Can Vibration Exercises Cure Fibromyalgia?

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Can Vibration Exercises Cure Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia affects an estimated 1-3% of the US population. As a chronic disease that has left doctors and patients completely baffled as to how to treat it, many people have lost hope. Luckily, there are many researchers and scientists who have made it their priority to fight the battle against fibromyalgia.

Researchers at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, or IUPUI for short, have recently studied the effects of vibration therapy on patients suffering from fibromyalgia. To their surprise, many of the people in the study indeed recorded lower levels of pain and discomfort after participating in the vibration therapy treatment.

So how does vibration therapy work? And how does it help fibromyalgia symptoms?

First, the researchers wanted to explore the concept of increased exercise in patients. It’s well known that steady activity is a proven deterrent for fibromyalgia pain, even though it’s hard for some sufferers to start the process of exercising due to the fear of pain.

This is why the researchers at IUPUI decided to create a treatment that incorporates low-impact activity to help keep pain levels low. When a patient receives vibration therapy, they choose to either sit, stand, or lay down on a machine that has a vibrating platform. The vibrations cause muscles to contract and relax, which gives them a very subtle workout.

Patients recorded increased improvements in strength, muscle spasticity, and and pain.

More research needs to be done using vibration therapy, but the good news is that the machines are widely available. They were once used mostly for research, but now they are seen in fitness centers and are even sold commercially.

Have you ever participated in vibration therapy to help ease your fibromyalgia pain? If so, let us know in the comments!