Do vibration machines work?
Found yourself asking whether vibration machines really work?
The short answer: Anything health related is almost opinion based. Most of the studies so far conducted have focused on the acute and chronic effects of WBVT on neuromuscular performance. You can see an example of a study here: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/39/9/585
My opinion: Yes is can work, anything where you exhausting energy or working your muscles in anyway can be beneficial.
Whole body vibration therapy was initially developed for athletes to improve the effectiveness of their training. Vibration platforms would be included in some regular conditioning and gym exercises such as squats, press-ups and step-ups.
The therapy is undertaken by standing, sitting, lying or doing exercises on specifically designed equipment that oscillates, generally in a horizontal plane, at relatively high frequencies.
The theory is that the vibration signals are transferred into body tissues, tendons and muscles, which increases muscle contractions and ultimately improves muscle strength, co-ordination and balance. In the long term, such contractions would increase muscle mass and energy expenditure, leading to better control of blood sugar levels.
Current theory also suggests bone cells are sensitive to this vibration and respond by increasing bone density. This has a further impact on better sugar control.
But these are still theories. The overall effects of whole body vibration therapy remain elusive, as scientific studies vary largely in the vibration parameters used.
The body relies on a range of structures and mechanisms to regulate the transmission of impact shocks and vibrations through the body including: bone, cartilage, synovial fluids, soft tissues, joint kinematics, and muscular activity. Changes in joint kinematics and muscle activity can be controlled on a short time scale and are used by the body to change its vibration response to external forces. It has been proposed that the body has a strategy of “tuning” its muscle activity to reduce its soft tissue vibrations in an attempt to reduce such deleterious effects. This idea would predict that the level of muscle activity used for a particular movement task is, to some degree, dependent on the interaction between the body and the externally applied vibration forces. It has been proposed that vibrations could be used as a training aid.
So what does the research tell us about improving muscle strength?
The earliest systematic review I could find was from 2007. The authors identified five studies to that point that were well-designed, and four showed no difference in performance to traditional weights training.
Since then, the research has not been encouraging. Some studies have shown no benefit (this one too, but the authors tried to be positive in their reporting of results), while other research showed some promise.
What we suggest?
If your using vibration machines like Massage guns then you will definitely notice improvements in sore muscles but this can also be achieved by visiting health retreats or wellness retreats across Australia.
My honest suggestion is to hit the gym, looking for the easy way out like vibration machines is only showing you need to work on your physical & mental strength.