How Power Plate Works - Chiropractor Woodridge, IL | Call (630) 778-9000 | Accept Most Insurance

Whole-Body Vibration Speeds Up Recovery Time

If you could use a piece of equipment that allows you to increase your strength and balance in the least amount time, regardless of your conditioning level, then you would use a Power Plate or XR Vibe. The science behind whole-body vibration, (WBV) is amazing, but the impressive results is all that really matters.

Most patients feel immediate relief using whole-body vibration, and there are no long exhausting sessions.

WBV Increases the Frequency of Muscle Contractions

WBV increases the frequency of muscle contractions and induces a reflex called the “tonic vibration reflex”. This reflex induces between 95-97% of the muscle fibers to work. Most people performing conventional strength training are only using a maximum of 40% of the muscle fibers at any one time. Faster muscles contractions, instead of heavier weights, produces much less stress and strain on the joints, ligaments and other supportive tissues. Because you speed up the contraction, no long exhausting sessions are required, making WBV ideal for both conditioned and de-conditioned individuals.

Building Skeletal Muscle

Whole-body vibration changes the frequency of muscle contraction (from 30 to 50 times per second, depending on the machine setting), as opposed to applying a greater load to the muscle (for example heavier weights). Skeletal muscle is the muscle that anchors tendons to the bone and allows you to move and maintain posture. There are two ways to build skeletal

WBV Induces a Continuous Stretch Reflex

Your body is programmed with different reflexes, like blinking your eye. A deep-tendon stretch reflex occurs when an examiner taps your knee with a hammer and your leg extends one tap, one contraction. In contrast, whole body vibration therapy induces a continuous stretch reflex called the Tonic Vibration Reflex.The vibrating platform causes minute stretches within the muscles that activate this reflex. Because WBV platforms vibrate from 30-50 times per second (30-50 Hz) and in 3 dimensions, these involuntary muscle contractions occur at this accelerated rate as well. This corresponding body response also means that the deep postural and stabilizing muscles, that are difficult to rehabilitate, can be safely and effectively addressed.

When you do specific exercises on XR Vibe or Power Plate, your muscles are working much harder than normal, but in a safe and controlled manner. Using whole-body vibration equipment is an efficient method of safely and effectively rehabiliting deep stabilizing muscle tissue.