According to PracticalPainManagement.com, pain is a primary symptom of osteoarthritis (OA), diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), and fibromyalgia. Whole body vibration (WBV) has demonstrated a high adherence rate, which is not often the case for many interventions used to help treat individuals with chronic pain.
According to research on practicalpainmanagement.com individuals suffering from chronic pain found relief after practicing whole body vibration (WBV) therapy in conjunction with a home-based exercise program. Specifically, individuals that participated in WBV therapy and home-based exercise had reduced pain intensity compared with those who only practiced home-based exercise.
Other research examined patients with Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), which is a form of nerve damage in the hands or feet, who experienced slight numbness, mild tingling sensations, and severe pain on a daily basis – including one male patient who struggled to put pressure on his feet due to pain and needed to frequently sit or lay down. In this particular patient, WBV therapy was used as an interventional method to relieve his pain. The therapy decreased his pain after each session for an average of three hours. The patient also reported less pain over time. The same researchers examined the effects of this case on a larger scale study. Similarly, their research indicated WBV was effective at lowering pain over time in individuals suffering from DPN.
Lastly, researchers examined the effects of WBV therapy on fibromyalgia patients. Not only did their results support WBV therapy for chronic pain, but interestingly, there was a 0% dropout rate among participants.
Read more at practicalpainmanagement.com
9. Alentorn-Geli E, Padilla J, Moras G, et al. Six weeks of whole body vibration exercise improves pain and fatigue in women with fibromyalgia. J Altern Complement Med. 2008;14(8):975-981.
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