By Stephen Swanson, 541-737-0789
SOURCE: Gianni Maddalozzo, 541-737-6802

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Good vibrations may be the key for Oregon State University researchers seeking to aid hip replacement patients.

To study the benefits of a whole body vibration exercise regime – similar to that used by astronauts and Olympians – OSU scientists will put volunteers through workouts on vibrating platforms designed to improve strength, flexibility and balance, said Gianni Maddalozzo, a researcher in OSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences.

Customized workouts will be created for volunteers ages 60-75 who have had partial hip replacement surgery in the past two years, said Maddalozzo, whose appointment is in the college’s Department of Exercise and Sport Science.

Participants will then undergo supervised workouts for two days a week in Salem or Corvallis. A control group will also be recruited and will perform the same exercises, but won’t use the vibrating platform.

“Most people, when they hear about whole body vibration therapy, they tend to laugh,” Maddalozzo said. But as the population ages, he added, osteoporosis, or “brittle bones,” and related fractures are becoming an increasing problem and hip fracture is the most devastating complication of osteoporosis.

“A number of animal studies, examining sheep, turkeys and rats, show that vibration treatment has a significant effect on bone formation and muscle mass,” Maddalozzo said. “When researchers tried a vibration platform regime with sheep, they saw huge increases in bone mass among the animals.”

But in hip fracture patients, bone mass is not the primary concern.

“The bone heals itself; that’s not the issue,” Maddalozzo said. “The issue is increasing muscle mass, strength and balance with a workout program that is safe and practical.

“Whole body vibration training has been promoted as an efficient, safe alternative for resistance training,” he added. “Even if performed to exhaustion the increases in heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen uptake during whole body vibration training are negligible. Moreover, vibration training has been shown to be as efficient as standard resistance training for improving strength and balance in older women.”

In addition to customized workouts volunteers will receive free bone scans to measure bone mass.

The vibrating work stations resemble giant home scales with upraised handles. Vibration levels will be set at 30 hertz, giving muscles 30 cycles of vibration per second, making them contract and relax 30 times per second.
Individuals will probably start at about 10 minutes of exercise for each session and gradually build to 20-minute workouts.

“You can get the benefits of a 45- to 50-minute workout for less than half that time with a whole body vibration workout,” Maddalozzo pointed out.

The slight shaking may momentarily startle newcomers, but people usually adjust to it in a few moments, Maddalozzo said. A support harness can be used for participants who fear losing their balance.

The therapy period will last six months. Anyone interested in volunteering for the study can contact Maddalozzo at 541-737-6802 or herronja@onid.orst.edu. About the OSU College of Health and Human Sciences:
Emphasizing a holistic approach to optimal health and disease prevention, researchers focus on nutrition, physical activity, the psychology of aging improving the health of children and older adults, public policy, access to health care, and maximizing environmentally friendly materials and structures.

TIPS:
1. Before you start, decide which exercises you are going to do from this Exercise Guide.
2. In the standing pose, ensure your feet are wide enough apart for stability and that you maintain good posture.
3. The VT-7 should not be used for longer than 10 minutes per session unless following a specified program.

Initial Use
If you are using a Vibration machine for the first time you might like to feel the vibration with one foot prior to stepping onto the Vibration Platform.

Choosing the Right Speed
The following speeds are a recommendation only and would depend on your state of health and physical condition. To enable good balance, your feet should be equally distanced from the centre axis.

Between 1-10:
Ideal for bone and muscle strengthening, balance control and abdominal exercises. It is also good for recovery of muscles after injury and relieving back pain. Start at a speed from the lower end of this range until you feel comfortable and can maintain your position at a higher speed.

Between 11-25:
At these speeds your muscles don’t get the chance to completely relax between contractions so your intensity is greater and you’re optimizing your workout to gain maximum muscle strength. To work effectively at these speeds you need to be physically strong and healthy – it’s not for everyone and could take up to 3 months of training until you reach this level.

Mid to Higher Speeds:
High speeds are only suited to massage and relaxation positions. They’re not meant for general exercise and are effective when you are resting just part of your body on the Vibration Platform i.e. one leg, or one arm.

Intensity
To increase the intensity of your workout we suggest you:
1. Extend the time of each position by progressively increasing from 30 to 45 to 60 seconds (as instructed in our programs)
2. Perform exercise dynamically i.e. with movement
3. Increase the speed (within the recommended limits of our programs)
4. Incorporate unilateral movement (i.e. perform exercises on one leg, etc.)
5. Increase amplitude by moving your feet further apart

For Strength:
Start at 30 seconds for each position; up to 10 minutes total exercise time per session; 3 times per week (alternate with a day’s rest).

For Massage:
Start at 30 seconds for each position; up to 10 minutes total exercise time per session; 3-5 times per week. (If you are following a program the recommended duration of exercises
may vary).

Rest
New users should start off gradually and may need to rest by stepping off the VT-7 for 30-60 seconds between strength exercises.

* The influence of Whole Body Vibration on jumping performance. (C. Bosco, M. Cardinale, O. Tsarpela, R. Colli – Biol. Sport, 1998)

* New Trends in training science: The use of vibrations for enhancing performance. (C. Bosco, M. Cardinale, O. Tsarpela, E. Locatelli – New Stud Athletics – 1999)

* Adaptive responses of human skeletal muscle to vibration exposure. (C. Bosco, R. Colli, E. Introini, M. Cardinale, O. Tsarpela, A. Madella – Clinical Physiology, 1999)

* Acute Whole Body Vibration Training increases vertical jump and flexibility performance in elite female field hockey players. (D.J. Cochrane, S.R. Stannard – British Medical Journal, 2005)

* Acute and residual effects of vibratory stimulation on explosive strength in elite and amateur athletes: Influence of vibration on mechanical power and electromyogram activity in human arm flexor muscles. (C. Bosco, M. Cardinale, O. Tsarpela – European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology , 1999)

* Acute changes in neuromuscular excitability after exhaustive Whole Body Vibration exercise as compared to exhaustion by squatting exercise. (J. Rittweger, M. Mutschelknauss, D. Felsenburg – Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging, 2003)

* Human skeletal muscle structure and function preserved by Vibration muscle exercise following 55 days of bed rest. (D. Blottner, M. Salanova, B. Püttman, G. Schiffl, D. Felsenberg, B. Buehring, J. Rittweger – European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2006)

* The use of Vibration Training to enhance muscle strength and power. (J. Luo, B. McNamara, K. Moran – Sports Medicine, 2005)

* Effect of Whole Body Vibration stimulus and voluntary contraction on motoneuron pool. (Y. Nishihira, T. Iwasaki, A. Hatta, T. Wasaka, T. Kaneda, K. Kuroiwa, S. Akiyama, T. Kida, K.S. Ryol – Advances in exercise and sports physiology, 2002)

* Short-term effects of Whole Body Vibration on maximal voluntary isometric Knee extensor force and rate of force rise. (C. de Ruiter, E. van der Linden, M. van der Zijden, A. Hollander, A. de Haan – European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2003)

* High-Efficiency Vibration training increases muscle power in postmenopausal women. (C.R. Russo, F. Laurentani, S. Bandinelli, B. Bartali, C. Cavazzini, J. Guralnik, L. Ferrucci – Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2003)

* Effect of a vibration exposure on muscular performance and body balance. (S. Torvinen, P. Kannus, H. Sievanen, T.A.H. Jarvinen, M. Pasanen, S. Kontulainen, T.L.N. Järvinen, P.Oja, I. Vuori – Clinical Physiology, 2002)

* Hormonal Reponses to Whole Body Vibration in men. (C. Bosco, M. Lavovelli, O. Tsarpela, M. Cadinale, M. Bonifazi, J. Tihanyi, M. Viru, A. DeLorenzo, A. Viru – European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2000)

* The effects of vibration on human performance and hormonal profile. (C. Hammel, M. Hartard, C. Kleinmond, H. Schiessl, D. Jeschke – Doctoral thesis, Semmelweis University, 2002)

* Whole Body Vibration exercise leads to alterations in muscle blood volume. (K. Kerschan-Schindl, S. Grampp, C. Henk, H. Resch, E. Preisinger – Clinical Physiology, 2001)

* Oxygen uptake during Whole Body Vibration exercise: Comparison with squatting as a slow voluntary movement. (J. Rittweger, H. Schiessl, D. Falsenberg – European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2001

* Acute physiological effects of exhaustive Whole Body Vibration exercise in man. (J. Rittweger, G. Beller, D. Felsenberg – Clinical Psychology, 2000)

* Oxygen uptake in Whole Body Vibration exercise: Influence of vibration frequency, amplitude and external load. (J. Rittweger, J. Ehrig, K. Just, M. Mutschelknauss, K.A. Kirsch, D. Felsenberg – International Journal of Sports Medicine, 2002)

* Controlled Whole Body Vibration to decrease fall risk and improve health-related quality of life of nursing home residents. ( O. Bruyere, M.A. Wuidart, E. Di Palma, M. Gourlay, O. Ethgen, F. Richy, J. Reginster – Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2005)

* Efficacy of training program for ambulatory competence in elderly women. (J. Iwamoto, Y. Otaka, K. Kudo, T. Takeda, M. Uzawa, K. Hirabayashi – The Keio Journal of Medicine, 2004)

* Balance training and exercise in geriatric patients. (M. Runge, G. Rehfeld, E. Resnicek – J Musculoskel Neuron Interact, 2000)

* The anabolic activity of bone tissue, suppressed by disuse, is normalized by brief exposure to extremely low-magnitude mechanical stimuli. (C. Rubin – The FASEB Journal, 2001)

* Effect of Whole Body Vibration on muscular performance, balance and bone. (S. Torvinen – Acta Universitatis Tamp Erensis 908 University of Tampere, Tampere, 2003)

* Low frequency vibratory exercise reduces the risk of bone fractures more than walking. (N. Gusi, A. Raimundo, A. Leal – BMC Muscoloskeletal Disorders, 2006)

* The effect of weight bearing exercise with low frequency, Whole Body Vibration on lumbosacral proprioception: A pilot study on normal subjects. (T.L. Fontana, C.A. Richardson, W.R. Stanton – Australian Journal of Physiotherapy, 2005)

* Treatment of chronic lower back pain with lumbar extension and Whole Body Vibration exercise. (J. Rittweger, K. Just, K. Kautzsch, P. Reeg, D. Felsenberg – Spine, 2002)

* Effects of Whole Body Vibration in patients with multiple sclerosis: A pilot study. (O. Schuhfried, C. Mittermaier, T. Jovanovic, K. Pieber, T. Paternostro-Sluga – Clinical Rehabilitation, 2003)

* Effects of random Whole Body Vibration on postural control in Parkinson’s Disease. (S. Turbanski, C.T. Haas, S. Schmidtbleicher, A. Friedrichl; P. Duisberg – Research in Sports Medicine, 2005)

* Short-term effects of Whole Body Vibration on postural control in unilateral chronic stroke patients. (I.J. van Nes, A.C. Geurts, H.T. Hendricks, J. Duysens – American Journal of Phyical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 2004)

* Effect on Muscles of mechanical vibrations produced by the Galileo 2000 in combination with physical therapy in treating female stress urinary incontinence. (S. von der Heide, G. Emons, R. Hilgers, V. Viereck – galileowholebodyvibraiton.com.au)

For Glutes

Lower Back Extension

For Chest and Shoulders

Forward Stretch

For Whole Body