Whole body vibration machines move in different planes and depending upon which plane the vibration plate or user moves in, determines the type of effects on the body. There are three planes that whole body vibration machines move in. The first is strictly up and down (also called lineal or vertical movement), the second is called pivotal (see-saw or teeter-totter), and the third way of movement is called elliptical (more horizontal and less vertical motion).

Vibration platforms are scientifically calibrated to produce precise vibrations at a set amplitude (vertical displacement) and frequency (platform speed). When the user stands on the platform, the vibration energy is transferred to the entire body. These vibrations generate involuntary contractions in the muscle fibers several times per second. By adjusting either of the two variables (amplitude or frequency) you can affect the number of times per second your muscles contract, the amount of G force exerted on your body, the degree of difficulty for stabilization, the detoxification effect, etc.  Different frequencies will have different effects on the body. Depending on what you want to accomplish with WBV, will determine what frequency you should set your machine at.

As a result of the vibration exercise, the body will respond with several healthful benefits.

These include:

• Increased bone mineral density
•  Increased overall strength
•  Increased flexibility
•  Increased core strength
•  Improved blood and lymph drainage (detoxification effect)
•  Improved balance, stability and coordination
•  Burn fat-weight loss
•  Muscle relaxation Rehabilitation of injuries
•  Joint mobilization
•  Scar tissue healing
•  Hormonal changes
•  Neurological stimulation
•  Increased mobility
•  Decreased lower back pain
•  Improved muscle tone.

Most whole body vibration exercise sessions are designed for use in short sets.  Therefore, an entire workout can consist of only 10-15 minutes actually spent on the platform. Performing these exercises three to five times per week will yield incredible health and fitness benefits for users of all age groups.

The medical community has also embraced whole body vibration exercise as a safe therapeutic modality. Professional athletes are adding WBV exercises to their training regimens while gyms, spas and wellness clinics and even assisted living facilities have incorporated this technology into their programming and business models.

To help combat Osteoporosis, bone-building drugs called bisphosphonates became widely available in the mid-1990s.  But recent reports of scary side effects from bisphosphonates including Fosamax, Actonel and Boniva are circulating on the Internet and in medical journals. Hundreds of lawsuits allege that the drugs cause a rare condition in which part of the jaw bone dies.

There is plenty of evidence that taking these “bone-building” drugs called bisphosphonates, can cause your jaw bone to deteriorate. The pharmaceutical companies already know this, but now there is evidence that they can also cause your thigh bones to break too.  These drugs are even being sold to women who may never really need them. 

The real prescription for reversing and preventing osteoporosis is weight bearing exercise!  Men and women need resistance training to maintain and build bone mass, it’s that simple. Whole Body Vibration is another proven and effective way to increase bone density.  Whole Body Vibration has been shown to increase bone mass and should be considered as a natural treatment for Osteoporosis.  When standing on a Whole Body Vibration platform, the body tissues are rapidly accelerated and decelerated multiple times (5-50) every second.   This rapid acceleration/deceleration creates a weight bearing load that places stress on bones, which results in increased bone mass.  The physiological benefits of weight bearing exercise are achieved in an extremely shortened time frame.  Vertical Vibration has been proven to be the most effective for enhancing bone density because the user’s entire body weight is mobilized on each vibration cycle.

The only side effect you’ll have from this prescription is looking and feeling better!

It is important to focus on range of motion, strengthening, and aerobic benefits when exercising to benefit arthritis.  A lot of times a rebounder (aka: mini trampoline) is recommended for a light workout.  By bouncing lightly on the rebounder it helps to stimulate lymphatic drainage. 

Whole Body Vibration can provide these same results, but in a much shorter amount of time.  For example: when standing on a vertical vibration platform that is set for 20 HZ your muscles are contracting and relaxing 20 times per second in response to the vibrations.  This is like jumping 20 times per second on a rebounder!  The vibration stimulus travels straight up through the body.  Your whole bodyweight is being mobilized to circulate lymphatic fluids.  This creates the same benefits as a rebounder, just in a much shorter amount of time.

Exercise can reduce pain and disability by decreasing muscle inhibition and by improving local circulation.  Unfortunately, most arthritis sufferers tend to not adhere to an exercise regimen due to the discomfort associated with working out.  The more difficult the exercise, the less likely they will do it.  Whole body vibration is particularly suited for these people because it exercises the postural system.  WBV is easy to use, the exercise sessions are short and best of all it is safe.      

Whole Body Vibration is a great option to relieve arthritis pain and suffering, maybe even reverse the effects naturally.

Osteoporosis is a major health threat for an estimated 44 million Americans.  In the U.S. today, 10 million individuals are already estimated to have the disease and almost 34 million more are estimated to have low bone mass placing them at an increased risk for Osteoporosis.   Osteoporosis is thought of to be an older person’s disease, but it can happen at any age. 

The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends the following to optimize bone health and help prevent Osteoporosis. 

• Get the Daily recommended amounts of Calcium and Vitamin D.
• Engage in regular weight bearing and muscle strengthening exercise.
• Avoid excessive alcohol consumption and smoking.

Whole Body Vibration has been shown to increase bone mass and should be considered as a natural treatment for Osteoporosis.  When standing on a Whole Body Vibration platform, the body tissues are rapidly accelerated and decelerated multiple times (5-50) every second.   This rapid acceleration/deceleration creates a weight bearing load that places stress on bones, which results in increased bone mass.  The physiological benefits of weight bearing exercise are achieved in an extremely shortened time frame.   Vertical Vibration has been proven to be the most effective for enhancing bone density because the user’s entire body weight is mobilized on each vibration cycle.

Treating Osteoporosis was the original application for Whole Body Vibration when it was invented 50 years ago.  Whole Body Vibration is a safe, natural way to optimize bone health and help prevent Osteoporosis.

The plantar fascia ligament is like a rubber band and loosens and contracts with movement. It also absorbs significant weight and pressure. Because of this function, plantar fasciitis can easily occur from a number of reasons. Among the most common is an overload of physical activity or exercise.  Athletes are particularly prone to plantar fasciitis and commonly suffer from it. Excessive running, jumping, or other activities can easily place repetitive or excessive stress on the tissue and lead to tears and inflammation, resulting in moderate to severe pain. 

Whole Body Vibration can be used to help stretch, massage and strengthen the muscles in the foot.  Using Whole Body Vibration approximately ten minutes a day will increase lymphatic circulation to remove acids from the plantar fasciia. The Vibration Therapy also helps to vibrate acids out of the tissues causing the pain or inflammation. The involuntary muscle contractions from WBV can also help tone and build weak muscles in the legs and feet to help improve balance, coordination, and other possible lower extremity issues.

Other benefits of WBV are:

Muscle Strength:  Muscle mass increases 2 times faster than traditional strength training.  WBV has your muscles responding at almost 100% due to the continuous communication going on between the muscle and the brain.  Since the muscles are working at almost 100% when using WBV, they are burning more glucose and oxygen, making the heart pump harder to pump more oxygen to the muscles.  Therefore you can experience Cardio effects with WBV.      

Bone Health:  WBV stimulates weight bearing exercise and gravity stimulates Ostioblast cells.  Ostioblast promotes bone density making WBV a great natural treatment for Osteoporosis. 

Balances Hormones:  WBV increases HGH (Human Growth Hormone), testosterone, and works to decrease Cortisol (stress hormone). 

Wellness:  WBV increases blood flow, lymph drainage, oxygenation of cells, the release of endorphins, and promotes the detoxification of the body. 

Enhances rehabilitation:  WBV can assist in rehabilitation by allowing new tissues to build and grow.  It allows the oxygenation of the cells, increases metabolism, increases circulation, and flushes the toxins out of the body at a higher and faster rate. 

All these benefits may seem to be unbelievable, but more and more scientists are proving the results to be real.  You will find that Whole Body Vibration is truly amazing!

Bad Whole Body Vibration for example, is the kind of vibration experienced by truck drivers, factory workers and construction workers. That type of disruptive vibration is characterized by constant, extremely high frequencies and amplitudes (how hard a person is vibrated), as well as uneven and unpredictable spikes in frequency and amplitude. Also, people exposed to occupational vibration experience these dangerous levels of vibration for extended periods of time daily.

Healthy Whole Body Vibration, produced by a vibrating platform, operates at much lower levels of both frequency (from less than 10 Hz to less than 65 Hz – 1 Hertz = 1 cycle/second) and amplitude (often less than 1 mm, but can be as much as 1 cm). Even at the higher levels it’s still far below those limits suggested by OSHA. For therapy the usage of WBV can be as little as 3 minutes a day, three times per week. While the amount for athletes can be much higher it is still not all day, every day.

This modality, termed “Whole Body Vibration” (WBV), is being used by many from the frail elderly to the elite athlete. A few of the health benefits include:

* Improved bone mass density

* Increased muscle mass not only for athletes, but even for frail elders experiencing muscle weakness

* Dramatically better proprioception, balance and function for stroke patients and those suffering from Parkinson’s Disease

* Enhanced blood flow, and better lymphatic flow and venous drainage

* Increased metabolism, aiding weight-loss efforts

* Reduction of pain and muscle spasms

Everyday more and more people discover the exciting and dramatic benefits of vibrating platforms, the good Whole Body Vibration!

Vertical vibration is where the complete platform moves straight up and down.  The vibration goes straight up through the body.  This type of vibration is typically the best type for athletes and stronger active users.  It’s great for stimulating the lymphatic system.

Oscillating vibration is where the platform moves side to side rocking like a “teeter-totter”.  This vibration is felt more from the waist down.  This type of vibration is typically best for people that suffer from lower back issues, core muscle weakness or have generally not exercised a lot over the last few years. 

Elliptical vibration is where the platform moves in a “figure 8” type pattern.  This is the gentlest type of vibration.  It is typically best for an elderly user that is looking to stimulate the proprioceptive system.  Elliptical vibration works best for an elderly user with balance issues and circulation problems and who wants to increase their daily activities.

Overall the benefits of Whole Body Vibration (WBV) training are universal.

• Works and tones your muscles
• Increases your blood flow
• Increases your Lymphatic drainage
• Increases the release of endorphins
• Lowers your stress hormone Cortisol
• Trains your equilibrium sense

Which type of technology would be best for you?

Scientists are still trying to determine if the high calcium concentration is due to bone loss, a consequence of living in a zero-gravity environment, or other factors. 

Russian Cosmonauts starting using Whole Body Vibration over 40 years ago to combat the effects of bone density loss from living in a zero-gravity environment.  By being exposed to zero gravity conditions in outer space it causes severe deterioration of bone mineral density and muscle tissue.  Introducing Whole Body Vibration in a zero gravity condition is something that worked to simulate the forces of gravity when there isn’t any.      

NASA continues to do more testing to determine if the high calcium concentration was caused by bone loss. 

Read the original article about the International Space Station water recycling system.

Physical exercise is considered as an effective strategy, frequently recommended in general practice, for the prevention and management of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Aerobics, weight bearing and resistance exercises were all effective increasing bone mass density. However, arduous bone stress induced by vigorous weight-bearing activities can increase the risk of injuries, particularly in the elderly.

Therefore, alternative strategies with a lower risk of injury have been sought and usually included in the medical advice, such as walking programs. Walking and moderate-intensity aerobic exercise programs have been shown to reduce bone loss although they did not increase significantly bone mineral density (BMD) compared to controls in the first few years of menopause and they showed limited effects on bone in postmenopausal women.

Whole-body vibration (WBV) is a type of exercise that has been increasingly tested for the ability to prevent bone fractures and osteoporosis in frail people.  A few studies have shown the effectiveness of vertical vibration for increasing Bone Mineral Density (BMD) and balance. 

Read more about how Whole Body Vibration helps reduce the risk of bone fractures at Pub Med Central