Does vibration benefit delayed-onset muscle soreness?: a meta-analysis and systematic review

Abstract

Objective Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a symptom of exercise-induced muscle injury that is commonly encountered in athletes and fitness enthusiasts. Vibration is being increasingly used to prevent or treat DOMS. We therefore carried out a meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of vibration in patients with DOMS. Method We searched nine databases for randomized controlled trials of vibration in DOMS, from the earliest date available to 30 May 2018. Visual analogue scale (VAS) and creatine kinase (CK) levels were set as outcome measures. Results The review included 10 identified studies with 258 participants. The meta-analysis indicated that vibration significantly improved the VAS at 24, 48, and 72 hours after exercise, and significantly improved CK levels at 24 and 48 hours, but not at 72 hours. Conclusion Vibration is a beneficial and useful form of physiotherapy for alleviating DOMS. However, further studies are needed to clarify the role and mechanism of vibration in DOMS.

Comparison of Interventional Strategies to Improve Recovery after Eccentric Exercise-Induced Muscle Fatigue

“…Different techniques have shown certain positive effects in the recovery process, with proven effects such as reduction of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), maintenance of sports performance, reduction of pain and many others [ 2 ]. These include manual therapy (MT) [ 3 ], mechanical vibration (MV) [ 4 ] or the foam roller (FR) [ 5 ].…”

“…Indeed, massage has been shown to prevent and decrease muscle pain [ 7 ]. While MT is the most traditional technique, other treatments such as MV have recently shown positive effects on muscle recovery, particularly in reducing DOMS [ 8 ] and reducing serum creatine kinase concentrations [ 4 ]. Thus, MV is now considered a therapeutic intervention technique for muscle recovery.…”

Whole-body vibration decreases delayed onset muscle soreness following eccentric exercise in elite hockey players: a randomised controlled trial

“…It has been proposed that vibration may optimise muscle performance by synchronising motor unit activity and increasing blood flow and that this may prevent mechanical sarcoma disruption and in turn reduce DOMS [ 26 – 28 ]. The overall picture is encouraging, with meta-analysis finding vibration effective for prevention or treatment of DOMS [ 29 , 30 ]. Therapies studied include those provided before [ 31 – 36 ] and after [ 9 , 20 , 35 , 37 – 49 ] exercise; in athletes [ 36 , 49 ], untrained [ 9 , 31 – 35 , 37 , 38 , 40 , 42 , 45 , 47 , 48 ] and recreationally active [ 20 , 39 , 41 , 43 , 44 , 46 ] participants; and using local vibration [ 20 , 31 , 32 , 34 , 35 , 37 , 38 , 40 , 45 , 48 , 49 ] and WBV [ 9 , 33 , 36 , 39 , 41 – 44 , 46 , 47 ].…”

<p>Immediate Effect of Local Vibration Therapy for Sport-induced Fatigue Based on Traditional Chinese Medicine’s Holistic Theory</p>

“…Reports on vibration stimulation can be characterized as whole-body vibration and local vibration, the former is more commonly used than the latter, and together they provide multifrequency and multiamplitude vibration modes. 4,5 Further, a study showed that whole body vibration is positively associated with delayed onset of muscle soreness and decreased athletic performance ability, 6 as well as increased muscle strength and muscle fatigue relaxation both during and after excises or training. 7,8 However, strong evidence for these reported outcomes remains limited by insufficient sample size and study designs.…”