Clinical Research

Published clinical research and presentations on the biological and medical response to vibration therapies.

Vibration therapy stimulates blood flow due to mechanical stresses of endothelial cells resulting in increased production of nitric oxide resulting in vasodilation.” Ref: Maloney-Hinds et al. The Role of Nitric Oxide in Skin Blood Flow Increases due to vibration in healthy adults and adults with type 2 diabetes. School of Medicine, Loma Linda University. Ca. USA. Diabetes technology & therapeutics. 11, 1, 2009 pg 39-43.

“Additional parameters include skin surface nerve axon reflex resulting in vasodilation and type IIa muscle fibres contraction rates respond to the vibration frequency also resulting in vasodilation”. Nakagami et al. Effect of vibration on skin blood flow in an in vivo microcirculatory model. Dept of wound care. The University of Tokyo, Japan. Bio-Science Trends 2007; 1 (3): 161-166

“Results following 10 minutes of vibration therapy. Laser Doppler studies revealed a consistent increase in blood supply.” TJ Ryan et al. The effect of mechanical forces (vibration or external compression) on the dermal water content of the upper dermis and epidermis, assessed by high frequency ultrasound“ Oxford Wound Healing Institute, Oxford. Journal of Tissue Viability July 2001 Vl 11 No3

“Mean blood flow increase was higher in the vibration group than the placebo. Improvements in local blood flow may be beneficial in the therapeutic alleviation of pain or other symptoms resulting from acute or chronic injuries” C. Button et al N. The effect of multidirectional mechanical vibration on peripheral circulation of humnas. Human Performance Centre. University of Otago New Zealand.Clinical Physiology and functional Imaging (2007) 27, p211-216.

“The study findings suggest that short duration vibration alone significantly increases lower extremity skin blood flow ; doubling skin blood for a minimum of 10 minutes following intervention” Lohman III EB et al. The effect of whole body vibration on lower extremity skin blood flow in normal subjects. Department of Physical Therapy, Loma Linda university CA, USA.  Med Sci  Monit, 2007; 13(2) 71-76

“Vibration Therapy increases soft tissue and skin circulation and Nitric Oxide production.”Maloney-Hinds et al. The Role of Nitric Oxide in Skin Blood Flow Increases due to vibration in healthy adults and adults with type 2 diabetes. School of Medicine, Loma Linda University. Ca. USA. Diabetes technology & therapeutics. 11, 1, 2009 pg 39-43.

“Vibration shown to stimulate angiogenesis and growth factors such as VEGF.” Suhr F et al. Effects of short-term vibration and hypoxia during high intensity cycling exercise on circulating level of angiogenic regulators in humans. J Appl Physiol 103:474-483, 2007. Yue Z. et al. On the cardiovascular effects of whole-body vibration I. Longitudinal effects: hydrodynamic analysis. Studies Appl Math 119:95-109. 2007.

A prolonged inflammatory phase occurs in diabetic wounds. ”Vibration vasodilation generates an indirect anti-inflammatory action mainly by suppression of nuclear factor-kβ, the key gene for inflammatory mediators.” Marvin A. Nitric Oxide is released into circulation with whole-body, periodic acceleration. Chest 2005;127;30-39.

  • Patient population –Ulcers of 8 month duration. (can be defined as hard to heal)
  • 62% of VIBRO-PULSE patients healed and of the rest all showed a 31-90% improvement in healing.
  • Total cost to treat was six times more expensive for the Compression bandage group to date. Compared to healing with VIBRO-PULSE & compression.
  • (a direct result of the quicker time to heal when using VIBRO-PULSE)
  • Conclusion of the study
  • “Using Vibro-Pulse to stimulate lower leg circulation, in combination with traditional forms of treatment, reduces healing times. It not only improves patient outcomes and quality of life by reducing pain but also significantly reduces treatment costs.”

J.M. Wilson, Y.M. Arseculeratne, Y. Yang, G.W. Cherry Healing venous ulcers with cycloidal multidirectional vibration therapy”. Oxford Wound Healing Institute. Churchill Hospital. Oxford UK. Journal of Wound Care Vol 11, No 10, November 2002.

  • Patient Population - 29 patients mean: 69 years; Average ulcer size at the start of Vibro-Pulse therapy (22 ulcers in 20 patients) was 45cm2
  • Mean ulcer duration was 107 weeks (range: 6–416 weeks).
  • Twenty-one ulcers (63%) healed completely by 15 weeks, and the remaining 12 ulcers reduced in size by 30–75%.
  • Conclusion Using Vibro-Pulse to stimulate lower leg circulation, in combination with traditional forms of treatment, reduces healing times. It not only improves patient outcomes and quality of life by reducing pain but also significantly reduces treatment costs.

Cherry G.W. Ryan T.J “Using cycloidal vibration to heal venous leg ulcers: a cost-analysis based on retrospective data”.Journal of Wound Care Vol 14, No 4. April 2005

  • Circulation stimulation to treat associated skin infection.
  • Patient population – Lower limb severe cellulitis / erysipelas and or associated with a wound.
  • Randomised controlled trial comparing standard treatment of antibiotics to antibtiotics plus Vibro-Pulse 3 x a day for 30 minutes.
  • 67% of patients receiving VIBRO-PULSE® and antibiotics. fully recovered in an average of 5.6 days. Average limb oedema reduction 6.6% day 7.
  • Compared to just 11% of cellulitis patients in an average of 6 days receiving antibiotics alone. Average limb oedema reduction 2.3% day 7.
  • a statistically significant reduction in treatment time.
  • Conclusion of the study
  • “Vibro-Pulse, in combination with traditional the form of treatment had a statistically significant reduction in healing times compared to standard treatment alone.

Johnson S, Leak K, Mostyne E, Tan P, Pillay W, Singh S, Cuschieri “Can cycloidal vibration (Vibro-Pulse) plus standard treatment reduce lower limb cellulitis treatment times? results from a randomised controlled trial. Journal of Wound Care.Vol 16 , NO4 , April 2007.

  • Circulation stimulation by vibration therapy can treat wounds due to pressure.
  • Patient population –Nonrandomized, blinded, controlled design. The subjects were hospital patients in long-term-care facilities with Stage I Pressure Ulcers.
  • A vibration stimulation was used to for 15 minutes 3 times a day for up to 7 days, until Stage I PrUs healed. The experimental and control groups received the same care, which was provided according to PrU care guidelines. The number of healed ulcers was compared between 2 groups.
  • Experimental group, 40.0% PrUs healed; in the control group, 9.5% PrUs healed. The number of healed ulcers was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group (P = .033). The healing rate was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group P = .018.
  • Conclusion of the study- Based on these results, the use of vibration therapy may facilitate the healing of Stage I PrUs.

Midori Arashi, Junko Sugama, Hiromi Sanada, et al. Vibration Therapy Accelerates Healing of Stage I Pressure Ulcers in Older Adult Patients. Advances in skin and Wound Care.

: July 2010 – Volume 23 – Issue 7 – pp 321-327

  • “Cycloidal Vibration therapy (Vibro-Pulse) combined with oral antibiotics has resulted in 13 patients being successfully treated in the community that previously would have required hospital admission for treatment. As a result, this not only prevented hospital admission, but also improved patient outcome by effective community treatment, significantly reducing treatment costs.”

Tyrer A, Thornalley C. Cycloidal vibration for the treatment of cellulitis in a community setting British Journal of Nursing, 2008, Vol 17, No 11

TJ Ryan, Y Yang,” The effect of cycloid massage on water content and blood supply on the skin in healthy legs” Oxford Wound Healing Institute, Department of Dermatology, Churchill Hospital, Oxford. British Microcirculation Society Spring Meeting Southampton 2001, University of Southampton, March 26-27th.

Cherry GW, Wilson J and Yang Y ” Improved Healing of Venous Ulcers with cycloidal vibration therapy”. Oxford Wound Healing Institute, Churchill Hospital,Oxford. Innovations in Wound Care 2001 2-4 September 2001 Cardiff UK

Cherry GW, Wilson J and Yang Y ” Improved Healing of Venous Ulcers with cycloidal vibration therapy”. Oxford Wound Healing Institute, Churchill Hospital,Oxford. European Tissue Repair Society 5-8 September 2001 Cardiff UK

Cherry GW ” Improved healing rates of Venous Ulcers with cycloidal vibration therapy” Oxford Wound Healing Institute, UK Australian Wound Management Association Conference 7-10 March 2002, Adelaide, Australia.

Cherry GW, Wilson J and Yang Y ” Improved Healing of Venous Ulcers with cycloidal vibration therapy”. Oxford Wound Healing Institute, Churchill Hospital, Oxford. UK Tissue Viability Society conference 9th-10th April 2002

Cherry GW, Wilson J and Yang Y. ” Improved Healing of Venous Ulcers with cycloidal vibrations therapy” Oxford Wound Healing Institute, Churchill Hospital, Oxford. European Wound Management Association Conference 23rd-25th May 2002. Granada, Spain.

Merritt J, Piller N, Carati C, Bridger B “Home Based Massage Pad – results of a large scale clinical trial of cycloid vibration massage for chronic primary and secondary leg lymphoedema.. Lymphoedema Assessment Clinic, Flinders University Medical Centre. Australia World Federation of Occupational Therapists Conference 23-28th June 2002. Stockholm.

J.M. Wilson, Y.M. Arseculeratne, Y. Yang, G.W. Cherry “Improved Healing of venous leg ulcers with Vibro-Pulse (Cycloidal Vibration) Therapy”.. Oxford Wound Healing Institute. Churchill Hospital. Oxford UK. 2nd World Union of Wound Societies Meeting. 8th – 13th of July 2004. Paris. France.

George W Cherry, D Phil (Oxon) and Terence J Ryan, MD, FRCP “Cost Analysis of using Cycloidal Vibration (Vibro-Pulse) to treat venous leg ulcers”., Oxford International Wound Healing Foundation, Oxford, UK. Wounds UK 2004 conference. 14th -16th of November 2004. Harrogate. UK.

George W Cherry, D Phil (Oxon) and Terence J Ryan, MD, FRCP “Cycloidal vibration (Vibro-Pulse) to enhance the healing of venous ulcers is cost effective”, Oxford International Wound Healing Foundation, Oxford, UK. Symposium on Advanced Wound Care San Diego Convention Centre, San Diego, USA. April 21 – 24th 2005.

Johnson S, Choksy S, Leake K “Cycloidal vibration (VIBRO-PULSE) to reduce the treatment time of Lower Limb Cellulitis. Preliminary results from a randomised controlled trial.. Doncaster Royal Infirmary. Doncaster. UK. European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Congress 12-15th October 2005. London

Johnson S, Choksy S, Leake K “Cycloidal vibration (VIBRO-PULSE) to reduce the treatment time of Lower Limb Cellulitis. Preliminary results from a randomised controlled trial.. Doncaster Royal Infirmary. Doncaster. UK. Wounds UK 2005 conference. 14th -16th of November 2005. Harrogate. UK.

Johnson S, Leak K, Mostyne E, Tan P, Pillay W, Singh S, Cuschieri “Can cycloidal vibration (Vibro-Pulse) plus standard treatment reduce lower limb cellulitis treatment times? results from a randomised controlled trial. 17th Conference of the European Wound Management Association. 2-4 May 2007.

Johnson S, Leak K, Mostyne E, Tan P, Pillay W, Singh S, Cuschieri “Can cycloidal vibration (Vibro-Pulse) plus standard treatment reduce lower limb cellulitis treatment times? results from a randomised controlled trial.2007 Centre of Evidence Based Dermatology Anuual Update Meeting. 10th May 2007 Holywell Park. Loughborough

Johnson S, Leak K, Mostyne E, Tan P, Pillay W, Singh S, Cuschieri “Can cycloidal vibration (Vibro-Pulse) plus standard treatment reduce lower limb cellulitis treatment times? results from a randomised controlled trial. 13th Annual Oxford-European Wound Healing Summer School 1st – 4th July 2008 St Anne’s College, Oxford University, Oxford, UK

INFLUENCE OF CYCLOIDAL VIBRATION (VIBRO-PULSE®) ON LYMPHATIC FLOW AND CHANGES OBSERVED IN LYMPHATIC VESSELS. Professor Pierre Lievens, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Head of the department of Physical Therapy, Head of the department of Medical Rehabilitation Research, Head of the department of Lymphoedema Research. Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan, 103, 1090 Brussel. tel: (00)32.2.4774528. email: plievens@vub.ac.be. Wounds UK 2008 conference.  10th -12thof November 2008. Harrogate. UK

CYCLOIDAL VIBRATION THERAPY (VIBRO-PULSE®) A PATIENT CASE STUDY. TREATMENT OF VENOUS LEG ULCERATION AND CELLULITIS. W LUKE – Tissue Viability Link Nurse. Deputy Manager, South Quay Care Home, Cowpen Road,Blyth. NE24 5TT. Wounds UK 2008 conference.  10th -12th of November 2008. Harrogate. UK

Dai M, Sugama J, Sanada H, Okuwa M, Ueyama T, Katayama M, Yamagami T, Higi K.Department of Clinical Nursing, Division of Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University. Department of Gerontological Nursing/ Wound Care Management, Division of Health Sciences and Nursing, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo. A randomized, controlled cross over trial of vibration in women with breast cancer-related lymphedema. 2nd International Lymphoedema Framework Conference, Poster 5, 2010.