3 Health Concerns About Vibration Training
Note: Vibration Therapy/Training has been used successfully and safely for almost 100 years - with no problems recorded. It is only recently that marketers have jumped into this technology with no background knowledge and only sales in mind. Trust me I worked for them and their concern for your health is ZERO. Anything that may divert a sale will not be approached let alone researched. The programs I originally developed for Power-Plate where rejected due to complaints from their marketing department. Follow these and you will get all the benefits with none of the safety concerns.
Unsupervised Use
The unrestricted/unsupervised use of Vibration Training equipment has been a concern of mine since I first started writing original material in 2003. As Product Manager of Power-Plate I saw the potential for abuse of the units in several ways. Their refusal to acknowledge my concerns was one of the reasons for my departure.
Some of them being:
- Overuse
- Incorrect poses
- Incorrect Fq
I will list the reasons for these concerns and why I believe the sooner the “real” industry starts talking to each other and laying down some restrictions , the better.
Overuse
Possible symptoms include:
Chronic Fatigue
This can cause everything from just plain tiredness to a massive drop in your immune system (leading to other health disorders). This one is simple - you ask your body to do too much and it can’t keep up.Think about this; in an average Vibration Training session you may do approx. 30,000 separate movements. This is like running a marathon for most people, and because it is actually do-able for most people, it is primed for abuse. But your body simply can’t expend that amount of energy and keep going for long. You will get sick eventually.- Hyperthyroidism
This is a state where your regulatory glands are over-activated causing a large fluctuation in your hormone levels. This can lead to fluid retention, problems with hormone sensitive organs such as the ovaries (for women). At the exteme end this condition can cause multiple organ failure. Note: I have had one case reported to me so far from South Africa where a lady was using a plate for over 40 minutes a day (and she was following her instructors advice). So this theory was not a fanciful idea as was put to me when I first aired my concerns. Unfortunately I expect to hear about more such cases before anything concrete is done. - Tissue Breakdown
This is when the healing cycle is not allowed to complete itself. Your body breaks down more cells than it can rebuild before you re-damage the area. Long distance runners have always had this problem with their knees.
Incorrect Poses
This one sounds self-explanatory but it is obviously not, from what I have seen on many a Vibration Training poster sold with machines and on-line.
Our joints are only designed to work at high use at precise angles. Moving away from these angles can cause unnecessary wear and tear. It can also cause neck injuries. That is where a good instructor is very important - they will re-correct you during your time on the units so no problems occur.
Incorrect Fq
This is a tricky one as so may of the units available go to the lower Fq, hence people believe it must be safe. The fact is lower Fq should only be used for limited physiotherapy programs due to the unsafe nature of what they call resonance Fq.
This is where waves bounce off each other causing a disturbance in an area. In this case your internal organs give off their own resonance and matching these is not a good idea. They range from 5Hz-20Hz. Again misuse could cause disturbance to organ function. Keeping away from these Fq by a factor of 10Hz should allow safe use of units over a lifetime.
Note: Some cheaply built units are NOT doing the Hz setting showed on the display. Some are slowing down with only a load of 20-80kg. One major brand was tested - unloaded - and it was still slower by 13hz than its advertised specs. And that was with no-one on it.
Safety First
This article was not written to scare anyone off Vibration Training, just to show how serious we are about putting up this type of training for scrutiny . We will never create a safe industry by burying potential problems as is the normal procedure for marketers and corporates .
Written by Lloyd Shaw on May 30th, 2007
179 Comments
- Gene Smith
June 12th, 2008Hello
My wife has used our new Hypervibe machine twice and after finishing exercising she immediately became extremly itchy along the full length of both legs and on both occasions.
Has anyone else experienced this and does anyone have any ideas what might cause this. - Di Heap
June 12th, 2008Hi Gene, That’s completely normal. Increased blood flow can cause it. It seems to affect some people and not others. I’ve found that wearing natural fabric clothing lessens the problem ie wear cotton not synthetics or tight jeans when using the machine and after. I don’t think this will prevent it completely but for me it helps. Also your wife could leave out the anti-cellulite massage (position
if she is doing this one (it’s optional and of course it’s for females only!) until she is more comfortable using the machine. - Di Heap
June 12th, 2008not sure why I got a smiley face in last post.. I was saying the Anti-Cellulite Position is position Number Eight, and for females only.
Another safety message brought to you by…..
Power Plate
25th August 2008
‘Mamma Mia!’ star Dominic Cooper spent six hours a day on a vibrating Power Plate machine to shape up for the film.
“My trainer made me stand on a vibrating plate for six hours a day to look good. It’s amazing, it makes you feel ill, but it’s amazing!”
What !!! That’s got to be a reporter’s error.
Or I really want to know more. He’s young, slim and well, maybe he needed some toning but standing on a machine plate for six hours sounds just crazy to me. Maybe he stood on a very low powered unit while he did other things but even that sounds, so unsafe.He’s lucky that he’s so young that he maybe got away with it, without hurting himself
OR
PowerPlate’s machine are even more crappy that I realised *laughs*
- Gabriel
August 28th, 2008I am a PT in the states. I have recently purchased a hypergravity machine to assist in the rehab of my patients. Here is the question…I am in a sublet situation and the person I share the office with claims the 35 hz frequeny disrupts her work. She claims 25 and 30 hz are inaudible for her. Are there health concerns with my patients if I am utilizing these lower frequencies with their programs?
Its the shape and composition of your surrounding that dictate what the resonance Fq is going to be in your building.
Unless you are willing to spend shitloads of cash , just keep away from 35Hz.
Sorry missed the whole question….
Short term exposure to those Fq are an acceptable risk.
- Gabriel
September 4th, 2008Hi LLoyd. Thanks for your response. Here is another question. Since introducing the vibration training to my patients, I have had mostly positive reactions. The few negative reactions that I have had have mostly related to fears of falling, ovewhelming muscular activity, and the inability to reduce the vibratory influences on the head. I have modified the positioning in most of the latter cases and it has proven quite helpful in altering this phenomenon.
Here is the thing….Most people seem very elated after it’s usage. One individual reported an increase in her libido. Another claimed to feel as if she was “floating”. In one case however, a woman had an anxiety attack. She is prone to having these so I would assume it may have had to do with fear of the unkown and the “shock” of using WBV for the first time more than a simple response to vibration.
In your experience, are there any typical “emotional” responses to vibration training? If so, what are they?
Any feedback is appreciated.
One word….
Serotonin
You are getting your customers high on the most mood elevating drug known to man. And as with ecstasy users some may find the sensation brings on feelings of anxiety , but only those who are prone to it .
Most people just get “happy and horny” ( not a purely scientific term ). Just add techno and watch what happens.
But seriously…
The feeling is almost instant and will last for some time. No side effects . Natures response to fatigue and fight or flight. I have released very little on this subject as it is not something we want the consumer to concentrate on yet , but had great results with fighting depression and getting some people back to work.
- Gabriel
September 5th, 2008Thanks Looyd…makes sense. Will try the Techno ASAP!
Looyd…!! Who is Looyd ? You making fun of my name. My Mum gave that to me.
You hurt my feeling.
HaHa thats funny Looyd, maybe she thinks your a looney tune
Well I do get mistaken for “Long-Leg Foghorn” if you know what I mean.
Mike reminds me of Stimpy
foghorn is right! No show offs in your family
- isabelle
September 9th, 2008I started using a lineal machine about 2 weeks ago, and I now suffer from terrible hip and back pain. Could it be the machine ,or incorrect positions?
What program are you following ?
May 10th, 2008
Thanks to both of you! Any way to hit the biceps safely on a platform without rails or other construction allowing pull-ups?