Vibration Plates for Osteoporosis: Are They Worth It? (Backed by Science)

You have osteoporosis, and you’re looking for ways to improve your bone density. In your research, you saw that vibration plates are an option. But of course, they’re trying to sell you vibration plates. How much can you trust someone trying to sell you something? So you wonder to yourself – are vibration plates good for osteoporosis? That’s the major question that we’ll answer in this article.

I’ll aim for this to be the most comprehensive guide to vibration plates for osteoporosis on the internet. And bonus – I don’t sell a vibration plate for osteoporosis, so you’ll get an unbiased view.

In this article, you’ll learn:

• Are vibration plates good for osteoporosis?
• Can you overdo the vibration plate?
• What happens if you use a vibration plate every day?
• Who should not use a vibration plate?
• What are the negatives of vibration plates?
• What is the best vibration plate for bone density?

Original source: here.

Before we jump in, let me introduce myself. I’m Igor. Nice to meet ya! I’m the author of the Amazon bestselling book, Osteoporosis Reversal Secrets: Workouts, Diet and Supplements for Stronger Bones Without Medications, as well as the owner of an online personal fitness training company that specializes in osteoporosis.

I’ve been a personal trainer since 2006, have my bachelor’s degree in kinesiology, and have delivered nearly 450 presentations to some of Canada’s largest corporations, like IBM, American Express, RBC, Qualcomm, Allstate Insurance and others. Additionally, I’m a regular speaker at personal training conference, training other personal trainers in my methodology.

With that out of the way, let’s get started.

Are Vibration Plates Good for Osteoporosis?

We can’t classify all vibration plates as “good” or “bad”, in the same way that we can’t classify all strength training under one umbrella. There’s a right way to do strength training for osteoporosis, and a wrong way. The right way has some profound benefits for the bones, and the wrong way doesn’t.

If you use vibration plate for osteoporosis the right way (we’ll talk about what that is in a sec), they work!

Not only do they work, but they work on par with the gold standard (strength training). But just for improving bone density – not muscle strength. For muscle strength, strength training is still the gold standard.

One meta-analysis compared 15 different studies on whole body vibration. Some studies showed improvements, and others didn’t. So what were the differences between the studies that showed improvements and those that didn’t? Those that use a low frequency (<20 Hz) and high magnitude (>1 g) showed the greatest and most consistent improvements. Side-alternating vibration platforms also showed an improvement in bone density.

How big was the effect? The same meta-analysis found an improvement in bone density of about 3-4%.

Another meta-analysis showed improvements as great as 5.5%. But again, the devil is in the details. In our previous meta-analysis, when the vibration plate was used at higher frequencies and low magnitudes, there were smaller or nonexistent improvements in bone density.

There is one benefit of vibration plates over strength training: time. A strength training workout might take 45-75 minutes. Vibration plate sessions (I can’t really call them “workouts”) take only 10-20 minutes.

So there’s your prescription for vibration plates:

• Vibration frequency: <20 Hz
• Vibration magnitude: >1 g
• Session frequency: 3-5 per week
• Session duration: 10-20 minutes

You might think to yourself “if strength training improves bone density by about 3%, and a vibration plate for osteoporosis also increases bone density by about 3%, I’ll do both and get larger improvements.” Great thinking. I applaud your enthusiasm and dedication. But unfortunately research shows that doing both is not any better than doing either one by themselves.

In one study, researchers recruited 151 women with an average age of 68.5. They were divided into 3 groups:

• Group 1: strength training
• Group 2: strength training plus vibration plate
• Group 3: control group. They didn’t strength train or use the vibration plate.

After 18 months, here were the results:

So it looks like the combination of strength training and vibration wasn’t any more effective (and considerably less effective) than strength training alone.

The lesson here is if you’re already strength training properly (the way I detail in my book), additional vibration training won’t enhance your results. But if you’re not strength training, a vibration plate for osteoporosis will strengthen your bones (with minimal effect on your muscles).

There is, however 1 major unknown when it comes to vibration plates. That is their effects on fracture risk. See, bone density is a test, but it’s not what really matters. What really matters is fracture risk. Bone density is a good predictor of fracture risk, but not a perfect predictor. Very often, what improves bone density also improves fracture risk, but not everything. For instance, in my book, videos and other articles, I explain how calcium intake improves bone density, but doesn’t do anything to fracture risk. It’s just giving you an illusion.

One study found a reduction in fractures by 62.8% from strength training. So a 1-4% improvement in bone density from strength training results in a 62.8% reduction in the risk of fractures. Does a similar improvement in bone density from vibration plates have the same relationship to fracture risk? That part is unknown. As it stands right now, there’s not a single study evaluating the effects of vibration plate training on fracture risk reduction.

In all likelihood, it does reduce fracture risk. By how much is unknown.

Can You Overdo the Vibration Plate? What Happens If You Use a Vibration Plate Every Day?

Every intervention has a “right dose.” Think about medications – if the dose is too low, it won’t do what it’s supposed to do. If the dose is too high, it might kill you. The same is true for anything.

Vibration training is no exception. You can have an excessive dose in a few different ways:

• The vibration frequency might be too high (it shouldn’t be anyway, since the research shows that lower vibration frequencies have better effects).
• The magnitude might be too high.
• The session frequency could be too much (there’s a reason that training frequencies are only 3-5 days per week).
• The duration might be too high.

So what are the consequences of excessive use of the vibration plate? Plenty.

One study showed that several body systems could be damaged by the excessive use of vibration plates.

Musculoskeletal System

When the vibration is vertical, there’s the potential for spinal compression (the exact thing you’re trying to avoid if you have osteoporosis) and joint pain.

If it’s excessive, the force of the vibration can fatigue the muscles, and the stress may go into the bones.

Vestibular System (The One Responsible for Balance and Orientation in Space)

There are 2 organs within the inner ear that are responsible for balance. They are sensitive to vibration.

Excessive vibration may disrupt the communication between those organs in the inner ear and the brain. The end result could be the loss of balance (which could result in falls) and disorientation.

Visual System

There’s a reflex (called the “vestibulo-ocular reflex”) that keeps your eyes steady as your head is moving.

It’s constantly adjusting to your environment. If the “dose” of vibration plates is too high, it can cause blurry vision or visual instability… and that can lead to falls – something else you’re trying to avoid.

Digestive System

The way that food moves through your digestive system (namely, the small and large intestines) is with a motion called “peristalsis.” It’s almost like squeezing toothpaste out of a tube.

Excessive vibration training can interfere with peristalsis and cause nausea and gastrointestinal discomfort (you know what I’m saying? )

Notice that I say this all happens with the excessive use of vibration plates. The emphasis is on the word “excessive.” With the proper use of vibration plates, this is much less of a problem.

Who Should Not Use a Vibration Plate?

By and large, vibration plates are safe – but not for everyone. There are some people who should either stay away from them or be extra cautious.

Here are people who should avoid vibration plates:

• People with implanted medical devices (like pacemakers, insulin pumps, etc.). It might knock them out of position.
• People who’ve had recent surgeries. Vibration might interfere with healing or displace surgical hardware.
• People at a significant risk of clotting. Vibration might loosen a blood clot, and if it ends up in circulation, and plugs a major blood vessel, well… that’s not good (and potentially fatal).
• People who are prone to migraines and epilepsy. Vibration might trigger those.
• People with spinal injuries. If you’ve had a spinal fracture that hasn’t healed yet, vibration plates aren’t for you. Vibration can worsen a pre-existing fracture.
• People with pre-existing vertigo or balance issues. They may worsen with vibration.

What Are the Negatives of Vibration Plates?

Every approach has benefits and drawbacks. Earlier in this article, we listed the potential downfalls of the excessive use of vibration plates, as well as some conditions that could be made worse by their use. I won’t rehash those in this section.

There are a couple of other potential negatives that haven’t been mentioned yet:

1. It can increase your bone density without a concurrent increase in muscle strength. Sure, your muscles get a tiny bit stronger. But nothing compared to the gold standard – strength training. It can give you a false sense of your fitness.
2. Vibration plates ain’t cheap. You can either buy your own vibration plate for home use, or you can join a gym that has vibration plates.

What is the Best Vibration Plate for Bone Density?

There are plenty of vibration plates on the market, but they’re not all created equal. There are vibration plates for general fitness, and there are those for osteoporosis. When choosing a vibration plate for osteoporosis specifically, you have a few different criteria:

• Safety: it only does low-frequency vibrations.
• Medically-certified: this tells you it actually works for what it’s claiming.
• Plates that automatically adjust their vibration based on the person’s weight.
• Platforms with non-slip surfaces.

The two best platforms that meet those criteria that I’m aware of are:

• The Marodyne LiV vibration plate for osteoporosis
• LivMD

I have no financial affiliation with these companies, and don’t benefit one way or another if you buy these or any others.

The post Vibration Plates for Osteoporosis: Are They Worth It? (Backed by Science) appeared first on Igor Klibanov's (Toronto Personal Trainer) Fitness Solutions Plus Blog.