Vibration and pain management

Vibration therapy

Vibration therapy uses vibration as a physical tool during treatment. Vibration is to the propagation of elastic waves producing deformations and tensions on a continuous medium. The vibratory movement is very short and fast and repeated around an equilibrium position.

Acute responses

According to the closed-door theory of Melzack & Wall, low-intensity mechanical stimuli, not aggressive enough to stimulate nociceptors, activate the Inhibiting Interneurons. Inhibitory neurons intervene in several processes of regulation of the neurological signal. Without their braking activity, we would have too many nociceptive stimuli / pain experiences. (Butler, Moseley). According to that, applied mechanical vibration can have a summative effect with other pain control strategies, in reducing behavioral and physiological pain responses. 

In vibration therapy, the stimulation of muscle spindles and alpha-motoneuronsmuscle causes muscle contraction and it increases Electromyographic activity. Oxygen consumption, muscle temperatura and skin blood flow increases directly proportional to vibration.

Scientific support

There is very little scientific research that studies the effect of vibration on pain management. Most published articles are about whole body vibration. Some studies evaluate the effectiveness of vibration as a treatment for spasticity with good results. Other article concluded that local vibration can be a safe and efectiv alternativ for chronic post stroke patients.

McGinnis and Murray (2016) studied the safety and efficacy of mechanical vibration for relief of heel lance pain among neonates, and found that it was an effective and safe method for pain management.

Several articles investigate the effects of therapeutic vibration on the Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). Some of them concludes that both the vibration applied locally and the whole body vibration , reduces pain.Furthermore, vibration therapy improved muscular strength, power development, kinesthetic awareness,range of motion, and increased blood flow under the skin.

References

1. McGinnis K, Murray E, Cherven B, McCracken C, Travers C. Effect of Vibration on Pain Response to Heel Lance: A Pilot Randomized Control Trial. Adv Neonatal Care. 2016 Aug 16. Epub ahead of print.
2. Ayangco M, Bosco C. The use of vibration as an exercise intervention. Exercise and sport sciences reviews. 2003;31(1):3–7
3. Cochrane DJ, Stannard SR, Sargeant AJ, Rittweger J. The rate of muscle temperature increase during acute whole-body vibration exercise. European journal of Applied Physiology. 2008;103(4):441–8.
4. Rittweger J, Beller G, Felsenberg D. Acute physiological effects of exhaustive wholebody vibration exercise in man. Clin Physiol. 2000;20:134–42.
5. Casale R, Damiani C, Maestri R, Fundarò C, Chimento P, Foti C. Localized 100 Hz vibration improves function and reduces upper limb spasticity: a double-blind controlled study. European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine 2014 October;50(5):495-504
6. Costantino C, Galuppo L, Romiti D. Short-term effect of local muscle vibration treatment versus sham therapy on upper limb in chronic post-stroke patients: a randomized controlled trial. European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine 2016 Sep 06
7. Veqar Z, Imtiyaz S. Vibration Therapy in Management of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) Journal of Clinical Diagnosis Research on June 20, 2014.
8. Lau WY, Nosaka K.Effect of vibration treatment on symptoms associated with eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2011 Aug;90(8):648-57