Influence of oscillatory-cycloidal vibrotherapy on basic cardiological parameters and perception of an external stimulus after menopause

Medicine is still looking for effective therapeutic methods to prevent involutional changes, i.e. changes related to the loss of function or tissue atrophy. Vibrotherapy can be a promising form of systemic rehabilitation in this context, including oscillatory-cycloidal vibrotherapy (VOC), which Polish scientists from the A. Frycz Modrzewski Krakow Academy and the Medical University of Silesia decided to test. They analyzed the influence of VOC on basic cardiovascular parameters (heart rate and blood pressure) and on the perception of an external stimulus in postmenopausal women of various body composition.

• After VOC, the diastolic blood pressure dropped from 74.7 to 72.3 mmHg.
• The heart rate also decreased – from 71.1 to 67.6 bpm.
• The higher water content in the body positively correlated with the decrease in diastolic blood pressure after VOC (R = 0.51), and the older the woman was, the less the heart rate decreased after VOC (R = -0.45).

Prepared on the basis of:

The Influence of Whole-Body Vibration on Cardiovascular Parameters and Changes in the Perception of an External Stimulus Among Postmenopausal Women. Witkoś J., Hartman-Petrycka M. Med Rehabil 2021;25(3):4-12.

Study population

Twenty women were chosen for this pilot study (70.6 ± 4.7 y.o.; height: 165.3 ± 7.36 cm, body weight: 75.0 ± 10.4 kg.

Test procedure

Before and after a series of 10 VOC treatments, the pulse rate, blood pressure and the threshold of surface sensation were measured. The sensory stimulus was an electric current pulse of increasing amplitude, which increased until the sensory threshold (minimal sensible tingling) was reached. For this purpose, the device for electrotherapeutic treatments BTL5818SLM was used. The electrodes were placed on the inside of the forearm. Measurements were performed on both dominant and non-dominant upper limbs.

Using the Tanita Body Composition Analyzer, the following were also assessed before and after a series of 10 VOC treatments: body weight, body mass index (BMI), body water content, muscle mass and percentage of body fat. These parameters were used to assess the impact of vibration on people with different body composition.

Use of vibration in the study

After 15 minutes of rest and taking measurements, a 30-minute VOC treatment began with the RAM Vitberg+ {the only device on the market providing this type of vibrotherapy; today replaced by Vitberg RS; editorial note}. RAM Vitberg+ uses both systemic (whole body vibration) and local vibrotherapy at the same time. This product has been registered as a class IIa medical device, certified in accordance with EN ISO 13485: 2012. As a therapeutic stimulus, it uses non-invasive, mechanical oscillatory-cycloidal vibrations in 3 directions (vibrational 3D effect) with a small amplitude of the stimulus (0.01-0.19 mm), low or medium frequency (10.1-52.2 Hz) and the variable pulse sequence defined here by the “G-Relax Program”. A series of 10 VOC treatments in the supine position was performed.

Results

After VOC, the diastolic blood pressure decreased statistically from 74.7 ± 8.0 (mean ± SD before 1st treatment) to 72.3 ± 8.0 mmHg (p = 0.047). The heart rate also decreased, from 71.1 ± 7.6 (mean ± SD before 1 treatment) to 67.6 ± 6.7 bpm (p < 0.001). Moreover, the higher water content in the body positively correlated with the reduction of diastolic blood pressure (R = 0.51; p < 0.05), and the older the woman was, the less the heart rate decreased (R = -0.45; p < 0.05). After VOC, the sensory threshold values in the non-dominant hand decreased slightly (p = 0.076). The greater the content of visceral adipose tissue (R = -0.48; p < 0.05) and body weight (R = -0.56; p <0.05), the improvement in the sensory threshold was smaller.

Comment

The obtained results suggest that VOC has a positive effect on diastolic blood pressure and heart rate by lowering them in postmenopausal women. The magnitude of the effect of VOC on diastolic blood pressure depended on the water content in the body (the higher, the greater VOC effect). In turn, the impact of VOC on heart rate lowering depended on age – in older women, the heart rate dropped less than in younger women after VOC. The use of VOC also resulted in a slight reduction in the sensory threshold value, which was connected to the content of visceral adipose tissue and body weight.

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