Vibrational Therapy: Discovering Balance and Wholeness in Sound
Back in 1966, the Beach Boys sang about Good Vibrations. It turns out that Brian Wilson’s mother inspired the song when she explained the theory of “cosmic vibrations” using the example of how dogs bark at some people, but not at others.
In a way, Wilson’s mother’s theory relates to the concept of vibrational therapy, or the use of good vibes to promote health and well-being.
But it’s not just a theory. Vibrational therapy has been extensively researched by medical professionals across the world. Today, it’s practiced by many accredited healthcare practitioners who understand its merits.
We’re going to do a deep dive into the world of vibrational therapy—what it is, how it works, the different types, and what it’s used to treat in the medical field.
What is vibrational therapy?
Vibrational therapy is the practice of using high-frequency sound vibrations to facilitate healthy cell production, hormonal balance, and muscular and circulation-related vitality. By using the vibrations emitted by certain sounds and frequencies, vibrational therapy can help to treat a wide variety of physical ailments.
A little history: Vibrational therapy grew to global popularity when it was used to help Russian astronauts cope with the negative impacts of gravity while in space during the 1970s.
The astronauts found that due to the exposure to gravity in space, their bones became brittle and fracture-prone. It also affected the muscles, causing weakness and poor circulation. At that point, vibrational therapy was introduced to help prevent bone loss and facilitate better blood circulation.
Vibrational therapy can be categorized into two different forms: localized and whole-bodied.
With localized vibrational therapy, a medical practitioner will target a specific area of the patient’s body with a hand-held vibrational device. This is typically used for treating isolated sections of muscle or bone in need of improved circulation or support.
Whole-bodied vibrational therapy targets the entire body rather than just one part. Your practitioner may ask you to stand, sit, or lie down on an all-encompassing vibrational platform or bed. This helps to facilitate a more full-bodied coverage, treating either the entire body or larger sections of it.
How sound can be used as a healing device
Vibrational therapy works through the use of high-frequency vibrations that cause the muscles to contract and relax at a rapid yet subliminal pace. This helps promote better blood flow and facilitates the increased production of osteoblasts—a type of blood cell that strengthens bones.
The stimuli provided by the vibrations also help to regulate hormonal production and soothe high cortisol levels.
The main health benefits of vibrational therapy include:
When used in the right way, vibrational therapy has the potential to treat an extensive variety of common ailments and illnesses.
What does vibrational therapy treat?
To gain a deeper understanding of the medical healing potential of vibrational therapy, let’s look at the numerous health benefits this unique form of therapy provides.
When the body or mind feels stressed, it’s because of a high volume of the cortisol hormone in the bloodstream. Cortisol is a powerful, naturally produced hormone that facilitates alertness, focus, and high energy. It’s also known as the “fight or flight” hormone. This hormone speeds up circulation and floods the brain with adrenaline, causing a state of anxiety or stress.
Vibrational therapy counters this state of adrenaline by regulating blood flow and promoting the production of calming, feel-good hormones like endorphins and serotonin. In the same way that exposure to red light can boost your mood, vibrational therapy can leave you feeling stress free and refreshed.
Some studies suggest that vibrational therapy can assist with the process of burning unwanted fat tissue. Especially when used in conjunction with other weight-loss practices, such as intermittent fasting, or when combined with high-intensity exercise.
This is because vibrational therapy supports two processes which are vital for losing excess fat—improved full-body circulation and the contraction-relaxation of muscles. The vibrations can also help people to perform better athletically by reducing muscle tension or soreness after a workout.
Due to the circulation-stimulating pulsations delivered through vibrational therapy, muscle soreness and tension can be effectively relieved. By forcing the muscles to contract, relax, contract, relax at a rapid pace, they are fed with more oxygen, which helps disrupt painful physical tension.
This can be particularly useful for people who engage in a highly active lifestyle, or those who are prone to muscle tightness and pain. Vibrational therapy is often used in relation to sports massage.
Increased flexibility is another useful by-product of vibrational therapy. By reintroducing a healthy flow of blood throughout the body, the vibrations emitted by specialized therapeutic devices can help the body’s muscles relax and lengthen when stretched.
People who want to tone and lengthen their muscles often use vibrational therapy to help expedite the flexibility-enhancing process. Whether you are a ballerina who stretches on a daily basis or an IT developer who sits at a desk all day, vibrational therapy can help promote better mobility.
Different from the heart, the lymphatic system relies on voluntary physical movement to stay vital. Without enough physical activity, the lymphatic system can become blocked with lymph, causing painful inflammation in the armpits, neck, and groin area.
Poor lymphatic circulation is common in people over the age of 50. Vibrational therapy can help to unblock swollen lymph nodes and improve overall circulation in the body for increased energy and functionality.
To maintain strong, healthy bones, the body needs to produce a certain volume of osteoblasts. Osteoblasts are critical for bone repair, strength, and breakage resistance. People who are prone to osteoporosis (weak, brittle bone structure) can hugely benefit from vibrational therapy in this regard.
The pulsation of sound vibrations used in vibrational therapy allows for more efficient production of osteoblasts, providing a more supportive environment for bones to develop.
Final Thoughts
Vibrational therapy has been used for decades as an effective treatment for a variety of different circulatory, muscular, bone health, and hormonal disorders.
Using powerful sound vibrations and carefully targeted pulsations, medical professionals from all over the world can treat common physical ailments. With the power of sound, vibrational therapy can bring both balance and wholeness to the body.