Key Practical Points from Effects on Local Vibration
- Pre-exercise local vibration reduces functional signs and chemical markers of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and may improve performance in subsequent frequent workouts.
- Local vibration is effective for reducing acute muscle pain (and can be added to a home program via the devices like the Hypervolt by Hyperice® or similar devices).
- Local vibration alone may be sufficient to increase strength in deconditioned muscles/individuals.
- Current research implies that adding vibration to self-administered release techniques (SMR) (e.g. foam rolling) enhances benefits for DOMS, pain pressure sensitivity, and increasing proprioception. Further research is needed to refine protocols and determine whether adding vibration to SMR enhances benefits for increasing range of motion and improving power performance when used as a warm-up.
Protocol for Using Percussion Massage Device
- Start with a higher setting and superficially (with gentle pressure) trace the entire surface of the muscle.
- Setting 3 is likely appropriate for the lower body.
- Take a mental note of dense or sensitive points. Manual therapists may use the opposite hand to palpate for taut bands and nodules (trigger points).
- Stay away from areas where the bone is superficial. Using percussion massage devices over bone may be uncomfortable, painful, and/or cause bruising. Placing a finger or thumb over bony protuberances will prevent accidental contact.
- Using a piece with a smaller surface area and lower setting (setting 1), return to the dense/sensitive points using deeper compression.
- It may be helpful to add tension or slack by shortening or lengthening the target tissue
- The Brookbush Institute recommends 30 seconds to 2 minutes per muscle group, and 5 minutes as an upper limit even in the case of multiple trigger points.
Best Body Position:
- Prone position with feet and ankles off the end of the table.
Bony Areas: (Block with a thumb or finger when approaching these areas)
- Lateral and medial condyles of the femur
Muscles:
- Gastrocnemius muscles are superficial, extending from the knee down to about 1/3rd the length of the lower leg. Approximately half soleus lies deep to the gastrocnemius , but the lateral edges of the proximal half of the muscle can be palpated, as well as the distal half which is not covered by the gastrocnemius . Both the fibers of the gastrocnemius and soleus course vertically to invest in the Achilles tendon.
- Common trigger points - Gastrocnemius trigger points are in the middle of the muscle bellies of the medial and lateral head. Soleus trigger points occur just medial the fibular head, and in the middle of the muscle belly, between the distal ends of the heads of the gastrocnemius .
