteosis protein, a negative regulator of bone formation. To inhibit osteogenic cell senescence, we use low magnitude vibration (LMV) to eliminate the senescent osteogenic cells. After LMV treatment, the number of osteogenic cells staining positively for senescence-associated-β-galactosidase (SA-β-Gal) decreased significantly. Besides, the expression of anti-aging protein SIRT1 was upregulated significantly, while p53 and p21 were downregulated significantly after LMV treatment. Thus, the LMV can inhibit the senescence of osteogenic cells partly through the Sirt1/p53/p21 axis. Furthermore, LMV was found to promote bone formation of aged rats. These results suggest that the inhibition of osteogenic cell senescence by LMV is a valuable treatment to prevent or delay osteoporosis.

 

Regarding the protocol, from the study "For rats, a vertical whole-body vibration at 0.3 g and 90 Hz was performed for 30 minutes, once daily, 5 days a week until 12 weeks for subsequent analysis." Same settings for the cells.

Functional outcome measures are really needed of course.  This is tricky with rodents, and we can only infer so much to human musculoskeletal pathology given interspecies differences, but it is a good place to start. RCT's in humans would be best and are very much needed. The underlying aging biology described here is of interest, and may also lend itself to additional new targeted therapies. 

Edited June 2, 2021 by Mechanism

[KHashmi317]

I going to assume some modern automobile seats have vibration modes built in. Tesla???