Adequate physical recovery after trauma, injury, disease, a long period of hypomobility, or simply ageing is a difficult goal because rehabilitation protocols are long-lasting and often cannot ensure complete motor recovery. Therefore, the optimisation of rehabilitation procedures is an important target to be achieved. The possibility of restoring motor functions by acting on proprioceptive signals by unspecific repetitive muscle vibration, focally applied on single muscles (RFV), instead of only training muscle function, is a new perspective, as suggested by the effects on the motor performance evidenced by healthy persons. The focal muscle vibration consists of micro-stretching-shortening sequences applied to individual muscles. By repeating such stimulation, an immediate and persistent increase in motility can be attained.
Study | Origin of the Deficit | Sbjts | FV Frequency & Amplitude | Single Application Duration & Repetition | Muscle Body Part Treated/Muscle Contraction | Tests | 1st Test and Last Test | Maximal After-Effect |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brunetti et al., 2006 [16][10] | ACL reconstruction | 30 | 100 Hz; 0.2–0.5 mm | 10 min; 3 times a day during 3 consecutive days | Quadriceps/Yes | Stability (cop area, velocity); extensor muscle peak torque | 24 h; 270 days | Reduction sway (closed eyes) -40% *; extensor peak force difference vibrated/not vibrated +25% * |
Filippi et al., 2009 [34][28] | Ageing | 60 | 100 Hz; 0.2–0.5 mm | 11 min; 3 times a day during 3 consecutive days | Quadriceps/Yes | Stability (cop area, velocity); vertical jump height; muscle power | 24 h; 90 days | Power ≈ +50% *; height ≈ +90% *; sway Area ≈ –35% * |
Pietrangelo et al. 2009 [17][11] | Ageing | 9 | 300 Hz; N.R. | 15 min; 1–3 times a week for 12 weeks | Quadriceps/No | MVC | Immediately after treatment ending; 16 weeks | MVC ≈ +51% * |
Bakhtiary et al., 2011 [37][31] | Limited hamstring extendibility | 30 | 50 Hz; N.R. | 20–60 sec; 3 times a day, 3 times a week for 8 weeks | Hamstring/no | Passive knee extension | Immediately after treatment ending | Knee extension +46% * |
Celletti et al., 2011 [18][12] | Joint hypermobility syndrome | 15 | 100 Hz; 0.2–0.5 mm | 10 min; 3 times a day for 3 consecutive days | Quadriceps/Yes | Berg balance scale | 10 and 40 days | Berg balance +27% * |
Zaho et al., 2011 [19][13] | Immobilisation | 30 | 100 Hz; 0,3 mm | 1 min; 48 times a day for 2 weeks | Soleus/No | V-wave/M-wave | Immediately after treatment ending | Soleus V/M did not change in treated individuals. Untreated showed—30.78% ** |
Brunetti et al., 2012 [35][29] | Volleyball players | 18 | 100 Hz; 0.2–0.5 mm | 10 min; 3 times a day for 3 consecutive days | Quadriceps/Yes | Explosive and reactive leg power | 24 h; 240 days | Treated group explosive leg power +26% **, reactive power +13% **; control group explosive leg power +11% *, reactive power +7.8% * |
Tankisheva et al., 2015 [22][16] | Ageing | 50 | 30–45 Hz; N.R. | 30–60 sec; 4–8 times a day for 26 weeks | Quadriceps, Gluteus maximum and medium/No | MVC | Immediately after treatment ending | Quadriceps MVC +13.84% * |
Rabini et al., 2015 [24][18] | Osteoarthritis | 50 | 100 Hz; 0.2–0.5 mm | 10 min; 3 times a day for 3 consecutive days | Quadriceps/Yes | WOMAC, SPPB. POMA | 3 and 6 months | WOMAC −30% **; SPPB +45% **; POMA +31% ** |
Celletti et al., 2015 [20][14] | Ageing | 350 | 100 Hz; 0.2–0.5 mm | 10 min; 3 times a day for 3 consecutive days | Quadriceps/Yes | POMA test | 1; 6 months | 59% of the tested individuals reached the full POMA score ** |
Brunetti et al., 2015 [36][30] | Ageing | 60 | 100 Hz; 0.2–0.5 mm | 10 min; 3 times a day for 3 consecutive days | Quadriceps/Yes | Stability (cop area, velocity); vertical jump height; muscle power | 1; 12 months | Sway −35% **; Vertical Jump + 40% **; Power + 40% ** |
Ribot-Ciscar et al., 2015 [23][17] | facio-scapulo-humeral muscular dystrophy | 9 | 80 Hz; 0.5 mm | 50 min; A total of 7 sessions, 1 every 4 days | Biceps brachialis; triceps brachialis; pectoralis major/No | Pain analogue visual scale; voluntarily shoulder abduction and flexion maximum amplitudes; MVC | Immediately after treatment ending | Pain analog visual scale, no significant changes; voluntarily shoulder abduction and flexion +20% *; MVC +41% * |
Paoloni et al., 2015 [21][15] | Foot drop | 44 | 120 Hz; 0,001 mm | 30 min; 3 times a week, for 12 weeks | Tibialis anterior, peroneus longus/N.R. | Gait analysis | 1 month | Improvements in ankle dorsiflexion, |
Pazzaglia et al., 2016 [25][19] | Charcot-Marie-Tooth 1A disease | 14 | 100 Hz; 0.2–0.5 mm | 10 min; 3 times a day for 3 consecutive days | Quadriceps/Yes | Berg Balance scale; Dynamic gait index; 6-min walking test; Muscular strength of lower limbs; Body balance; SF-36; | 1 week; 1 month | Berg Balance scale +8% *; Dynamic gait index +15% *; =6-min walking test; =Muscular strength of lower limbs; ↑Body balance (Sway path * and velocity *); =SF-36; |
Saggini et al., 2017 [27][21] | Ageing | 30 | 300 Hz; N.R. | 15 min; 2 times a week, for 6 months | Trapezius, triceps brachii, latissimus dorsi, rectus abdominis, gluteus maximus, rectus femoris, biceps femoris, and tibialis anterior/N.R. | Hand grip; knee extensores isokinetic strength; POMA test; ECOS-16 questionaire | Immediately after treatment ending | Grip +11% *; Isokinetic strength of the knee extensor +6% *; Poma Test + 5% *; Ecos-16 −17% * |
Celletti et al., 2017 [26][20] | postmastectomy recovery | 14 | 100 Hz; 0.2–0.5 mm | 10 min; 3 times a day for 3 consecutive days | Pectoralis minor and the biceps brachi/Yes | DASH; questionnaire, Body Image Scale, McGill pain questionnaire, Constant Scale, and Short Form 36 questionnaire. | Immediately after treatment ending | DASH scale −28% *; Constant scale +14% *; theMcGill pain questionnaire −23% *; ↑Short Form 36 questionnaire (=physical mental score) |
Benedetti et al., 2017 [28][22] | Ageing | 30 | 150 Hz; N.R. | 20 min; Once a day through five consecutive days, for 2 consecutive weeks | Rectus femoris, vastus medialis, and vastus lateralis | WOMAC; VAS; STAIR CLIMBING; TUG | 48 h | WOMAC −20% **; VAS −49% **; STAIR CLIMBING −13% **; TUG −11% ** |
Souron et al., 2018 [29][23] | Ageing | 17 | 100 Hz; 1 mm | 1 h; 3 times a week, for 4 weeks | Rectus femoris/No | MVC, Vertical jump performance | Immediately after treatment ending | MVC ≈ +11% *; Maximal jump heights SJ ≈ +15.2% *, CMJ ≈ +6.5% * |
Iodice et al., 2019 [31][25] | Athletes’ effects of eccentric exercise | 30 | 120 Hz; 1,2 mm | 15 min; once | Vastus intermedius, rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, gluteus maximus, biceps femoris, adductor longus and magnus | isokinetic evaluation, stabilometric test, perceived soreness evaluation | 48 h | MVC ≈ +13% ** |
Attanasio et al., 2020 [30][24] | Ageing | 30 | 100 Hz; 0.2–0.5 mm | 10 min; 3 times a day for 3 consecutive days | Quadriceps/Yes | Body balance, POMA test, TUG test | 1 week | Sway ≈ −27% *; POMA test ≈ +20% **; TUG: rotation speed ≈ +8% **; duration ≈−19% *, standing up ≈ −13% ** |
Rippetoe et al., 2020 [32][26] | Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy | 23 | 120 Hz; 1.2 mm | 10 min; 3 times a week, for 4 weeks | Tibialis anterior, quadriceps, and gastrocnemius/No | Gait Analysis | Immediately after treatment ending | ↑Gait speed *, ↑cadence *, ↑stride time *, ↑left and right stance time *, ↑duration of double limb support *, ↑left and right knee flexor moments* |
Coulandre et al., 2021 [33][27] | ACL reconstruction | 30 | 100 Hz; 1 mm | 1 h; only once | Quadriceps/No | MVC Rof force development | Immediately after treatment ending | Force decrease in vibrated subject −50% then unvibrated participants |