The research was initially conducted to meet our specific needs regarding autism. I discovered that these vibration plates have many beneficial uses for Parkinson's, metabolism, bone structure, inflammation, diabetes, and mental health.
Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurological and developmental disorder that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn, and behave. According to the DSM-5, people with ASD often have difficulties with communication and interaction with other people, restricted interests, repetitive behaviors, and symptoms that affect their ability to function in school, work, and other areas of life. Autism is known as a “spectrum” disorder because there is wide variation in the type and severity of symptoms people experience.1
What is autism? 2
Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech, and nonverbal communication. How people with autism learn, think, and problem-solve can range from highly skilled to severely challenged. Several factors may influence the development of autism, and it is often accompanied by sensory sensitivities and medical issues such as gastrointestinal disorders, seizures, or sleep disorders, as well as mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, and attention issues.
WHOLE BODY VIBRATION
Vibration has been used in rehabilitation for children and adults. Physical and occupational therapy has been used with success. Having this modality at home is beneficial, as it will allow you to have the machine on hand without having to make another appointment or burden the healthcare system with appointments and schedules.
What is vibration therapy? 3 4
There are two types of vibration: whole body and localized. You stand, sit, or lie on the machine in whole-body vibration. Localized would be a device on certain parts of your body, such as the calf or thigh. The vibrations cause your muscles to contract and relax. Vibrations can be vertical, horizontal, mixed, or move through the body from front to back, causing the user to feel them in the anterior and posterior chain. Certain types of vibrations may cause your body to produce more cells that make bone.
In 1867, a Russian physician and inventor developed an apparatus that used weights and pulleys to create a therapeutic sense of vibration. In 1895, a doctor implemented vibration therapy using a vibrating chair he developed in his health practice, claiming he could help improve circulation and alleviate constipation. During the Russian space program, doctors found that astronauts suffered from bone loss and fractures much younger than usual. They started to use vibration therapy to help strengthen the astronauts’ bone mass and muscles. NASA continues to use vibration therapy to help prevent bone loss in astronauts.
Many studies have resulted in positive findings that have pushed whole-body vibration treatment into hundreds of sports and physiotherapeutic clinics worldwide.
Clinically proven benefits of a vibration platform show: 5 6 7 8 9 10
Natural healing ability to gently nudge muscles and joint repair
Decrease stress
Increase core strength
Increase skeletal muscle mass, strength, and motor performance
Relieve joint and back pain
Improve circulation and cardiovascular health
Boost metabolism
Promotes weight loss
Help body composition
Build bone density
Develop stronger bones
Gain balance, mobility, and flexibility
Recover muscle strength
Increase neuronal activity, cognitive function, and synaptic plasticity
Promotes proprioceptive function (body’s ability to sense movement, action, location)
The articles and early findings suggest vibration therapy may have some benefits with certain conditions, such as bone density and muscle strength, to help improve leg muscle strength in older adults, short-term benefits with Parkinson’s Disease to help decrease muscle tremors and rigidity, or older people who are unable to exercise regularly.
AUTISM
Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder with an onset in early childhood and severe, often lifelong effects on communication, socialization, and tendencies toward restricted interests or repetitive behaviors.11 In about 70% of cases associated with the symptoms, there is a pattern of sensory stimuli followed by an abnormal response to the stimuli and are related to difficulties in adaptive behavior as noted by parents of children with autism.12 13 The symptoms are often the target of clinical interventions to reduce their occurrence or provide adaptations for improvement.14
The gentle vibration from the machine can target multiple areas of function, including motor, emotional regulation, and sensory. When vibration is applied to the body, the Dorsal Column Medial Lemniscus pathway ultimately carries the sensation from the peripheral nerves to the parietal lobe's primary somatosensory cortex. The brain processes the sensory input and then sends a motor signal down to the muscles to react. The transmission of information allows us to register sensory signals from the environment or our body, interpret them, and then respond motorically. This transmission of information is not always functioning at its best. Vibration could target the somatosensory system, which might be dysfunctional.15
Tremendous improvements using vibration have been discovered, and some benefits have been:
Alerting the body to walk up to pay attention.
It can turn on the muscles to support the skeleton system.
Calming the body.
Desensitize a sensitive tactile system so a fearful response to stimuli can be overcome.
Helping improve body awareness and identify where our body is in space.
In this 2011 case report, vibration is an oscillatory motion that can be artificially produced using a vibration platform. When a person stands on a platform, the vibration waveform (sinusoidal, stochastic, and random), amplitude (measured in mm), frequency (measured in Hz), and duration can be manipulated to have positive health benefits that may include regulation of physiological arousal similar to that observed during vigorous exercise. In adults, periodic whole-body vibration increases testosterone and growth hormone levels, oxygen consumption, and muscle temperature. Whole-body vibration has also been shown to reduce repetitive hand tremors in patients with Parkinson’s disease and increase bone density and physical mobility in immobilized children. Researchers examining the effects of whole-body vibration on bone have observed improved bone health, which may positively impact comorbid health issues since individuals with autism show decreased bone health when compared to peers, which could be related to deficient nutrition and physical activity.16
Individuals with autism often struggle with motor coordination, posture, balance, and delayed gross and fine motor patterns.17 A 2019 study of males and females of untrained adults or recreational athletes with a mean age of 24.5 years showed that whole-body vibration produced significant differences in the main effect of time and agility. Overall, it was a great way to improve balance, coordination, and agility.18
In a multidimensional psychophysical study, altered sensory thresholds and modulation difficulties are hypothesized to result in these unusual sensory features, and many individuals engage in behaviors to counteract their effects. For example, individuals may respond to hypersensitivity by avoiding situations where overstimulation is likely; individuals with hyposensitivity may engage in “seeking” behavior to increase the sensory experience. Individual autobiographical accounts from verbal, high-functioning people with autism emphasize their unusual sensory experiences, often describing overwhelming sensory input as an impetus for social withdrawal. Unusually acute tactile sensitivity or the inability to modulate tactile input is hypothesized to impede social behavior that involves interpersonal touch, and aversion to social touch is among several atypical behaviors seen in infants later diagnosed with autism. The study demonstrates that high-functioning individuals with autism display normal tactile perception in light touch sensitivity, vibrotactile detection on the palm, vibrotactile adaptation, and innocuous thermal sensation but significantly increased sensitivity to noxious thermal stimulation and also to low-frequency vibration on the forearm. In addition, persons with autism tended to rate textures as more pleasant than controls.19
Vibration therapy for autism is believed to soothe and support the sensory system. It has been reported to benefit sensory processing challenges by targeting the somatosensory system. It is a way to find relaxation for sensory seekers and can be an alternative to proprioceptive input (weight lifting, pushing, pulling, heavy work input). For those with low muscle tone, the vibration could help turn on the muscles (proprioceptive system) to improve motor skills.20
Vibration plates have emerged as a promising avenue and are sending shock waves of hope to families seeking innovative sensory support for autism interventions. The science behind vibration therapy is rooted in the body’s natural response to mechanical stimulation. While standing on the plate, the body perceives the vibration as instability, so the muscles rapidly contract and relax, engaging multiple muscle groups simultaneously. This strengthens muscles and the nervous system. Many individuals with autism spectrum disorder experience difficulties in processing and integrating sensory information for their environment, which can lead to sensory overload, anxiety, and behavioral challenges. The vibration helps input the proprioceptive (where our body is in space) and vestibular systems (balance and spatial orientation). Preliminary studies show improved sensory integration, reduced anxiety and stress, enhanced body awareness, increased focus and attention, and better sleep patterns. A potential area of vibration therapy support is vocational skills and independence. Vibration therapy could play a role in preparing individuals for the sensory demands of various work environments.21
METABOLISM / DIABETES / INFLAMMATION
Parents of children with autism have reported gastrointestinal problems. Some have tried special diets to alleviate these problems, but no evidence supports their effectiveness.22 23
Autism Spectrum Disorder has been associated with many possible factors, both genetic and environmental, and remains a clinical and broad-spectrum diagnosis. A lack of knowledge about underlying causes has limited the ability to develop effective treatments. Currently, trying to reduce co-morbid manifestations of the disorder (ex, hyperactivity, sleep problems, digestive issues) may improve overall functions and lessen the autism symptoms. Genetic factors and environmental influences contribute to autism. One possibility is mitochondrial function, which is the powerhouse of a cell and is integral to many cellular pathways. They produce the bulk of cellular energy and are critically involved in cellular metabolism. Genetic and functional studies have shown abnormal glycinergic signaling in autism. The glycine receptor is the receptor of the amino acid neurotransmitter glycine. Glycine helps build proteins needed for tissue and hormone maintenance; it’s one of three amino acids needed to make glutathione (a powerful antioxidant to help cells against oxidative damage caused by free radicals); it makes creatine, which provides muscles with energy to perform and has been associated with brain function and neurological conditions, glycine is the most abundant amino acid in collagen, helps with sleep quality, may lower heart disease risk, improves impaired insulin action which is a condition of type 2 diabetes.24 Given the prevalence of metabolic/mitochondrial dysfunction in autism, options for metabolic therapy should be explored.25
Whole body vibration improves many symptoms of type II diabetes mellitus, where glucose and destructive inflammation shoot up. Research at the Medical College of Georgia and Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University studied how whole-body vibration can decrease the inflammatory response by increasing the number of macrophages. These cells work by inducing or warding off inflammation. The study was published in the International Journal of Molecular Science.26
A new study in mice reveals the beneficial effects of whole-body vibration on inflammation and the microbiome. Whole body vibration is a passive exercise where the person stands on a vibrating platform. The body automatically adapts to “repeated, rapid, and short intermittent exposure to oscillations.” Researchers classified whole-body vibration as a “light neuromuscular resistance training method.” Research has brought to light health benefits like muscle performance, bone density, strength, balance, reducing body fat, reducing inflammation, reversing many symptoms of Type 2 diabetes (such as frequent urination and excessive thirst), improved blood sugar control, and insulin resistance. A crucial finding was a 17-fold increase in a gut bacterium that plays a key role in inflammation. In the mouse model of diabetes, whole-body vibration brought immune cells that suppress inflammation levels back to those of healthy control mice. Further experiments are necessary to fully understand how an activity that mimics exercise without any active movement can have such a positive chain reaction; the researchers conclude that whole-body vibration can reduce inflammation and improve metabolism.27
A 2018 published crossover study was designed to demonstrate the ability of whole-body vibration to increase the metabolic cost of exercise vs no vibration. It found that vibration significantly increased the metabolic cost of exercise and due to its ease of use and low cost, whole body vibration can be a practical complement in physical activity programs.28 When combined with exercise, whole-body vibration therapy has been shown to boost metabolism. This helps aid digestion, burn more calories and fat, and promote lymphatic drainage.29 There were also noticeable changes after performing vibration therapy on the cardiovascular system, showing improved skin blood flow after only 10 minutes, which could improve lymphatic drainage and removal of toxins.30
This 2021 meta-review of 2420 studies showed a significant impact of vibration therapy on fat loss, deeming it an excellent addition to exercise and a healthy diet.31
ANXIETY / DEPRESSION / MENTAL HEALTH
Anxiety, depression, and high-stress levels are on an epidemic scale with people in the US and worldwide. The condition can affect how our bodies function, sleep, eat, and socialize. Scientists have concluded that vibration exercise provides an easy, less impactful, drug-free means to reduce emotional afflictions.
Whole body vibration has been around for quite some time. It has been proven to strengthen bones, boost muscle power, promote cardiovascular well-being, accelerate physical recovery, and reduce weight. It is also showing positive correlations with mental health improvement.32
Whole body vibration has also been found helpful for anxiety, panic attacks, depression, self-esteem, and stress. Vibration poses a positive effect on the release of essential neurotransmitters and hormones. The high-frequency vibrations produced by the platform increase the secretion of serotonin and dopamine (both raise positive feelings and reduce negative thoughts). The equipment produces high-frequency vibrations that travel through your body, benefitting every area of your health.
Whole body vibration is a form of passive stimulation that offers an alternative intervention. It mimics the beneficial effects of physical exercise on the musculoskeletal and central nervous systems. Studies show that vibration may beneficially stimulate the cerebral cortical regions, hippocampus, or prefrontal cortex through vibration stimuli via paths of the spinal cord, and it may release various neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine. A study shows that whole-body vibration improves memory, anxiety behavior, and performance mobility.33 It also shows a drop in the stress hormone cortisol after vibration therapy.34
Depression disorders are one of the most critical problems in human health. To avoid depression, changing lifestyle and similar exercises have an essential place in the success of a treatment. A 12-week study of whole-body vibration training showed vibration effectively decreased depression symptoms.35
We decided on a LifePro Rumble Max 4D Vibration Plate. It has multiple settings, is easy to use, has an attachment for hand and arm exercises, and will safely accommodate a higher body weight (most max out at 300 pounds for a home version).
Clinically Proven Benefits:
Injury recovery: Athletes and PTs use this exercise to accelerate healing and prevent future injury. It also improves core strength, circulation, stability, and flexibility.
Back and joint pain relief. The vibrations, with all the muscles, penetrate deep into the body to alleviate pain.
Improved athletic performance and muscle strength. Improve blood flow and lymphatic drainage, reduce inflammation, promote faster healing, boost metabolism, and burn fat.
Reduce stress
Boost balance and flexibility
Build bone density
Boost metabolism and lymphatic drainage
Oscillation movement helps stimulate lymphatic drainage
Features:
Seven modes: oscillating, pulsating, lateral, combined, and a 4D motion
16 preset programs
99-speed levels
The frequency range of 6-14 Hz
Amplitude: 0-10 mm
Flat surface designed explicitly for knee comfort
Anti Slip rubber
Videos and support
Max use weight of 500 pounds
Lifetime warranty
This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with your healthcare provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition.
Resources:
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5 | What is vibration therapy? https://www.healthline.com/health/vibration-therapy#TOC_TITLE_HDR_1 |
6 | Effects of whole body vibration training on body composition, skeletal muscle strength, and cardiovascular health https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26730378/ |
7 | Vibration Therapy - A Clinical Commentary https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9528696/ |
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9 | Whole Body Vibration Therapy and Cognitive Function: A Systematic Review https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10323263/ |
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12 | Sensory Experiences Questionnaire: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16712636/ |
13 | Rogers, Hepburn & Wehner, 2003 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14714932/ |
14 | Baranek, 2002 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12463517/ |
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16 | Effect of whole body vibration on stereotypy (stereotyped patterns of behavior) of young children with autism https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3082064/ |
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18 | The effects of whole body vibration on vertical jump, power, balance, and agility in untrained adults https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6350657/ |
19 | Tactile Perception in Adults with Autism: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2185746/ |
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24 | Top 9 benefits and uses of glycine https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/glycine |
25 | Metabolic dysfunction underlying autism spectrum disorder and potential treatment approaches https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5318388/ |
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27 | Whole body vibration changes the microbiome and lowers inflammation https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325948 |
28 | Metabolic effect of body weight whole body vibration: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5792008/ |
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30 | The effect of whole body vibration on lower extremity blood flow in normal subjects https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17261985/ |
31 | Does whole-body vibration therapy assist in reducing fat mass? https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31749405/ |
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33 | Whole body vibration improves spatial memory, anxiety-like behavior, and motor performance ..: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8815031/ |
34 | Changes in stress hormone levels with the application of vibrations …: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4616108/ |
35 | Effect of whole body vibration training on depression level https://redfame.com/journal/index.php/jets/article/view/3941/4197 |
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