Whole Body Vibrations May Reduce Inflammation

Small waves of energy are sent throughout the entire body as the machine vibrates, and these small waves of energy force the muscles to relax and contract a couple of times per minute. Proponents of this therapy claim that these vibrations help to reduce back pain, protect against bone loss, improve overall strength, and improve balance in older adults who are not able to sustain long periods of conventional exercise. 

This form of therapy is thought to benefit the whole body, and it is commonly used as a preventive treatment and rehabilitation tool for those with sarcopenia as well as being used for those with osteoporosis, chronic back pain, and to improve muscle strength and muscle soreness. 

A recent study published in Frontiers in Neurology found that long term use of whole body vibration therapy led to significant improvement in gait and balance of older adults as well as improved walking performance in stroke patients and in older adults with osteoarthritis. 

The GI tract is home to billions of beneficial bacteria that aid in digestion and metabolism, the bacteria also helps immune cells ward off pathogens that cause a variety of infections. Some research has shown that gut microbiota can also help to ease chronic inflammation, support important cellular functions, and in some cases help to neutralize toxins and carcinogens that can trigger gastrointestinal cancers. 

Researchers from Augusta University and Ohio State University have found that whole body vibration has potential benefits on the bacterial communities within the gut which resulted in reduced inflammation and enhanced glucose metabolism. The study published in the International Journal of Molecular Science suggests that this form of therapy can be utilized as an option for treating high blood sugar and diabetes related inflammation. 

In America diabetes affects 34.2 million people according to the American Diabetes Association, with the most common form being type 2 diabetes. Research suggests that whole body vibration may help improve gut health to ease chronic inflammation and reverse the effects of high blood sugar in those with diabetes. 

The current study found that these vibrations led to higher levels of Alistipes in mouse models. Alistipes are gut bacterium responsible for glucose metabolism, the increased levels also decreased chronic inflammation in the gut. The vibrations also increased the levels of M2 macrophages, which are immune cells that help to regulate inflammatory responses which tends to be compromised in obese and diabetic individuals; chronic low grade inflammation can also be seen in cancer and heart disease patients. 

Based on their findings the researchers concluded that whole body vibration shows promise as being a potential, safe, effective therapeutic treatment for diabetes related inflammation and glucose intolerance.