Vibroacoustic stimulation: Difference between revisions

{{Fringe theories|date=December 2013}}

{{COI|date=December 2013}}

'''Vibroacoustic Stimulation (VAS)''', also called '''Vibroacoustic Therapy (VAT)''' or '''Physioacoustic Therapy''', is a sound therapy form from Scandinavia in which, pulsed low sound frequencies in the range of 30 Hz- 120 Hz are transmitted directly into body using bass transducers that are embedded inside mattress, bed, zero gravity chairs, lounge, pillow, yoga mat, meditaion pillow etc.<ref>Skille, Olav. "Manual of Vibroacoustics". Levanger, Norway: ISVA Publications, 1991.</ref> The bass transducers convert the low sound frequencies into vibrations and create inner body massage to organs, tissues and cells.<ref>Nayyar, Anjum. "Good vibrations: using sound to treat disease". University of Toronto News, May 4, 2012. [http://www.news.utoronto.ca/good-vibrations-using-sound-treat-disease]</ref> It was first developed in the 1980s by the Norwegian teacher, Olav Skille. Many studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of vibroacoustic stimulation in healing soft-tissue wounds; suppressing inflammatory responses at the cell membrane level to alleviate pain, and increasing range of motion. The value of vibroacoustic stimulation has been shown to cover a wide range of conditions, with well documented trials carried out by hospitals, universities and other practitioners. Recently Olav Skille defined VAT and VAS as - Direct transfer of sound sinusoidal frequencies (between 30 Hz and 120 Hz) to living tissue.<ref>Skille, Olav. "VAS’s unique life element". VIBRAC center, Jyväskylä University, Finland, 2013.</ref> <ref>Dileo, C. "Music Vibration and Health". New Jersey; Jeffrey Books. Eklund, G. and Hagbarth, K.E. "Motor effects of vibratory muscle stimuli in man. EEG and Clinical", 1965.</ref><ref>Wigram, A. (1993) The Feeling of Sound – The effect of music and low frequency sound in reducing anxiety in challenging behaviour in clients with learning difficulties. In Payne, H. (Ed.) Handbook of Enquiry in the Art Therapies, ‘One River, Many Currents’. London: Jessica Kingsley Publications.</ref><ref>Wigram, T. (1996) The Effects of Vibroacoustic Therapy on Clinical and Non-clinical Populations. Unpublished PhD Thesis, London University.</ref><ref>Wigram, T. (1997a) The Effect of VA Therapy on Multiply Handicapped Adults with High Muscle Tone and Spasticity. In Wigram, T. and Dileo, C. (Eds.) Music Vibration and Health. New Jersey: Jeffery Books.</ref><ref>Wigram, T. (1997b) Vibroacoustic Therapy in the Treatment of Rett Syndrome. In Wigram, T. and Dileo, C. (Eds.) Music Vibration and Health. New Jersey: Jeffery Books.</ref>

The inventor Olav Skille experimented Vibroacoustic Stimulation and documented his findings in various published works, the largest being his Manual of Vibroacoustics. He found that Vibracoustic Stimulation was beneficial for a variety of medical conditions and symptoms including pain, autism, cystic fibrosis, cerebral palsy, asthma, constipation, insomnia and Parkinson’s disease etc.<ref>Skille, Olav. "Manual of Vibroacoustics". Levanger, Norway: ISVA Publications, 1991.</ref>

Three possible explanations for the positive effects of vibroacoustic stimulation are the following:

1. Vibroacoustic stimulation trigger the relaxation response with benefits for pain and symptom reduction as well as tension, fatigue, headache, nausea, and depression. <ref>Patrick G. The effects of vibroacoustic music on symptom reduction: inducing the relaxation response through good vibrations. "IEEE Eng Med Biol". March/April 1999:97–100.</ref>

2. Stimulation of the Pacinian corpuscle at frequencies between 60 Hz and 600 Hz creates neuronal inhibition of pain.<ref>Chesky KS, Michel KE. The music vibration table (MVT): developing a technology and conceptual model for pain relief. "Music Ther Perspect".

1991;9:32–37.</ref>

3. Vibration may assist in cellular cleansing mechanisms with possible positive effects on health and illness.<ref>Skille O. The effect of music, vocalization and vibration on brain and muscle tissue: studies in vibroacoustic therapy. In: Wigram T, Saperston B, West R, eds. "The Art and Science of Music Therapy": A Handbook. Amsterdam: Harwood Academic Press; 1999:245–291.</ref>

Vibroacoustic Stimulation is practiced in many different countries and research has established it as a useful therapeutic treatment for many conditions. Physical vibrations of low

frequency sine tone are felt in the body. Olav Skille wrote, the body receives an internal massage and therapeutic benefit.

Butler studied patients undergoing open heart surgery and found that post-operative use of Vibroacoustic Stimulation significantly reduced the time over which patients required respiration on a ventilator in Coronary Care Unit. Overall length of hospital stay was decreased from 9 days to 5 days.<ref>Butler, C. and Butler , C.J. "Physioacoustic Therapy with Cardiac surgery patients". 1997.</ref>

== History ==

Sound vibrations are used in many medical applications. Frequencies in the sonic range are used for ultrasound imaging, in lithotripsy to shatter kidney stones and for the treatment of tissue contractures. Chiropractors use low frequency vibrations for muscle and joint pain. Acupuncturists apply pulsed microcurrents to increase effectiveness of treatment.<ref>Hooper J, Lindsay B. The use of the Somatron in the treatment of anxiety problems with clients who have learning disabilities. In: Wigram T, Dileo C, eds. "Music Vibration and Health". Cherry Hill, NJ: Jeffrey Books; 1997:169–176.</ref>

The science of vibroacoustics has expanded many of the principles used in these therapy forms to produce whole-body sound vibration for health benefits including relaxation and pain management. Use of sound vibrations for health emerged nearly simultaneously in the United States and Scandinavia between 1970-1980s. Olav Skille, a Norwegian educator and therapist, developed a vibroacoustic chair in the early 1980s using low frequencies 30Hz-120Hz for vibroacoustic stimulation.<ref>Boyd-Brewer C, Coope V. Effectiveness of vibroacoustic music for pain and symptom management in outpatient chemotherapy treatment. Proceedings of the First International Institute on the Arts in Healing; May 16–17; 2003; Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL.</ref>

Skille had experimented with vibroacoustic stimulation for use in a variety of health issues. Petri Lehikoinen, a researcher and lecturer of music therapy and special education at Helsinki University, designed a vibroacoustic system called psychoacoustics. Psychoacoustics uses a

rhythmically pulsed low frequency sound programmed through a computer to resonate in

specific areas of the body.<ref>Lehikoinen P. "The physioacoustic method". In Wigram T, Dileo C, eds. "Music Vibration and Health". Cherry Hill, NJ: Jeffrey Books; 1997:209-216.</ref>

In the United States, Byron Eakin completed development of vibroacoustic equipment in 1985 and continues to successfully distribute many models, including vibroacoustic recliners, mattresses and mattress overlays. The numerous equipment configurations have made the equipment practical in a variety of medical settings. These designs are full-frequency music models using a single sound source and play music using a wide range of frequencies.

Chesky designed a music vibration table in the late 1980s to deliver measured vibrations and monitor the frequencies and amplitudes received at specified areas of the body. Research has been conducted with this quantified mechanical vibration (QMV) design, but it

is not available commercially. Additional vibroacoustic models have been developed and new

ones are emerging onto the market but, at this time, the Eakin’s models are the most widely used and available worldwide.<ref>Chesky KS, Michel DE, Kondraske G. "Developing methods and techniques for scientific and medical application of music vibration". In:

Spintge R, Dron R, eds. Music Medicine. Vol 2. St Louis: MMB Music; 1996:227–241.</ref>

Research in vibroacoustic stimulation and its applications have demonstrated that this non-pharmacological, non-invasive therapy reduces pain and symptoms of diseases, induces relaxation and assists in rehabilitative processes.

==Public awareness==

Use for vibroacoustic stimulation to remedy a wide range of various diseases and illness is not commonly known by general medical doctors because it is still not currently part of the standard curriculum offered by medical universities in North America. The general public learns about this form of therapy via the Internet when looking for alternatives to pharmaceuticals, surgery and radiation. Vibroacoustics Stimulation is a noninvasive, safe therapy that has demonstrated ability to decrease pain, reduce anxiety, reduce the symptoms of illness and generally promotes health in many patients. The vibroacoustic stimulation environment uses pure sound and vibration to create a restful surrounding that can distract patients from discomfort of their illnesses. In addition, vibroacoustic stimulation engages the mind and change blood pressure, breathing rate and heart rate with benefits to patients' physical and emotional state. Health professionals can advocate for the introduction of vibroacoustic stimulation in areas where this type of therapy might be useful for their patients.<ref>Standley JM. The effect of vibrotactile and auditory stimuli on perception of comfort, heart rate and peripheral finger temperature. "J Music Ther". 1991;28(3):120–134.</ref><ref>Walters C. The psychological and physiological effects of vibrotactile stimulation via a Somatron on patients awaiting scheduled gynecological surgery. "J Music Ther". 1996;33(4):261–287.</ref><ref>Vincente P, Manchola F, Serna E. The use of vibroacoustics in idiopathic of music Parkinson’s disease. In: Wigram T, Saperston B, West R, eds. The Art and 25. "Science Therapy: A Handbook". Amsterdam: Harwood

Academic Press; 1997.</ref><ref>Boyd-Brewer C. Vibroacoustic therapy: sound vibrations in medicine. "J Altern Complement Ther". 2003;9(5):257–263.</ref><ref>Wigram T. The feeling of sound—the effect of music and low frequency sound in reducing anxiety in challenging behavior in clients with learning difficulties. In: Payne H, ed. "Handbook of Enquiry in the Arts Therapies". London: Jessica Kingsley Publications; 1993:177–197.</ref><ref>Wigram T. The effects of vibroacoustic therapy on clinical and non-clinical population [unpublished doctoral dissertation]. London: St. George’s Medical School, London University; 1996.</ref>

{{reflist|2}}

==External links==

*[http://quadrillo.tripod.com/VAT/e_manual-2.html VAT e-Manual]

*[http://quadrillo.tripod.com/VAT/tonyphd.html THE EFFECTS OF VIBROACOUSTIC THERAPY ON CLINICAL AND NON-CLINICAL POPULATIONS]

*[http://www.cyrox.ca/olav.html VAS Unique Life Element - Olav Skille (updated 29 Oct 2013)]

*[http://www.cyrox.ca/george.html Success Leaves Clues - George Plytas (updated 03 Dec 2013)]

*[http://www.thesoundtherapycentre.com/vibroacoustic-therapy.html Vibroacoustic Therapy - Dr. Lili Naghdi (updated 2013)]

*[http://www.scribd.com/doc/7691376/ VibroAcoustic Therapy Sound Vibrations in Medicine]

*[http://www.scribd.com/doc/7691317/ VibroAcoustic Therapy Info Sheets]

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