Vibroacoustic Therapy Research Articles

The use of vibroacoustic therapy in patients after surgical treatment of Dupuytren’s contracture

The use of vibroacoustic therapy in patients after surgical treatment of Dupuytren’s contracture

Contemporary Vibroacoustic Therapy: Perspectives on Clinical Practice, Research, and Training

Vibroacoustic therapy (VAT), traditionally considered to be a physical and receptive type of music therapy intervention, uses pulsed, sinusoidal, low-frequency sound on a specially designed bed or chair. Today VAT is viewed as a multimodal approach, whereby the therapist works with the client’s physiological and psychological experiences, incorporating a mind–body approach. This article provides current knowledge in clinical practice emphasizing the systematic and documented implementations of VAT. This includes presentation and explication of the key elements of VAT, assessments, treatment plans and procedures, documen- tation, and evaluation of the treatment with recommendations for follow-up care in health and rehabilitation. Recent research is presented, and directions for future research are considered. Applicable views on clinical training and required competencies are outlined.

Contemporary Vibroacoustic Therapy: Perspectives on Clinical Practice, Research, and Training

Contemporary Vibroacoustic Therapy: Perspectives on Clinical Practice, Research, and Training

Effects of Vibroacoustic Therapy on Elderly Nursing Home Residents with Depression

Effects of Vibroacoustic Therapy on Elderly Nursing Home Residents with Depression

Autonomic Responses to Music and Vibroacoustic Therapy in Rett Syndrome

We investigated the influence of music and vibroacoustic therapy (VT) on the autonomic nervous system in persons with Rett syndrome (RTT) at the Swedish Rett Centre in Ostersund because professionals and families alike often claim that music plays a very important role in the lives of these people. The families even claim that they sometimes use music as "medicine" to calm down the Rett persons when nothing else seems to help. We studied 21 persons with RTT in the years 2003 and 2004. These were patients coming to the Rett Centre for routine brainstem assessment. The control status was the subject's own baseline autonomic function during rest. Subjects were stimulated using horn music, calming and activating music, then VT and VT with calming music embedded in it. The results show that it was possible to measure responses to music and VT within this group. These responses were unique for different stimuli. The horn music caused physiological arousal, activating music caused sympathetic response, and calming music caused parasympathetic response in our subjects. We also learned that observation of behaviours alone might be misleading and may not represent the autonomic responses accurately. It was also impossible to predict responses to different kinds ofmusic. For example, each patient had different and unique calming music. We concluded that music and VT have measurable effects on brainstem autonomic functions in persons with RTT. The effects are diverse and difficult to detect by observation of behaviours alone therefore would require formal and clinical monitoring of brainstem autonomic functions. This presents a new area for further research. We particularly hope that a clear understanding of the diverse effects of music and VT on autonomic functions will be helpful when forming the bases of rational uses of music in clinical management of persons with RTT.

Evaluation of a multi-component approach to cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT) using guided visualizations, cranial electrotherapy stimulation, and vibroacoustic sound

This pilot study examines the use of guided visualizations that incorporate both cognitive and behavioral techniques with vibroacoustic therapy and cranial electrotherapy stimulation to form a multi-component therapeutic approach. This multi-component approach to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) was used to treat patients presenting with a range of symptoms including anxiety, depression, and relationship difficulties. Clients completed a pre- and post-session symptom severity scale and CBT skills practice survey. The program consisted of 16 guided visualizations incorporating CBT techniques that were accompanied by vibroacoustic therapy and cranial electrotherapy stimulation. Significant reduction in symptom severity was observed in pre- and post-session scores for anxiety symptoms, relationship difficulties, and depressive symptoms. The majority of the clients (88%) reported use of CBT techniques learned in the guided visualizations at least once per week outside of the sessions.

Vibroacoustic sound therapy improves pain management and more.

Vibroacoustic therapy is a new sound technology that uses audible sound vibrations to reduce symptoms, invoke relaxation, and alleviate stress. This technology is developed based on the recognition that external vibration can influence body function. Research demonstrates the effectiveness of vibroacoustic therapy. Implications for nurses include investigating the possibilities of vibroacoustic therapy in various nursing settings to promote patient well-being and improve the therapeutic environment.

The Experience of Vibroacoustic Therapy in the Therapeutic Intervention of Adolescent Girls

A qualitative approach was used to study the therapeutic intervention based on vibroacoustic therapy (treatment method based on the combined effect of music and low frequency sound vibrations), to which other methods (mood assessment, drawing) had been added according to the therapy plan. The participants were ten girls aged 15-18 with heightened anxiety combined with low self-esteem and/or body image problems. The principles of grounded theory were used to study the experience of the girls and the outcome of the intervention. Three categories describing the meaning of the therapy process emerged in the girls' interviews: “balancing self-discovery,” “tension release,” and “interesting and beneficial experience.” Vibroacoustic therapy can be considered as an important therapy component useful for enhancing coping ability through fulfilling the bodily needs for relaxation, improving self-knowledge through physical selfawareness, and giving peaceful time for reflection.

The Psychophysiological Effects of Music and Vibroacoustic Stimulation

Vibroacoustic therapy is a treatment method based on the combined effects of music and low frequency sound vibration. The aim of this study was to find out about possible differences between the effects of music alone and vibroacoustic therapy on healthy people. The study was carried out in two series of trials performed according to a repeated measure, within-group design counterbalancing three main conditions — music, vibroacoustic therapy (the same music combined with pulsed low frequency sound), and silence (no stimulation). Following analysis of physiological measurements the results showed significant decreases in blood pressure, pulse rate, muscle oscillation frequency (m. tibialis anterior and m. trapezius) independent of the conditions and sound intensity levels. Clear differences occurred in the case of subjective feeling of health and comfort, measured by bipolar scales of adjectives constructed for the current experiment according to a semantic differential method, when conditions with music and vibroacoustics were compared to silence. There is also some evidence that vibroacoustics may have a wider influence on feelings of health and comfort when compared with music alone. The current study also demonstrated that women can perceive a wider spectrum of change in their subjective status of health and comfort than men in the vibroacoustic therapy condition. Keywords: Music, Vibroacoustic Therapy, Low frequency sound vibration, Blood pressure, Pulse rate, Muscle tone. Perceived health and comfort, Therapy.

An Introduction to Vibroacoustic Therapy and an Examination of its Place in Music Therapy Practice

Vibroacoustic (VA) therapy transmits to the body pre-recorded music, or pre-recorded music combined with sinusoidal low frequency sound, through loud speakers built into a chair, table or bed unit. The development of VA therapy has not been confined to one country or one product and, after examining the theoretical background to VA therapy, the author describes four VA systems. In Europe, music therapy is traditionally seen as a process which develops from an ‘active’ musical relationship. In contrast VA therapy is a ‘receptive’ intervention. The author discusses completed and on-going research with VA equipment, and concludes by asking – is VA therapy music therapy? He suggests that the principles of VA therapy can inform active music-making.

Vibroacoustic Therapy: The Therapeutic Effect of Low Frequency Sound on Specific Physical Disorders and Disabilities

This article traces the early development of vibroacoustic therapy, and some of the theoretical basis for its use in a treatment procedure. It describes some of the initial work in the Scandinavian countries, gives examples of the type of problems that low frequency sound and music have been particularly effective in treating, and puts into perspective the use of music and sound as a physically effective means of treating people in comparison with the interactive forms of intervention commonly used by music therapists. Much of the case material described in the article (Norwegian and English) is anecdotal. In the latter section of this paper, current research is described.