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When applied to the spine, there is almost immediate relief from fatigue resulting from walking or labor, a feeling of fitness and well-being that is very agreeable taking its place. Mental fatigue, brain-fag, poor concentration, mental laziness, and such conditions are likewise relieved by spinal vibration, with perhaps head vibration given in addition.
Dilation of the stomach, prolapse of the stomach or the intestines, pendulous abdomen, and other conditions resulting from loss of muscular, ligamentous, and nervous tone are improved by vibration. Spinal curvature is benefited because of the effect of vibration in relieving congestions and improv¬ing the tone of the muscles, and also because of its stimulating effect upon the nerve-centers. It is also recommended in the treatment of cough, fainting, syncope, and belching of gas.
When applied over the abdomen, vibration has a pro¬nounced influence upon the organs contained therein. The musculature of the stomach and intestines is toned up, bowel actions become more nearly normal, and the functions of the liver are aided. Digestion, absorption, and elimination are improved, hence nutrition is made more normal. Surplus fat may be removed to some extent in certain areas, though this is by no means the best method of accomplishing such reduction.
The effect of vibration upon the chest, and of general vibra¬tion also, is to cause the respiratory movements to become deeper and fuller. This causes greater amounts of air and life-giving oxygen to be taken into the body and also causes more complete oxidation of food and body wastes. This further aids the circulation of the blood, and the supply to each organ of the body, and tends to increase the functional activity of these organs.
Vibration over the heart slows its action, but increases its force. This effect is so noticeable that the treatment has been called by some French doctors “gymnastic digitalis.” But there is no untoward effect upon the heart from the vibratory treatment, when properly given for not too prolonged a period. The heart, when subnormal in tone, is toned up and strengthened by cardiac vibration.
As regards the nervous system, vibration reduces super-sensibility, and hence certain abnormalities of sensation— paresthesias of different kinds—not due to inflammation and not aggravated by motion, are often relieved. (Paresthesia is an abnormal spontaneous sensation, such as a burning, prick¬ing, or crawling.) The aches and other discomforts of fatigue are quickly dispelled. This accounts for the feeling of rest and the refreshing effect produced by vibration. The constant tired feeling so frequently present in neurasthenia, often a toxic fatigue, almost immediately disappears after vibration to the spine, though other therapeutic agents must, of course, be employed to overcome this symptom permanently.
Head¬aches, sciatica, lumbago, and other neuralgias, heaviness in the head and a great variety of other neurasthenic symptoms yield to vibration, often more quickly than to almost any other form of treatment, except neuralgias, which usually are more quickly relieved by heat. The numerous disagreeable head symptoms often found in neurasthenia-constriction about or weight upon the head, giddiness, light-headedness, and so forth—are often very promptly relieved, though in some cases they may be aggravated unless the vibration is very gentle. In paralytic disorders vibration is valuable, since it is a form of passive exercise, the active form being denied the patient.
The chief effect of vibration is upon the circulation, the primary effect being contraction of the blood-vessels. This quickly gives way to dilation. The circulation becomes rapid tingling sensation, due to the renewed or increased flow of blood is often experienced. Because of this influence upon the circulation, and also because of the effect upon the nerves, fatigue of the muscles is usually quickly overcome.
Vibration is a shaking, a to-and-fro movement. Yet it is not “merely” that. It is an oscillation, a thrill, a movement over very confined limits. Holding a hand or foot of a patient and moving it up and down as one would a pump-handle may have some value in certain conditions, but it is not vibration. Pressing down into the abdomen and releasing, no matter how rapidly repeated, is not vibration. Vibration consists of an extremely fine tremor that reaches the deeper tissues of the patient, yet in a gentle manner, and the hands and arms and likewise the chest, shoulders, and back of the operator need to be in a state of tension or static contraction for the treat¬ment. When mechanical vibrators are used, the best effects are usually produced by a fine tremor or thrill, though the larger the area to be treated the greater may be the stroke of each vibratory movement. Also, the greater the degree of covering of the bones, either by muscular or fatty tissue, the greater, as a rule, may be the strokes. Pain or the sensitive¬ness of the patient must be carefully considered in vibro¬therapy, especially in mechanical vibrotherapy.
VIBKOTHERAPY (VIBRATION).—Vibration has a definite field in the treatment of abnormal conditions. For more than a hundred years this therapeutic agent has been employed for various effects. Peter Henrik Ling, Swedish fencing master and founder of the most thorough and scientific system of curative gymnastics (born 177(5, died 1839), was probably the first to apply vibration therapeutically. He and those who studied under him employed the hands for this purpose, and secured good results. Many masseurs and masseuses today employ hand vibration during their massage treatments. When properly given, this form of vibrotherapy is excellent. But it requires much time and attention to master the proper technique. Furthermore, it requires great endurance to con¬tinue manual vibration for a sufficient length of time to produce favorable results. Hence numerous mechanical appliances for producing vibration have been devised. These will be briefly mentioned later.
Traction is not a panacea. It is not a cure-all, nor a cure at all for most conditions. But it is a valuable adjunct to other physiotherapeutic measures. It will produce some effects that cannot be otherwise obtained. It is excellent preparatory treatment for osteopathic and other spinal manipulations, or for moderate exercise. It is especially valuable for the person who works in an abnormal position several hours a day, or in such a position or at such work as to tire the back, for it takes the kinks out of the spine better than most other measures. It is good for anyone who is tired from the day’s work, and is good for those who feel that “age is creeping on apace,” and is used frequently in the treatment of muscular cramp and wry neck.
All persons who sit or stoop while working would greatly benefit by spinal traction. In fact, there is scarcely a person who would not re¬ceive some benefit from this simple and enjoyable treatment.
But spinal traction must not be overdone, and it is easy for many people to overdo it. Gentle traction only should be used at first, partic¬ularly if the spinal cartilages, liga¬ments, and muscles are much stiff¬ened, contracted or weakened. Traction will benefit a spine having relaxed ligaments and muscles with¬out tone, but gentle traction cer¬tainly must be used in such a case. If there is a hernia, or if the abdo- men or its contained organs are prolapsed, traction should not be used without a supporter, though in some cases of simple prolapse of abdominal organs, merely drawing in the abdomen during the traction will be sufficient to protect them.
Spinal traction opens up the spaces between the vertebrae and permits the discs to receive more nutrition. Because the discs are closely attached to the vertebrae immediately above and below them, traction pulls upon the fibers of these discs and directly stretches them, tending to restore them to their normal thickness. Some people have gained from one to three or four inches in height by the regular use of traction, the gain being in increasing the thickness of these discs—which normally comprise about nine inches (one-fourth) of the average adult spine. Traction opens up the spinal circulation channels, permitting a better flow of nourishing blood to the spinal cord, thus causing it to generate and transmit better and stronger nerve-impulses. Traction helps to restore the normal forward-backward curves in the spine so necessary to prevent irritating jars to the spinal cord and brain; it helps also to restore normal posture, and to elevate the ribs and make them more flexible—a condition necessary for full vigor. It stretches the muscles of the entire trunk, and the blood-vessels in these muscles, thus serving as a valuable exercise and as a means of securing better nutrition throughout the body. It makes possible more beneficial gen¬eral exercise, by limbering up the spine. It often directly “adjusts” the spine, making spinal manipula¬tion unnecessary by taking out one-sided tensions.
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