Whole body vibration therapy, a revolutionary technique that efficiently treats Parkinson’s disease

The following article was recently published regarding using whole body vibration therapy as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease:

A novel non-traditional physical therapy method is available for advanced Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients that do not respond well to medications such as L-dopamine. Scientists from the Sun Life Financial Movement Disorders Research and Rehabilitation Centre from Ontario, Canada have shown that short term whole body vibration therapy significantly improves the clinical symptoms (loss of gait, tremors and akinesia) of PD patients. In this clinical study, a sample population of 40 PD patients were subject to intensive therapy for a few weeks using a Physioacoustic Chair, an sophisticated device containing speakers that are strategically placed throughout the chair in order to deliver programmed low frequency sound waves throughout the body of the patient.
This study is remarkable in the sense that acoustic therapy had a significant impact on the well being and quality of life of PD patients. In brief, the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), gait assessments and upper limb control tests showed significant improvements on gait stability and posture, increased stepping time and speed on the peg-board task, a significant decrease in tremors and less rigidity in PD patients receiving whole body vibration therapy compared to a control group that received no therapy. More importantly, this study showed that whole body vibration therapy may also be applied to PD patients that do not respond well to L-dopamine medication or deep brain stimulation, a complicated risky surgery that involves delivering mild electrical shocks to the brain via implanted electrodes. The latter technique is used as a last resort to stabilize tremors and rigidity in PD patients.

Whole body acoustic stimulation vs. conventional physical therapy for treating PD

Before this study, another previous study conducted about a year ago showed that whole vibration therapy is even more effective in reversing many of the clinical symptoms of PD patients compared to conventional physical therapy. Specifically, this particular study showed that whole body vibration therapy improved equilibrium and gait four weeks after undergoing an intensive three week regimen consisting of 15 minutes a day for five days a week.
Remarkably, this study quantitatively also suggests that whole body vibration therapy is more efficient (25% more efficient) than conventional physical therapy for partially reversing clinical symptoms in PD patients that do not respond well to L-dopamine. It will be interesting to know whether a combined therapy that uses both whole body and conventional intervention techniques has an additive/ synergistic positive effect in reversing clinical PD symptoms compared to single treatment intervention.

Brief background on whole body vibration therapy.

The technology used for conventional physical therapeutic interventions of PD patients have included the use of treadmills, different optical and acoustic devices, balance/ gait training devices and low impact exercise machines. On the other hand, the concept and practice of whole body vibration therapy is not novel since this technique has been used by athletes as part of a routine exercise to loose weight, improve muscle tone and increase muscle strength.
Whole body vibration therapy was initially postulated and developed by Jean Martin Charcot, who also developed a vibration chair many decades ago! There are currently a few devices currently in the market that have been tweaked and redesigned with from other existing prototypes. Some of the most well known whole body vibrational devices are sold by xxxx and is used for many applications including relaxation therapy, strength training and muscle toning, and for physical therapy.

The machine looks like a typical workout machine with arm rests, a bottom platform, and a console that allows a user to program a variety of amplitude and frequency settings (18-28 Hz). Once a patient stands on top of the platform and grabs the arm rests, he/she may receive a short session of either low frequency sound waves that allow for muscle relaxation while higher amplitude and frequency settings is used for increasing muscle tone and contraction.
Whole body vibration therapy has also been used in the past to treat patients affected by neuromuscular debilitating and neurodegenerative disorders such as multiple sclerosis, stroke, cerebral palsy, Huntington’s chorea, and other movement disorders. It is not known how whole body acoustic therapy works in Parkinson’s disease patients but it is believed that high vibrational frequencies help to partially restore some of the sensory perception (proprioception) that is lost during the progression of the disease and is also used to enhance muscle coordination, a physical trait that is lost during the progression of PD. Finally, high frequency sound waves delivered via physicoacoustic devices has been shown to improve blood flow, electrical conductivity and metabolism of muscle tissue.

US Olympic ski and snowboard teams use whole body vibration

According to Fox Business, the US Ski and Snowboard teams are using whole body vibration exercise as part of their training regime for the 2010 Olympics.

Troy Flanagan, Director of Sport Science for the teams says that they will be using whole body vibration platforms in the warm up area at the base of the race hill at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.  They’ll be using this technology to warm up immediately prior to their races.

Flanagan believes that this will be an important factor in their success.

“We find the machine incredibly useful for waking up the neurological system and applying loads through the body that we just can’t get from traditional weight training.“

Dr. Mercola’s comments on Whole Body Vibration

August 19th, 2009 by James Pyle

Is a Vibration Platform Right for You?

The vibration platforms originate from research conducted during the 1960s space race. They work on the principle that if muscles are exercised while being shaken, they activate neighboring muscle fibers, hence building mass faster.

I first encountered this whole body vibration (WBV) technology in 2006, at which time I contacted one of the top personal trainers in the Chicago area, Tony Bruno — an expert on muscle activation techniques – for his input on this approach.

Tony felt the technology was great and had been proven to improve proprioception, strength and balance, and decrease sway in the elderly, and found it especially beneficial in rehab to increase circulation.

A vibration platform has also been proven useful for athletes, improving speed and vertical jump height, and cutting your warm-up time by half. However, he indicated that because the platform does cause a temporary decrease in joint stability, you shouldn’t use it before an event, as you’ll need to be in top form. But it would be an excellent addition to the training phase of your program.

WBV training has also been shown to improve and maintain bone mineral density in postmenopausal women and the tactic is being studied for its therapeutic potential, such as increasing older women’s bone mass – a far better alternative than the dangerous osteoporosis drugs currently on the market, for sure.

However, the authors of the study above warn that if you have certain health conditions, such as heart disease or high blood pressure, you may want to avoid WBV until safety concerns have been addressed more fully.

Remarkable Benefits for the Elderly

WBV training has demonstrated significant gains in most measures of muscle performance in sedentary and elderly individuals.

But one study, performed by the University of Liege in Belgium, investigated the effects of controlled whole body vibrations exercises on overall health in elderly patients and found that after 6 weeks (performing 4 one-minute sessions, 3 times a week), the participants experienced:

* 143 percent improvement in physical function
* 77 percent improvement in equilibrium
* 60 percent improvement in vitality
* 57 percent improvement in the quality of walking
* 41 percent reduction in pain
* 23 percent improvement in general health

Not bad for 10 minutes a day!

An Interesting New Workout Tool: WBV

by Dr. Michael Day, D.C. | Vital Living | 07.28.09 |
Wednesday, July 29, 2009 |

A new craze has been sweeping the health, fitness, and wellness industry. Whole Body Vibration (WBV) consists of vibrating platforms that move in multiple directions to stimulate muscle activity and bone strength. Many wellness centers and fitness centers in Long Beach have included WBV into their programs. Personally the rehabilitation results I have seen for myself and my patients speak volumes (see below for local centers that offer WBV).

Not just another fad, there are numerous research publications showing positive results with:

* Postmenopausal women bone density
* Muscle and joint proprioception or “balance”
* Joint injury
* Hormone levels such as Growth Hormone

Whole body vibration was explored by Russian scientist Vladimir Nazarov, who tested vibration on astronauts in an effort to decrease the loss of muscle and bone mass in space. He observed a substantial increase in flexibility and strength after the application of vibrations in the athletes he studied (Kunnemeyer & Smidtbleicher, 1997)

Vital Living
Dr. Michael Day, D.C., is a holistic chiropractor and exercise physiologist at the Advanced Wellness Center. He finds joy in his work each day giving hope and help to those with complicated health needs. He has shadowed with some of the top wellness and sports doctors in the country and is excited to bring these unique views on health to Long Beach.

Day has worked professional surfing, triathlon, and roller derby events. He is an avid surfer, outdoorsman, and drummer. He currently lives with his wife Lael in Belmont Shore.

References

(Melnyk M.; B. Kofler, M. Faist, M. Hodapp, A. Gollhofer. “Effect of a Whole-Body Vibration Session on Knee Stability.” International Journal of Sports Medicine. 2008 Apr 9.)
(Bosco, C., et al. “Hormonal Responses to Whole-Body Vibration in Men.” European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2000, pg. 449-454.)

http://www.lbpost.com/michael/6113