Vibration Therapy for Osteoporosis

Jay Tang Bone Health 01/05/2024

Vibration therapy may offer a natural intervention to promote bone growth by providing a unique mechanical stimulation on bones through rapidly repeated skeletal muscle contractions.

By nature, our body systems constantly replace bone cells by breaking down old ones and generating new ones. When more bone cells are broken down than the new ones generated for replacement, bone loss issues arise. The bones will become very porous and brittle, leading to a higher risk of fracture.

Aging, lack of physical activity, certain medical conditions, medical procedures, and medications can contribute to bone loss. Once it develops, it is very challenging to reverse.

normal bone compared with osteoporosis bone

According to recent statistics from the Department of Health & Human Services, approximately 10 million Americans aged 50 and older experience serious bone loss, known as osteoporosis, with a majority of these cases occurring in women. Additionally, over 43 million more Americans have low bone density (osteopenia), putting them at risk for further development of osteoporosis.

Bone loss often begins unnoticed until a fracture occurs. People with osteoporosis have higher risk of femoral neck fracture and lumbar compression fracture.

Hormones and physical exercises are usually employed for the prevention and treatment of bone loss.

Vibration therapy may offer a natural approach to prevent and treat bone loss.

in this article

Skeletal Muscle Contraction Promotes Quality Bone Growth
Vibration-induced Muscle Contractions May Make a Difference
Research and Clinical Trials
Vibration Training Exercise Poses
Vibration Frequency, Amplitude and Exercise Routine
Bone Density vs Bone Quality
Osteoporosis Treatment Research Incentive Program - $100 cash reward

Skeletal Muscle Contraction Promotes Quality Bone Growth

Bones are living tissues. To maintain bone strength, our bodies need to constantly break down old bone cells and generate new ones for replacement.

In our younger years, our body systems can effectively generate enough new bone cells to replace the broken-down ones. Scientists estimate that we replace all our bone cells every 5 to 6 years.

As we age, this process slows down. While our bodies continue to break down old bone cells, the generation of new ones for replacement decreases, leading to a loss of bone density. This situation becomes more serious if we lack physical exercise.

Your bones will deteriorate, if you don't actively use them.

Certain medical conditions and medications can also impair the bone cell generation process.

Mechanical stimulation is essential for maintaining bone health. It is a natural intervention that promotes our body systems to produce more bone cells.

It is a well approved concept that high-intensity resistance training are beneficial for increasing bone density in adults. Muscle strength training, like weight-bearing exercise, is more effective than other forms of physical exercise for promoting bone growth.

The force that the skeletal muscle contraction creates is the optimal mechanical stimulation for bone health. In muscle strength training, the contraction force can achieve the necessary magnitude to signal our body systems to produce growth hormone and influence stem cell differentiation for bone cell generation.

Skeletal Muscle Contraction → Quality Bone

Skeletal muscle contraction, particularly in high intensity, plays a crucial role in promoting the development and maintenance of high-quality bones.

[Mechanical Stimulation] Muscle contractions generate mechanical forces on the bones. This mechanical stimulation is essential for bone adaptation, remodeling, and the maintenance of bone density.

[Bone Remodeling] The mechanical stress placed on bones during muscle contractions triggers a process called bone remodeling. This involves the removal of old bone tissue (resorption) and the formation of new bone tissue (formation), leading to stronger and more resilient bones.

[Increased Bone Density] Muscle strength training contribute to increased bone density. Bones adapt to the load placed on them by becoming denser and better able to withstand forces, reducing the risk of fractures.

[Stimulation of Osteoblasts] Muscle contractions stimulate the activity of osteoblasts, cells responsible for the synthesis and deposition of new bone. This continuous bone formation is essential for maintaining bone strength.

[Enhanced Microarchitecture] Regular muscle contractions contribute to an improved microarchitecture of bone tissue. This includes better alignment of collagen fibers and trabeculae, resulting in bones with improved strength and durability.

[Joint Stability] Strong muscles provide better support and stability to joints. This is particularly important for load-bearing joints, such as the hips and knees, where muscle strength can help prevent undue stress on the bones.

[Improved Circulation] Muscle contraction, through skeletal muscle pump effect, enhances blood circulation. Improved blood flow to the bones ensures the delivery of essential nutrients and minerals necessary for bone health.

In summary, muscle contraction through physical activity is a fundamental aspect of maintaining bone health and quality. Regular weight-bearing exercises, resistance training, and activities that engage the muscles contribute to the overall strength and resilience of the skeletal system.

NASA Approved Practice - High Magnitude Mechanical Stimulation for Bone Growth

High magnitude mechanical stimulation for effective bone growth is a NASA approved practice.

Bone loss is a critical health issue for astronauts during long-duration space travel. In space, their bone cells break down at the same rate as on Earth. However, without gravity engaging their muscles to pull on the bones, new bone cells are generated at a much slower rate, resulting in bone loss.

ARED Exercise in space station

According to NASA, "research on earth and on the space station has demonstrated that high intensity resistance workouts are most effective at reducing bone and muscle loss."

In 2008, scientists at NASA developed Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) for use in space station.

ARED allows astronauts to perform heavy-duty muscle workouts. It can put up to 600 lbs force on specific areas of the body most vulnerable to bone loss. Compared with an early version exercise device iRED, ARED doubled the mechanical force applied to the muscles and bones.

High magnitude mechanical stimulation is the key for this practice. In the exercise, the mechanical stimulation is transmitted to the targeted bones through skeletal muscle contraction.

ARED training has demostratd to reduce, but not eliminate, both bone loss and muscle atrophy.

Not HIIT

The high intensity resistance workout referred to by NASA involves heavy-duty muscle strength (heavy resistence) training. Do not confuse it with HIIT.

HITT (High Intensity Interval Training) does not use heavy resistence. It is more of an intensive cardio exercise, less of a muscle strength training.

Strength training using ARED in space station for bone loss prevention

NASA has been providing funding to support research on using vibration intervention to treat bone loss in astronauts. However, so far no vibration device or treatment modality related to vibration has been approved by NASA.

Vibration-induced Muscle Contractions May Make a Difference

A vibration plate can be used to induce rapidly repeated skeletal muscle contractions, producing a dynamic pulling force on the connected bones. This force may effectively and efficiently serve as the mechanical stimulation for bone growth.

The vibration movement induces skeletal muscle contractions through our instinctual muscle stretch reflex response

Vibration-induced skeletal muscle contraction has unique characteristics.

Skeletal muscle contraction is usually voluntary, commanded by the brain. Vibration-induced skeletal muscle contraction, on the other hand, is involuntary. It responds to vibration frequency in a rapidly repeated movement pattern.

The rapidly repeated skeletal muscle contractions make muscle exercises more efficient. Due to the vibration G-force, the dynamic pulling force from muscle contractions produces pulsed intensive mechanical stimulation to the connected bones.

Vibration-induced skeletal muscle contraction can efficiently and effectively stimulate bone growth, providing a unique form of stimulation not achievable through regular muscle strength training exercises.

The efficiency and effectiveness come from the two distinctive parameters of vibration movement: frequency and acceleration (G-force).

Attributes	Cause	Outcome
Rapidly repeated contraction	Vibration frequency	Efficiency
High magnitude stimulation	Vibration acceleration (G‑force)	Effectiveness

Efficiency & Effectiveness Explained

Let's say your body weight is 180 lb, and you perform a squat exercise on a vibration plate that operates at 30Hz frequency and 2G acceleration.

The vibration movement induces your leg muscles to contract and relax 30 times per second (30Hz frequency), making your leg muscles fatigue more easily and your muscle exercise more efficient.

Due to the vibration G-force, the body weight you endure becomes 2 times 180 lb, totaling 360 lb. Consequently, your leg muscles need to contract more forcefully to overcome this increased load. The intensified muscle contraction produces a higher magnitude mechanical stimulation to your bones, making your muscle exercise more effective.

Because the vibration G-force acts in repeated short pulses, the 360 lb force only lasts for a fraction of a second (0.008 seconds) in each vibration cycle. Consequently, your body does not perceive the magnitude as high as it actually is.

Using a vibration plate, you can achieve high mechanical stimulation on your bones without stressing your musculoskeletal system.

Physical exercise on a vertical vibration plate allows you to achieve high-magnitude mechanical stimulation on muscles and bones with less effort and stress compared to achieving the same magnitude using regular muscle strength training. This makes vibration therapy more practical for seniors and individuals with physical weakness to improve their muscle strength and bone density.

To achieve the most effective transfer of vibration from the vibration plate to skeletal muscles, the frequency should be set to achieve a resonance effect. Depending on the muscle group, the frequency that maximizes vibration transfer from the vibration plate to muscle tissues is typically around 30Hz.

Research and Clinical Trials

Most research projects on using vibration intervention to treat osteoporosis are literature reviews. Some small-scale clinical trials have been conducted to study the efficacy of using vibration vibration plate to treat bone loss. There are some quantitative supports from randomized, controlled clinical trials that BMD (bone mineral density) increase is associated with using a vibration plate.

However, due to limited resources (funding), current clinical trials are constrained in their designs and scales. Most clinical trials were not adequately designed and completed, and they did not yield consistent results on the efficacy of vibration therapy in improving bone density.

On the other hand, there are many variables that can affect the trial outcomes, like movement pattern, frequency, amplitude, exercise poses and session time etc. In order to achieve a meaningful conclusion, many more repetitive trials are needed to test each variables and their combinations.

For example, a clinical trial may concludes a vibration plate that offers 0.5mm amplitude does not help with bone growth. However, the test of a vibration plate that offers 2mm amplitude is left out.

There is no scientifically approved recommendation for vibration frequency, amplitude and exercise routine.

Scientific studies are behind. However, countless vibration plate users and practitioners reported positive results using vibration plate for bone density improvement.

Vibration Training Poses

Our musculoskeletal system are designed mainly to overcome gravity, among other roles. Therefore, vertical movement vibration plate, like a linear vibration plate, is more effective for muscle training and inducing muscle contractions.

The following exercise poses work well on a linear vibration plate.

Training Pose	Purpose
Squat	exercise most lower limb muscles, mainly targeting muscles around knee joints
L-squat	exercise most lower limb muscles, effective for training muscles around hip joints
Deadlift	exercise lower back muscles

Vertebrae and femoral necks are the most vulnerable bones for osteoporosis-related fractures. Performing L-squat and deadlift on a linear vibration plate can enhance muscles around these bones and stimulate bone growth. Enhanced muscles also provide better support to the vertebrae and femoral necks.

L-squat introduces vibration to the muscles around the hips, inducing muscle contractions that generate mechanical stimulation on the femoral neck.

Deadlift introduces vibration to the lower back muscles, inducing muscle contractions that produce mechanical stimulation on the lower vertebrae. It is recommended to hold a pair of dumbbells during the deadlift exercise

When performed on a linear vibration plate, L-squat is a very effective exercise for gluteal muscles and thigh muscles.

Vibration Frequency, Amplitude and Exercise Routine

There is no scientifically approved recommendation in terms of what frequency, amplitude and exercise routine are more effective for bone health.

The widely accepted opinion is that 30Hz is the most effective vibration frequency for treating osteoporosis. In fact, due to the resonance and damping effect of skeletal muscles, the frequency range between 30Hz and 35Hz would provide the most intense skeletal muscle contraction experience. Most users of linear vibration perceive such an experience within this frequency range.

Vibration amplitude should be enough to effectively induce skeletal muscle contractions. Amplitude range from 0.7mm to 3mm would satisfy this need.

An evenly spread, consistent exercise routine is recommended. Many users of linear vibration plates perform vibration training for 5 to 10 minutes per day or every other day.

For beginners, it is recommended to start with lower frequency, amplitude, and shorter exercise time. As you adapt to the vibration, you can gradually increase the frequency, amplitude to your desired level, and extend the exercise time.

Be patient, persistent and observant!

Bone Density vs Bone Quality

Bone density usually mean Bone Mineral Density (BMD), which is a measure of the amount of mineralized bone tissue in a certain volume of bone. Because BMD can be measured using x-ray, it is used as a critical indicator of bone health and is often used to assess the risk of fractures. However, it doesn't provide a complete picture of bone quality.

Bone quality encompasses various factors beyond BMD, including bone architecture, composition, microstructure, and the presence of microcracks. These factors contribute to the overall strength and resilience of bones.

It's possible for someone to have high BMD but still have bones of lower quality. For example, certain conditions or medications may affect the mineralization process, leading to bones that are denser but more brittle. Additionally, the microarchitecture of bones, which is not fully captured by BMD measurements, plays a crucial role in bone strength.

Individuals with well-structured, dense bones may have higher bone quality compared to those with merely high BMD.

Naturally grown bone, stimulated by the force of muscle contraction during activities like muscle strength training, tends to have higher quality.

The rapidly repeated, pulsed intensive muscle contractions induced by vibration may more effectively promote the growth of high-quality bones.

Osteoporosis Treatment Research Incentive Program - $100 Cash Reward

Vibration Therapeutic® LLC sponsors a research incentive program for the study of using vibration therapy to treat osteoporosis.

Each participant will get $100 cash reward. Click here for the program details ↝

People aged 50 and above should consider daily vibration training as a preventive measure or treatment for osteoporosis. While vibration training is a light-duty exercise, it may be more effective for maintaining healthy muscles and bones.

Bone Health and Osteoporosis Prevention

References

Is Vibration Training Good for Your Bones?: By Jorge Marin-Puyalto, Alba Gomez-Cabello, Alejandro Gonzalez-Agüero, Alejandro Gomez-Bruton, Angel Matute-Llorente, Jose A Casajús, German Vicente-Rodríguez PubMed.gov | PMID: 30519579

Vibration Therapy to Prevent Bone Loss and Falls: Mechanisms and Efficacy: By Belinda R Beck PubMed.gov | PMID: 26456496

Effect of 6-month whole body vibration training on hip density, muscle strength, and postural control in postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled pilot study: By Sabine M P Verschueren, Machteld Roelants, Christophe Delecluse, Stephan Swinnen, Dirk Vanderschueren, Steven Boonen PubMed.gov | PMID 15040822

Jay Tang

About

Interpreting life science from an engineering perspective.