Page 1 - 38Vibration_Therapy_for_Health_Promotion

Chapter
Vibration Therapy for Health

Promotion

Danúbia da Cunha de Sá-Caputo, Adérito Seixas,

Redha Taiar and Mario Bernardo-Filho

Abstract

Vibration therapy has been used as a clinical intervention, in which mechanical
vibration is transmitted to a part or to the whole body of the individual. It is very
important to point out that mechanical vibration is a natural stimulus that is part of
the daily life of all living beings and is periodically added to the organism due to a
movement of the body. When, for several reasons, the person cannot add mechanical
vibration to the body, the mechanical vibration generated by a device can be transmit-
ted to the person in contact with it. When the intervention aims to treat a complaint
referring to a specific anatomical segment, it is called local or segmental vibration
therapy. However, when mechanical vibration is transmitted to the whole person’s
body, aiming for an improvement in the performance, or as a clinical intervention, the
procedure is called Systemic vibration therapy. The biological effects would be due to
the mechano-transduction mechanism by which cells convert mechanical stimulus
into biological activity, releasing various hormones and other substances. This form of
mechano-transduction is important to physiological processes in the body, including
proprioception, effects on bone mineral density, muscle, balance, and functionality,
promoting the modulation of biological effects through specific signaling pathways.
In this chapter, the use of mechanical vibration as an intervention aiming to improve
and optimize daily life is discussed, either as a local or systemic application, targeting a
specific part of the body or the whole body, respectively.

Keywords: whole-body vibration exercise, local vibration therapy, systemic vibration
therapy, Mechano-biomodulation, daily life

1. Introduction

Technological development in different areas of knowledge has led to the emer-
gence of new procedures that have been progressively incorporated into profes-
sional activities in different sectors, including in health sciences. As a consequence,
everyone must be prepared to be challenged and use what technological advances
have to offer, providing better living conditions for all people who need help to
improve their health condition and quality of life. Knowledge about potential
benefits and limitations will guide the best way to take advantage of new technolo-
gies [1–3]. Thus, the establishment of safety-related criteria that must be followed
together with the update in the level of evidence of related publications will guide
the effectiveness of the procedure with the safe use of the technique without
adverse events [4–7].

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