He’s known for inventing corn flakes and his penchant for healthy living, but Dr. John Harvey Kellogg was also the individual responsible for introducing a standing vibration plate in the United States nearly 120 years ago. Hailed by many as a little off-kilter for some of his stranger theories, Kellogg instituted a vibration chair and standing vibration plate for his sanitarium patients in Battle Creek, Michigan, in 1895 to alleviate or eradicate numerous maladies such as headaches, stomachaches, back pain, and constipation. He claimed the movement of the internal organs stimulated healing.
Contrary to popular belief, Kellogg wasn’t that far out in left field. Dr. Gustav Zander was the first individual to build exercise machines which incorporated vibration as a tool for physical therapy. He unveiled his creation as a World’s Fair exhibit in 1876 and 1878 and by 1900, his fitness centers – or Zander Institutes – were flourishing around the world. In fact, he is considered to be one of the pioneers of the modern health club.
There was also the 1896 article on the success of Dr. Zander’s technique in the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal. Physicians concurred with Kellogg’s notion that vibration was a catalyst for lymph to travel through the body at a swifter rate, which in turn allowed an injury to mend more completely and quickly. The doctors referred to this phenomenon as “respiration of the tissues through increased circulation.”
Cast aside for a number of years, vibration therapy resurfaced in 1960 through the work of East German scientist Bierrman, who produced a therapy he entitled “rhythmic neuromascular stimulation.” At the same time, Russian scientists began to examine the use of vibrations to combat the loss of bone density and muscle weakness suffered by astronauts after experiencing the lack of gravity. This research led to the modern-day application now known as whole-body vibration therapy.
What it does for humans
Researched and employed extensively by NASA since the 1960s, whole body vibration therapy is one of the hottest new trends in human medicine, so it is only natural this treatment is being pursued and explored in the horse. Although detailed clinical trials and research studies have yet to surface in the equine arena, the results in human medicine have been exceptional.
So what exactly is whole-body vibration therapy?
“Whole-body vibration is the mechanical repetitive movement, or oscillatory motion, around an equilibrium point,” wrote Wysocki et al in the November 2011 edition of Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. “It is delivered through the use of a vibrating platform on which static poses are held or dynamic exercises can be performed, depending on the type and force of the machine.
“Whole-body vibration exercise is a forced oscillation that transfers energy from a vibration platform to a human body. The vibrations generated by motors underneath the platform are transmitted to the person on the machine. Available vibration exercise platforms produce sinusoidal-shaped oscillations described by their frequency, amplitude, and phase angle.”
What determines the success of whole-body vibration treatments is the direction and intensity of the vibrations. As the US Food and Drug Administration has yet to approve vibration platforms for medical use (despite numerous patents currently pending), a multitude of machines exist on the open market. They come in all shapes and sizes, with some producing only vertical vibrations, others front, back, and sideways, and still more emit vibrations in a circular motion. The vibrations then work to stimulate targeted groups of muscles, or in the case of bone density, the nuclei inside the bone cells are triggered to generate osteoblasts, which in turn build bone.
Studies in human medicine have concluded that whole-body vibration therapy improves bone density, increases muscle mass, improves circulation, reduces joint pain, reduces back pain, alleviates stress, and boosts the metabolism. A 2009 study published in NeuroRehabilitation discovered the use of vibration therapy in the short term illustrated improvement in the motor skill challenges the victims of Parkinson’s Disease must endure. A 2011 study that appeared in Clinical Rehabilitation demonstrated that muscle strength was improved in older adults after whole-body vibration therapy, but bone density was not.
Further studies have illustrated bone density improvement in post-menopausal women and possible alleviation of the symptoms of multiple sclerosis. An array of research projects have also demonstrated whole-body vibration therapy aids in recovering from extensive exercise or competition in athletes.
What it might do for horses
Horses do not contract Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, or any other condition that is confined wholly within human medicine, but musculoskeletal injuries and osteoarthritis are the two main culprits that cause performance horses to stand on the sidelines. In fact, a study conducted in 2004 by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala examined horses during their activity on a vibration plate floor at the behest of Norwegian trainer and inventor Bendick Bo. The horses were monitored by thermography to examine any fluctuations in temperature prior to and after the treatment. In addition, their blood samples, rectal temperature, and heart rate were recorded and analyzed.
“The idea is vibration will stimulate healing of injuries, relaxing of rigidities and make the horse more variable,” wrote then-veterinary student and researcher Marianne Tingbo. “According to users of the floor, it has also had a very positive effect on colic symptoms. No negative effect has been observed in horses and the horses seem to like the treatment.”
The head researcher on the project, Hans Brostrom, concurred. “The study concentrated on thermographic imaging,” he wrote. “It showed a significant decrease in skin and hoof wall temperature in front legs after vibration for 45 minutes. No significant changes were observed in rectal temperature, heart rate, and in several blood parameters. The horses did not reject repeated vibration periods. On the contrary, they seemed to like it.”
A tentative thumbs-up
Kirsten Johnson, the owner of the Kentucky Equine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center (KESMARC) in Lexington, Ky, has incorporated the equipment in the programs her facility offers since shortly after vibration plates debuted in the US nearly a decade ago.
“Horses are like diabetics,” she said. “Any injury they have in the lower limbs can be so problematic, because they just do not receive an adequate blood flow to the area. They all seem to enjoy the therapy and in my opinion it is a great tool to build bone, for sore feet, and to recover from fractures, soft tissue injuries, and competition. As I said, I view this as a tool and would not rely on it solely for a treatment program, as I have other methods I employ, but I’ve been pleased with the results and the horses do seem to like it.”
Brenda McDuffee, the general manager of The Sanctuary Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation Center in Marion County, FL, shared Johnson’s positive experience with the use of vibration plates. The lack of science relating to horses when initially purchasing the equipment did not cause her to hesitate. “We reviewed all the human literature that was available and also some performed on sheep that improved their bone density,” she said. “In all honesty, it did not concern me about the lack of science available for horses, because I have firsthand knowledge of how costly and difficult organizing clinical trials can be.
“We have approached a major university to conduct this type of research and they explained to us that you need to reproduce the same condition in each horse, you need a large number of horses, and they must be divided into control groups. It is not a simple process, but that does not mean the technology does not work.
“I have only had one horse not like the treatment. She let us know immediately by getting on the plate, but not putting her foot down. The vet discovered a fresh fracture and the timing would have been wrong to perform the treatment. I have experienced very positive results with it for building bone, muscle soreness, and repairing fractures. It is also inexpensive, but it is important to point out this is only one form of treatment and only one part of a horse’s program.
“I think we will see very positive results continue, but we must bear in mind vibration plate therapy is not the sole cure for any injury or illness a horse may have and should be used in conjunction with other methods of treatment.”
