Whole-body vibration

When high frequency vibrations[2] (above 50 Hz) enter through the hands, occupational safety concerns may arise.

[7][8] Workplace exposures to whole-body vibrations for long durations can lead to musculoskeletal problems of many kinds.

[9] Problems of the neck and lower back in particular can be common for operators of heavy equipment including construction, forestry, agriculture, and trucking.

Other occupations where whole-body vibrations may be present include aircraft operators, sea vessel workers, drivers of public transportation like trains and buses.

[10] Long-term exposure affecting the whole body leads to spinal degeneration (spondylosis) and increased risk of low back pain.

[15][16][17] Common modes of patient transport include hand carried stretcher (litter), ground ambulance, and air medical services which all contain multiple forms of shocks and whole-body vibrations.

[20][3] Vibration training is the deliberate exposure to the body of varying frequencies/amplitudes/forces using certain joint angles for any limited time (approximately 1 minute sets).

[22] Engineering issues came into play when an attempt was made to upgrade the test machine to support the weight of a human being.

The same technology was then used in several parabolic flight campaigns of the DLR (German Aerospace Agency) starting in 2006 where the feasibility of use of a lightweight vibration training device under microgravity conditions was demonstrated and in 2009 and 2010 where basic research on influence of microgravity on vibration training effects was investigated.

[4] A review in 2014 concluded that there is little and inconsistent evidence that acute or chronic whole body vibration could improve the performance of competitive or elite athletes.

[34] However, standing with both heels on one side of a side-alternating machine facing side-ways results in significant acceleration transmitted to the head and center of gravity of the upper body.

While this is useful it does not replace a machine whose entire plate moves up and down in a linear fashion allowing for a variety of positions and activities.