Whole Body Vibration Therapy Session
Sessions are designed for various outcomes. Most music selections are 20 minutes long to induce the relaxation response without causing the client to fall into deep sleep.
Vibroacoustic/Full Body Vibration Therapy have different influences on physiological processes within each individual’s body. Therefore each individual will experience a unique response, allowing a NexNeuro session to be used as a quality and positive therapy for stress and anxiety.
All sessions are composed specifically for use with the nexNeuro System with a mixture of tones, frequencies and binaural beats to stimulate the natural healing capabilities within the body.
Session Therapy Procedure
Current procedures in VA therapy are varied and there are, at present, no specific guidelines governing the application of this form of therapy. As the research to date has been somewhat limited, there are also limited indicators in terms of which patient populations are not likely to benefit. However, there is some evidence of which condition it can be most helpful.
The development of VA therapy within a National Health Service hospital has necessitated some defined process or procedure by which people undertake therapy. The process by which patients are treated with VA therapy is now more defined.
The process of these sessions can be defined in five stages:
- Pre-session preparation
- Introduction
- Starting the session
- Monitoring the session
- Ending the session
Pre-Session Preparation
As part of the preparation for any therapy session with vibroacoustic equipment, the bed or chair needs to be carefully prepared for session. The therapy is adversely affected if there are interruptions during the course of the session, so preparation is important. With physically handicapped individuals, you must ensure that the correct amount of support with pillows or wedges is available. The room needs to be comfortable and the position in which the person is going to lie or sit needs to be quiet, without obvious visual stimulation and well prepared. The equipment should be turned down to zero. Starting at zero is important, as if a vibroacoustic session is started with the volume turned up, individual will be subjected to a sudden jolt of sound when the music begins, and perhaps an uncomfortable boost of sound from the low frequency tone. The sound stimulus should be introduced gradually.
Introduction
If this is the first time an individual is receiving VA therapy, an explanation will need to be given as to what is going to happen. The person must need reassurance that he or she has control over what is happening and that if the stimulus is uncomfortable or irritating, he or she can get off the unit. With individuals who are severely handicapped or profoundly mentally ill, this reassurance period still needs to happen and the tone of voice and the words used can set the scene and create the environment for a successful session. People trust the caregiver to treat them and need to be reassured. Creating the right environment for the beginning of the session is an important part of the process.
Starting the Session
With vibroacoustic equipment the stimulus must be started gradually and increased carefully to a point which seems to be the most effective level of intensity of the stimuli for the individual. It is important to allow a short period of response only to music, then to gradually increase vibration frequencies. Experience has shown that some of the non-clinical population trying this equipment has initially wanted the stimulus quite strongly and they ask for the volume or intensity to be increased. After a period of session, around ten minutes, it is important to check whether the intensity of the stimulus is too strong. At the beginning of a session, the low frequency tone can appear gentle and innocuous. However after some time it is often perceived to be exerting a strong influence. Therefore, until the caregiver has established what the optimum session intensity is for each patient, a period of evaluation needs to take place. Even then, it cannot be expected that the individual would respond the same every time they receive a session. On some days, they may need a greater or a lesser intensity, depending on psychological or physiological state. It is not a precise science and no specific instructions can be given as to what intensity should be experienced by the individual.
Monitoring the Session
This varies depending on the individual. During the course of the session, the caregiver may stay in the room in an unobtrusive way, to give a feeling of reassurance and comfort. However, for other individuals, it can equally be more appropriate that the caregiver should leave the room for the person to have privacy and no distractions during the session. With more handicapped or mentally ill individuals, it is necessary to maintain an observation of the person during the course of the session. It is important that the individual does not feel they are being 'watched', as this is a passive form of therapy. Therefore, it is better if the caregiver can sit unobtrusively and appear not to be observing the individual.
In order to evaluate the responses of people who are not able to verbalize their responses, some observation of facial expression and body movement will be necessary to check whether the individuals are experiencing discomfort or a reaction against this therapy.
Ending the Session
At the end of the session the relationship between the individual and the caregiver will be important. Frequently, during VA therapy, individuals may go into quite a deep state of relaxation. They may fall asleep and possibly dream, and they may feel vulnerable at the end of the session. Patients can move into an altered state of consciousness, and will need the caregiver for reassurance, guidance and support.
At the end of the session there will be a need to make some evaluation of the response of the individual. With physically handicapped patients this may include some physical manipulation in order to check the significance of any improvement or lack of improvement.
It may take a little time before the individual can be active after a VA therapy session. Experience was shown that some people need to rest for two or three minutes after a session. When they get up off the unit, sitting or standing, they need to have a good stretch and move around, as they may do after a deep sleep. Experience and research has shown that there may be reductions in heart rate and muscle tone during VA therapy, and sometimes also reductions in blood pressure, more than might be expected from thirty minutes lying down, and it might take the patient a little time to come out of such a deeply relaxing state.
Sometimes a person can be a little emotional after a session, needing comfort and taking some time on the bed or chair to 'recover' from a deep state he or she may have reached. The caregiver needs to pay attention to the needs of the person at this time, but also to take care not to talk too much or to demand too much of the individual.
Summary
Session procedures will vary depending on the patients who are being treated. The period of time for which people are treated using VA therapy varies. Recommended sessions may vary between twenty minutes and sixty minutes. There is no research on the effective or optimum length of time for the session. This brief period of time for relaxation in various approaches, including progressive relaxation (PR) progressive relaxation with music (PRM), intermediate relaxation (IR), intermediate relaxation with music (IRM), mental relaxation (MR) and self-relaxation (SR) has proven effective.
The relaxation response brings about decreased muscle tension, a lowered heart rate and blood pressure, a deeper breathing pattern, calming of the stomach, and a peaceful, pleasant mood.
Session Benefits may include, but are not limited to:
- Non-invasive Brain Stimulation
- Sensation of Complete Relaxation/Peacefulness
- Full and Peaceful Night’s Sleep
- Relief from Aching/Twitching Muscles
- Mental Clarit
- A feeling of being refreshed
- A feeling of being recharged
- State of Induced Relaxation
- Heightened State of Mental Awareness
- Increased mobility
- A regained Sense of Hope