Whole Body Vibration Review (WBV) put on web 5/09, updated 7/09

We started hearing about Whole Body Vibration around 2002.
The Risk of Falling is a major cause of bone fractures in the elderly.
Here is some quick information on osteoporosis taken from the internet May 2009.

How we learned about Whole Body Vibration 

We are in our 60's and found a scientific paper in 2007 which had the results of a double blind test of whole body vibration. Reduced hip fractures by 60% after 6 months of 5 minutes per day at such a low intensity that a double blind test was possible – the subjects could not even detect the vibration!

Many web sites hype that Whole Body Vibration can do things that the data does not seem to support, such as fitness and weight loss.  Also there is a lot of distracting information about being exposed to Whole Body Vibration all day long - such as when using machines such a bulldozers

After getting past the WBV hype we found a great many scientific studies of whole body vibration helping senior citizens or other people with low bone mineral density..  Jump to that portion of this web page

We looked at the wide range of whole body machines which we could buy on the internet, but we found NONE that had more than ONE of the following characteristics:
  1) low enough cost
  2) small enough to fit in our recreational vehicle
  3) short enough so as to not create a risk of falling off of the platform
  4) could be easily incorporated into her daily routine
So, we built our own in Jan 2009. It has a platform which is only 1" off the floor

Judy has incorporated her whole body vibration into the nightly dish washing by setting the platform in front of the sink cabinet.

Overview: how Whole Body Vibration helps

There is some debate as to how Whole body Vibration helps.  Whole body Vibration helps in at least three ways
   1) Improves Muscle Strength
   2) Improves balance
   3) Improves bone mineral density (below the hips)
The first two reduce the likelihood of falling
All three mechanisms reduce the likelihood breaking a hip.
   (We also take a vitamin supplement which improves the density of all of the bones)

I have not been convinced that there is any difference between tilting and vertical Whole body Vibration. The Galelio system which uses tilting was one of the original systems and has the most research articles.

Whole Body Vibration was found to slow weight gain in mice and people. - but NOT, like the hype, reduce weight

News Item of  May 2009, added July 2009. Study of 80 people put into 4 categories found that the category which dieted and exercised while on a vibration platform for 12 minutes per day lost 11% of weight and kept the weight loss for 6 months after the diet and exercise/vibration stopped. This is the first study of weight loss and WBV I have seen which seems OK. Click here for the details.

There are 150+ YouTube videos of Whole Body Vibration - BUT most use very high amplitudes that I associate with WBV being used in place of exercise - which is unneeded for the elderly.

Huge range in prices and features of Whole Body Vibration platforms

The prices of WBV machines range from $250 to over $15,000.

Features include:

  Amplitude (strength)   0.5 to 20 mm (millimeter)
  Frequency   15 to 60 vibrations per second (Hertz)
     Very low cost machines often lack independent control of amplitude and vibration
     High cost machines sometimes allow adjustment of amplitude and frequency
  Vertical or oscillate/tilt
  Size of platform: large enough to stand on vs. large enough to lie down on
  Hand-hold: on most, but not all machines. some are just a platform
  Height of the platform: typically 4" to 8" (ours is 1" tall)

Whole Body Vibration on the internet

Amazon had 20 machines as of May 8 2009

Google shopping had 274 machines as of May 8 2009

WikiPedia has an excellent overview of Whole Body Vibration click here for latest
Click here for the WikiPedia entry to which I have added highlights PDF

www.ib3health.com  has  a brief overview of machines  PDF of July 2008

www.Vibrationexercise.ca has some useful comments on Vibration machines - generally cover high-cost machines

www.vibrationtraining.net has a useful description of the types of machines, along with user forum comments

We are using a Soloflex motor for our machine.     link to the Soloflex WEB site

The Vibration Professor is an individual who restored his health with Whole Body Vibration and wants to share his learning with others.  The following is one of his evaluations (no prices or criteria are given)

WholeBodyVibrationMachine.com has a fairly long list of Whole Body Vibration reports which appear to be available.
it sells a $350 unit with detachable vertical handle/support

Yet more Whole Body Vibration links.  They sell the Evolution  price unknown

A free 160 page book (2008?) which includes about 20 pages on Whole Body Vibration. This Vibranetics book is the result of the doctor's treating 5,000 patients with Whole body Vibration.

30 page Ebook 2007 on WBV for Seniors and Sports   Free (PDF 273 KBytes) from Australia

BodyVibratorsReview seems to evaluate many of the different machines.  Unknown author motivation.

http://www.soloflex.com/archive/70-great-whole-body-vibration-studies-articles-2/ Sept 2009 70 links - by Soloflex, which sold the parts for the WBV machine we made
        includes http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15721992&sc=emaf  NPR 2007
                   http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/bonehealth/chapter_9.html#PhysicalActivity  Surgeon General 2004: Seniors need physical activity - or perhaps WBV
                   http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ncs/newsarch/2006/Feb06/hip.htm Oregon State University in 2006 was going to study WBV after hip replacement

My brief look at a few WBV machines: May 2009  arranged by price

You might want to checkout comments by buyers of particular machines.
Also, e-bay often will have a machine at about 1/2 price, but typically cannot return purchases. Craigs List can rarely return a purchased item

What some of the WBV machines look like (in no particular order)
    click on image to go for more information from a seller

ProForm	Health Mark Port-A-Vibe	Health Mark V800000	Osci Health	SoloFlex	Turbosonic
Wal-Mart	Wal-Mart	Wal-Mart	wholebodystore		Amazon and others
VibraPro	Health Mark 81003	Power Fit Bantamweight	Power Plate Pro5	DynaFit

Scientific Studies of Whole Body Vibration

Most of the studies in green below are PDF files on this web site. I have often highlighted the parameters

Summary of 2003 study of WBV  Galileo 1 minute, 3/week, 10 & 27 Hz    - has the following table:

Elderly women  who just stood for 30 seconds 3 times per week on WBV machine vibrating at 20 Hz had very significant improvements in balance and reach (7 cm -> 24 cm)  in just 3 months.  2007 study  Galileo tilt  (PDF 115KB)

2005 study in nursing home  (Buyere 2005) showed decrease in falls and increased quality of life - 27 Hz 7-11 mm 6 minutes 3 sessions per week. (PDF 157 KB)

2007 study of 67 year old men showed increase muscle after 1 year - 40 minutes per day at 35, 40Hz and 5 mm PowerPlate  The control group also had exercise. (PDF 80KB)

A 2002 study of people with spine problems concluded that WBV was as good as conventional therapy. Galileo, 18Hz, 6 mm, 4 minutes per session (PDF 280KB)

Bone Density increased by 1% after 6 months for elderly women exercising on an intense (2-5 G) WBV platform vibrating at 35-40 Hz (PDF 118KB)

WBV improves posture of elderly and reduces falls  30-60 seconds, 2.5mm to 5mm, 30-40 Hz, PowerPlate (PDF 245KB)

Bone Density increased 4% with 12 Hz 3 mm  3 sessions per week with knee flexed on Galileo machine/  Better than walking

WBV improved balance and walking speed for elderly. 4 min sessions once per week 12-20 Hz 4 mm with bent knees on Galileo machine

Excellent review of WBV literature  (Prisby et. al 2008) Great summary and includes many tables of what has been published and ideas of what new research is needed (PDF 361 KB)

Ankle got most benefit from WBV 2008, 26 Hz, 5-8mm, Galileo, dynamic exercise, bent knees to reduce vibration getting to upper body

WBV did not reduce stroke problems when started 30 days after stroke.  Double blind testing, 30 Hz, 3 mm, 4 sets of 45 seconds of vibration per day, 3 months.

WBV improved bone density for YOUNG women 2006  30Hz, 0.5mm, average 130 minutes per month, needed only 2 minutes a day to get a benefit. very low vibration amplitude.

2007 PHD Dissertation WBV Improve walking better than a placebo  7 women 77 years old, placebo controlled study, three 15 min sessions each week 289 pages (PDF 1606KB)  10-25 Hz 0.5 mm  Note: some studies miss-report peak-to-peak as amplitude

Note: Amplitude = Acceleration /(2*pi*Frequency)**2;
   Acceleration of 1G at 30 Hertz: Amplitude  = 1/(6.28 * 30)**2 meters = 1/(188 * 188) = 1/35420 = 28 mm

Whole Body Vibration has provided some help with Fibromyalgia: 30Hz, 2 mm, 18 minute sessions with squats, PowerPlate (PDF 222KB)

Belgium nursing home WBV study 2005  30-40 HZ 2-5 mm (PDF 264 KB)

A 50 page PDF wide ranging overview of WBV by a physical therapist in Texas -  2005?

This 2008 study  convinced me that WBV does NOT appear to help people who can exercise, contrary to the claims (generally unsupported) by many fitness centers. (PDF 118KB)

GenerationPlate list of references  2007  Categories: General Study of Effects , The Elderly,  Bone Density, Strength Wellness & Health, Balance

Question and Answer on WBV and osteoporosis  April 2008 at Medscape

Example of touting of whole body vibration to help a great many health problems: K1 Platimum

Mayo Clinic "For most healthy adults, whole body vibration isn't likely to result in measurable weight loss or fitness gains."

MedicineNet.com  Also believes that the hype of passive exercise does not match the reality.

HealthLine.com believes that WBV does have its uses.

WebMD has page with opinions on WBV, Chi machines, electronic muscle stimulation, and inversion boots

Vibration for weight loss touted

Vibration at Osteoporosis forum 11 discussions as of May 2009,  another forum IMMINST

Motion Health has many PDF files on Whole Body Vibration Studies with Galileo WBV technology: Including: MECHANOGRAPHY, BLOOD FLOW - CIRCULATION, BONE & MUSCLE,  CARDIOVASCULAR, GERIATRIC - STRENGTH & BALANCE,  HORMONAL, NEUROLOGICAL,  SPINE & LOWER BACK,  STRENGTH TRAINING,  and STRESS INCONTINENCE

http://www.wavexercise.com/Library.php?by=category  also has a large set of references for the use of Whole Body Vibration by the elderly- without links.

Contra-indications (Whole Body Vibration should be avoided by some people)

MotionHealth list of Contraindication: * Acute Inflammations in the pelvis and/or the lower extremities * Acute Discopathy * Acute Hernia * Acute Inflammation in the musculoskeletal system * Acute Migraine * Acute Tendiopathy in the trained body regions * Acute Thrombosis * After fresh surgery * Bone Tumors  * Epilepsy * Fresh Fracture in the trained body regions * Implants in the trained body regions * Gallstones, Bladder or Kidney Stones * Neoplastic disease of the spine  * Open wounds in the trained body region * Pregnancy * Rheumatoid Arthritis & Arthropathy * Unsupervised children

In addition to WBV there are low-cost supplements which make Stronger Bones
- click here information on Vitamin K2, etc.

The Whole Body Vibration Machine that I built for my wife

Concerns which we had and met

Machine should not take up much room in the recreational vehicle that we live in.
Low cost - our parts cost was less than $250 - bought from Soloflex and Home Depot
Short - no fear of falling off - the commercially available versions are usually more than 4" tall
Easily used every day - combined with daily washing of dishes in the sink

- Notice that she does not use shoes on the WBV platform - shoes reduce the vibration intensity
     (she wears socks or slippers)
    We wonder why virtually none of the WBV studies mention footwear - it seems very important.

Our platform is 1" tall. 24" wide, 24" long, built with 1/2" thick plywood. 
We place an area rug on top of the platform to reduce the amplitude/intensity at high frequency
9 rubber cushions isolate the vibrating platform from the floor.

The above chart shows the allowable vibration duration vs. amplitude and frequency for the Soloflex platform, not ours.
Example: A 10 Hz vibration can have a maximum vertical amplitude of 1 mm/sec**2 for about 1.5 hours, or 4 mm/sec**2 for less than 1 minute.

The dots on the above graph indicate the amplitude measured for the SoloFlex WBV platform. Example: 60 Hz, 11 mm/sec**2 would be OK for < 40 minutes

My best guess of the vertical amplitude of our Whole Body Vibration platform with area rug running at 60 Hz is 5 mm

Additional Platform Design notes (in response to an e-mail question about how to build it)

Soloflex attachment is available for $229

We mounted the motor at the top edge of the plywood platform.  This created a short platform with a large area. We might have increased the amplitude about 2X by mounting the motor under the board, but raising the platform from 1" to 3.5" would have created a concern about falling off the platform while doing dishes. With our design, we actually needed to reduce, not increase, the amplitude- we used a rug

The plywood board is sufficiently stiff that the vibration feels to be the same when standing anywhere on the board. I anticipate that the plywood will delaminate after many years of use - and replace the plywood for less than $10 at that time.  I considered buying honeycomb panel, which is far stiffer, but did not want to pay of the order of $100 for the panel.

The original design concept was to use springs, but I had a hard time finding short springs which I could mount on the board which would not scratch the floor. I tried the rubber pads, and they surprisingly worked very well.

Low-cost ways you can try Whole Body Vibration

When you try Whole Body Vibration you should notice your improved health (better balance, less back pain,...) quickly, in less than a week.

A few spas allow you to use their high-end machines. One spa charges $10 for 10 minutes. Should only take a few sessions to notice improvements.

You can buy a machine and return it if it does not seem to help you. I would recommend start by trying low-cost machines - especially from companies with easy return policies. Very little horsepower (HP) is needed to provide the amount of Whole body Vibration needed to increase bone strength and decrease falls. Reminder, so little is needed that the subjects could not determine if the WBV platform was turned on or not. You do not need the bone-jarring level of WBV which some of the machines can put out.  I assume that most of the machines can decrease their amplitude down to 0.5 mm - 2 mm adequate for bone strength, etc.

Henry Lahore  feel free to contact me:   hlahore@gmail.com   to learn about me, go to my home page  at henrylahore.com