Vibrational therapy is a time-tested treatment that can be used to help a wide variety of conditions, but there is more than one type of vibrational therapy.
Today, the staff at Accelera is going to help you understand the difference between whole-body vibration (WBV) and wearable mechanical vibration signals.
Accelera is a groundbreaking medical device company that produces the SR-100. This innovative neurological device uses stochastic resonance technology to help patients move with greater confidence, ease, and freedom!
Let’s explore WBV and wearable mechanical vibration signals: what they are, what they can treat, and when each form of vibrational therapy might be right for you, your loved ones, or your patients.
What is Whole Body Vibration?
A whole-body vibration is a form of vibrational therapy where vibrations are administered to the entire body. Patients will sit or stand on a vibrating platform. The platform then emits vibrations at a rate of around 20 to 60 times per second.
WBV is still a relatively new technology, but the latest studies have shown that it may be helpful for treating a variety of conditions related to neurological deficits, aging, and other underlying causes.
WBV has suggested clinical applications for improving:
- Bone strength
- Pain, especially in the lower back
- Balance
- Shuffling gait
- Circulation
- Flexibility
- Stress
As such, WBV provides an alternative to electrical stimulation therapy and more invasive procedures like implanted neurostimulator devices.
While vibrational therapy is generally regarded as a form of physical therapy that is safe for everyone, WBV can be more intense, so it is not recommended for all patients.
Certain conditions, as well as pregnancy, can make WBV a risky procedure. Consult with your doctor before undergoing WBV treatment.
What are Wearable Mechanical Vibration Signals?
Wearable mechanical vibration signals apply the same principles as WBV, but they work on a smaller, more targeted scale.
While WBV is an in-office procedure, wearable mechanical vibration signal devices can be used at home as assistive technology for neurological disorders.
Wearable mechanical vibration signals are typically small vibrating devices that are placed in a wrap, band, or other accessories. Wearable mechanical vibration signals are often controlled via an external remote or smartphone application.
Because it is less intense than WBV and worn in a targeted location, wearable mechanical vibration signals are safe for all patients, and some wearable mechanical vibration signal devices are even comfortable enough to be worn every day, like Accelera’s SR-100.
Wearable mechanical vibration signals can be placed near or on the affected part of the body to address a specific issue–for example, wearing the device on the wrist to support hand function or on the ankle for a shuffling gait.
The SR-100: An Innovative Neurological Device
Accelera’s SR-100 is a wearable mechanical vibration signal device that packages stochastic resonance (SR) technology into a comfortable wrap with both clinical and personal applications.
The SR-100 leverages SR to enhance your body’s ability to perceive and understand environmental signals.
Through proprioception, our body receives information about our environment and our place within it, like knowing where our hand is without being able to see it.
However, for people with neurological deficits, these signals are often too weak to be perceived or too foggy to be understood. That’s where SR technology can help.
Stochastic resonance creates white noise–which manifests as gentle, randomized vibrations–to boost your body’s response to these signals.
SR moves neurons closer to the threshold so that they can trigger more easily, resulting in accurate, easy, and confident movement!
The SR-100 provides a noninvasive alternative to implanted neurostimulator devices and WBV that is safe for all patients.
As an assistive technology for neurological disorders, the SR-100 has been shown to improve function in people living with a wide variety of conditions, including:
- Cerebral palsy
- Stroke
- Brain injury
- Parkinson’s disease
- Neuropathy
- Sensory issues related to aging.
- balance deficits and/or high risk of falls
If you’re interested in learning how the SR-100 can improve your quality of life or that of a loved one or a patient, contact Accelera today!