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Vibration


Vibratory sense is an extremely important input from the body to the brain. We need an intact sense of vibration and proprioception (position sense) to be able to walk upright, establish motor memory for repetitive tasks and provide balance. Every step we take sends vibration signals to the spinal cord and brain, used to establish and maintain normal reflex arcs, allowing the body, spinal cord and brain to make dynamic adjustments to movement, without conscious intervention.

Sound perception is dependent on very fine vibration of the tympanic membrane and subsequent vibration of the ligaments, bones and nerve endings in the ear. Thus vibration links exteroception (perception of the external world), interoception (perception of internal experience of the body) and proprioception (perception of body parts in space). This sensation has a profound effect upon neuroplasticity.

As noted in the Research section on sound, we developed an approach using low frequency sounds rhythmically oscillating at 0.33, 0.5, 1.0 and between 1.3 to 2.7 hz to see if we could induce Long Term Depression (LTD) in pain circuits perpetually firing with or without a peripheral stimulus due to Long Term Potentiation (LTP). To this end we decided to apply the vibration associated with the same sounds on or near painful areas of the body. Early data shows a synergy between sound and vibration for reduction of pain.

We studied over 100 cases and saw significant reduction of pain, induction of pleasure and reduction of stress using vibration and sound together. We have developed 9 prototype devices to demonstrate this principle with a high level of success. Future studies are planned to include randomized, controlled trials of these sounds alone, these sounds and their vibrations and random sounds and vibration, to study their effect upon pre and post stimuli pain scales. We will also study functional imaging before and after sound and vibration to see if we can detect any significant change in pain circuits, hedonic circuits, release of GABA and other pleasure chemistry.

© 2015 Michael Moskowitz, Marla Golden Contact