Can Whole Body Vibration Be Harmful?

For those who don’t know, whole body vibration is a passive exercise. It involves different platforms or machines to transmit energy to your body. As a result, your muscles flex or contract.

Though this whole body vibration has some benefits, experts have suggested it can be harmful and shouldn’t be done in the long run. Not much research is available to vindicate this claim, though some potential risks are still associated.

In this guide, we will look into this matter and see whether you should involve in whole body vibration (WBV) or not. So, without any further ado, let’s begin the discussion.

Whole Body Vibration & Its Potential Harmful Effects

Some studies associated with the overall effects of different occupational vibratory sources or hazards suggest that long-term or repeated exposure to these vibrations can be linked to adverse health issues.

The occupational vibratory sources may include the likes of jackhammers, earth moving equipment, forklifts, tractors, and other heavy machinery. The innumerable dreadful health effects include:

• Fatigue
• Spinal degeneration
• Pains in hips, shoulders, hands, neck, or lower back
• Chronic or acute injury to the nervous, circulatory, or musculoskeletal systems
• Neural dysfunction
• Loss of balance
• Blurred vision or visual impairment
• Loss of hearing or hearing impairment
• Chronic vascular or nerve damage to hands or arms
• An increased risk of any development of,
  • Nerve damage
  • Cardiovascular diseases
  • Digestive issues
  • Certain cancers
  • Frequent headaches

Whole Body Vibration & Its Potential Benefits

Whole body vibration therapy is a recovery technique used in neuro-rehabilitation and physical medicine as a rehabilitation and clinical prevention tool.

You may find these machines in gyms as they have recently increased in popularity for fitness training. Some studies suggest this vibration can be used as a non-drug therapeutic method for musculoskeletal diseases and injuries.

For instance, researchers have studied the overall effect of whole body vibration treatment (WBV)  at shallow magnitude (30 Hz) anabolic on muscles and bones in the spine and hips of young women with osteoporosis. But the results of these studies are inconclusive.

Though research is pretty limited, it is enough to claim that WBV has its benefits and advantages to health. These include:

• It might promote weight loss in those whole are obese or physically inactive.
• May enhance muscle functioning and bolster endurance, power, and strength.
• It may assist in reducing systolic blood pressure and arterial stiffness.
• May enhance blood circulation and lower cortisol which is a stress hormone.
• It enhances flexibility and strength.
• Improves balance in the elderly and reduces bone loss over time.
• It may assist in relieving lower abs pain.
• May assist in osteoporosis and sarcopenia.
• Helps in increasing growth hormone levels and serum testosterone.

Are Vibration Machines Harmful?

These machines have been around for some time now. Since their introduction, some studies have been conducted to assess their overall effectiveness and negative impacts.

Most studies have produced promising results and indicate positive results from these machines. They effectively strengthen your muscle tissue and increase bone mineral density by accelerating physical recovery and weight loss.

But do these machines have any negative impact on the human body? Are they harmful, or are there any preventive measures that users should take?

As per scientific studies, these machines are safe and don’t have any adverse effects on most users. The most common side effect reported is usually due to pre-existing medical conditions.

You should do proper research before you buy a WBV and consider the following:

• Only purchase vibrating platforms from a reputable brand.
• Ensure your MBV corresponds to safety standards set by the industry.
• Select a machine that doesn’t exceed the limit of healthy vibrations.
• Go for a WBV that comes with different variable settings and vibration levels.
• Check whether you can use a vibration machine or not.

Who Should Avoid Whole Body Vibration?

WBV is not for everyone. People must avoid using it, especially when dealing with various health conditions. It’s not for:

• People who have heart problems.
• Those who have a history of stroke and heart attack.
• Those who use pacemakers for various heart conditions.
• People who have a blood clotting disorder.
• Pregnant women.
• Patients who have recovered from a recent surgery.
• Those recently fitted with bolts, fasteners, or metal pins.
• Those who have recently encountered any orthopedic injuries.
• People who have diabetes.
• People with recent injuries to their head.
• Those who have epilepsy.
• Acute hernia patients.
• Those who have kidney or gallstones.

Final Word

Whole body vibration has its benefits, and it has its negative health effects as well. You must do your research. Make sure you don’t have any pre-existing medical conditions mentioned above or haven’t undergone surgery recently. Also, ensure you don’t expose your body to whole body vibration too frequently and not for the long term. If you do it occasionally, it