This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

I hope this works.


MS sufferers feel the benefits of vibration trial

A trial to determine the benefits of vibration therapy for Multiple Sclerosis sufferers is having an immediate impact on participants, one stating that she could feel her feet again, and another saying the treatment left her legs tingling and buzzing like they hadn't felt in years.

Study supervisor Dr Steve Stannard says the trial was devised to see whether side-to-side alternating vibration therapy was able to assist MS sufferers, who often became unable to move their muscles normally due to damage caused in the central nervous system.

“People with MS have a neural condition which means that their brain often can't generate enough neural input to have their muscles contract and move in a fully co-ordinated way,” Dr Stannard says. “The vibration stimulus is thought to cause a reflex contraction of muscle so in MS patients this might be therapeutic - it's a way of side-stepping the brain and making the muscles contract.”

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I always wondered about these machines. And I remember someone on this site actual uses one, and finds it beneficial.

The one question that would still remain in my mind, is its comparison with other forms of exercise. I know one of the benefits of it is that the patient does not need any fine co-ordination to use the machine. I tried one at a gym. However, I use a cross-trainer and find the arm and foot points of contact provides me the required stability to exercise, and hopefully the elliptical motion mimicking walking helps also.

As I understand it, vibration trainers do work well to increase your muscle mass so I think they'd be excellent if you feel you can't quite exercise enough to stop your muscles from wasting.
I do wonder, however, if the quoted return of sensation isn't a bit of a false positive: if you've ever held electric hair clippers for any length of time you'll know how they can leave your hand and arm buzzing and tingling for a while; in the same way nettle and bee stings can easily convince you that sensation has returned. Unfortunately, it's usually a false impression caused by unusual stimulation, so perhaps this is just the same phenomenon,

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Dom

Hi guys

I have been using a vibrogym for the past 18 months.

I got the most benefit on the first few sessions but I do keep up the work - it is a good way of keeping fit and it does revitalise the parts where I have less sensation these days. It is also good as a massage on my calves which is always welcome!

I do have atrophy in my right leg though, I am hoping to keep it at bay with the regular exercise. It is hard to rebuild what is lost and be more balanced with one side weaker than the other, but I can only try!

I'd be interested to see the results, although I have my own to go by, albeit with no control group.

J.