Focal Muscle Vibration

Focal Muscle Vibration: A Powerful Clinical Tool to Improve Balance, Strength, and Agility.

Some amazing new research has shown that when a contracted muscle is vibrated at a specific frequency and intensity, it can produce long-term changes in athletic performance and balance. In an interesting study of competitive volleyball players, Brunetti et al. (1) show that the application of just 3 sessions of focal muscle vibration (FMV) applied bilaterally over contracted quadriceps muscles produced a 26% increase in muscle power and 13% increase in counter movement jump height. Even more surprising, these changes persisted for more than 6 months. Although the exact mechanism for improved performance remains unclear, most experts agree that FMV enhances output from muscle spindles, which in turn improves the synchronization and coordination between agonist and antagonist muscles producing smoother more efficient joint/muscle interactions.

FMV can be used on any muscle (Fig. 1) and ankle weights and/or elastic bands can be used to apply light resistance. The typical protocol is to have the person perform a mild 10-minute isometric contraction with the motors running, followed by a 60-second rest. This is repeated 3 times each day for 3 consecutive days. In most cases, treatments are repeated once or twice a week for the next 4 to 6 weeks and home rehabilitative stretches and exercises are encouraged during this time period. People with chronic ankle instability respond especially well to FMV over the proximal peroneus longus, while chronic rotator cuff injuries do well with FMV applied directly over a tight infraspinatus. For a full review of the benefits associated with FMV, read the full article here.

Ordering 2 of these motors allows you to test core proprioception with the focal muscle vibration test (article). When purchased as a pair, these motors come with a line splitter, a plug-in cord, and an on-off switch to start and stop the diagnostic test. Purchasing a pair also allows you to target two muscles simultaneously, which comes in handy when treating quads to improve jump height, and calves to improve balance and athletic performance.