Improvements in Pain, Well-being, Arterial Pressure, and Lower Limb Volume Following Andullation Therapy in Healthy and Unhealthy Humans.

Abstract

Our aim was to test the effects of Andullation therapy on pain threshold, pain perception, feeling of well-being, arterial pressure, and leg volume in healthy and unhealthy patients. We used a multidirectional vibration (frequency range: 5–40 Hz; peak-to-peak amplitude: 2–8 mm; acceleration: 0.4–2 m/s2) in an undulatory way through the surface of the body when the patient was in contact with a mattress (“andullation”). The vibes traveled from the heel to the head in a random fashion while the participants (N = 50) were lying on the mattress. We measured the pain threshold using an algometer; pain perception and well-being through a visual analog scale (VAS); arterial pressure with an electronic sphygmomanometer; and leg volume with Kuhnke’s technique. Measurements were made just before the first andullation session and after the fifth andullation session. Every participant received andullation sessions of 30 min a day for 5 consecutive days. The patients’ pain threshold significantly (P < .001) increased by 34.48% and 25.79% in the lumbar and trapezius zones, respectively, after 5 sessions of therapy. The subjective perception of pain decreased by 52.3% and the feeling of well-being increased by 45.1%. The systolic and diastolic pressures significantly (P < .001) decreased by 6.44 and 4.68 mm Hg on average, respectively. Leg volume significantly decreased (P < .01) by 64.39 mL after the fifth andullation session. Despite not including a control group in our study, the andullation intervention showed an improvement in pain, well-being, arterial pressure, and lower limb volume in the studied population.