Weighted vest or vibration plate

I believe weight bearing, as in the weighted vest, will maintain strong bones, but not build bone. My understanding of the PT research is that to create new bone there has to be small fissures in the bone that the body then fills with new bone. Impact activity, and again I may be wrong, but I think it’s a jump from a height of 14 inches that will do this. Unfortunately for some of us, that may also cause compression fractures of the spine. And, again some of us don’t build bone effectively for whatever reason (metabolic, inability to absorb nutrients, genetic) so what may work for some people, like a 14” jump, may only cause a fissure and no new bone.

There does seem to be some research on vibration plates that shows benefits to muscle. Mayo Clinic has some info and there is an article from the Cleveland clinic where the author tried out various vibration plates.

“vibration throws off the way your body is used to moving, forcing it to activate small, rarely-used muscles and fire in multiple directions at once, thereby accentuating the natural muscle-building process. In that way, vibration plates also would seem to be an excellent tool for stretching and improving balance.
Even better, I could see using vibration to warm up. Stepping off the plate after each use, I felt limber and warm, ready to go. Indeed, studies show most of the performance-enhancing benefits of vibration are momentary.
Which brings me back to a sort of favorable skepticism. Not of vibration itself, but of its value. Right now, the benefits of vibration plates don’t seem to justify their cost, at least not enough to make them a must-have device.
If you’ve got the money, great. You wouldn’t be wasting it.”

Read his full article to see how he was using the plate - most benefit was during active engagement.
https://www.cleveland.com/healthfit/2011/07/vibration_plates_not_a_passive.html

Thanks for your in depth reply! I was also thinking about a trampoline. Just trying to figure out what’s best 🙂

I bought a rebounder trampoline 7 years ago when diagnosed with osteopenia in my spine. I thought it would be gentle on my joints and that I'd be a better jumper. It is gentle on the joints if you watch your form, but it makes jumping on " land" feel very leaden. To get bone benefits I think it has to be used pretty vigorously, and for a long time. This can, even with music and multiple "moves" get tedious. I usually managed about 15 -20 minutes, not probably enough. I still use it occasionally, but it now lives on its side in the garage because the floorboards in the house were starting to squeek...
I now have osteoporosis in my spine and osteopenia elsewhere. I think I recieved more cardiovascular than bone benefit, but who knows.

I’ve been considering a vibration plate even though I have slight scoliosis due to a degenerative disc. I think my good old body can handle 30hz and the lowest amp possible starting slow and working up to 10 minutes. All my life I have been athletic. I really think my diet messed me up the most. I was a vegetarian for too many years without paying attention to my protein needs.

I am still considering but right now am thinking of buying the VT007 @ vibrationtherapeutic.com. The maker of that device challenges Marodyne with his machine which can do similar vertical low vibration at 30hz but can do higher as well which makes it more versatile. He is an engineer and he developed the device which is made in Minnesota. He has an informative and very helpful website with the best information I’ve found explaining vibration plates in general and also comparing what he has developed to Marodyne and Power Plate. His device is much less expensive than Marodyne and Power Plate with a 10 year warranty and 90 day trial with free return. At least if it doesn’t work out one hasn’t lost as much money and one can return the device free of charge within 90 days. I would like to hear more about your weighted vest. If used correctly and with a safe weight I think that could help me also. My doctor said “no” but I think the doctors I deal with will say no to anything outside their realm of experience/knowledge.

@trixiegirl I get that the Marodyne is expensive and that makes other vibration plates tempting. But to my knowledge none of the other vib plates were designed with bones in mind nor studied with bones in mind. I read a paper by the VT007 maker and I could see a number of flaws in his logic and a misrepresentation of Clinton Rubin and his work. And I'm no engineer at all, just reading carefully both the VT007 guy's paper and having listened to and read Dr Rubin's work. Dr Rubin's credentials are really solid, way way beyond VT007 person being an engineer. See https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/bme/people/c_rubin.php if you're interested.

All that said I own a Marodyne and it did not seem to help me. And more importantly Belinda Beck of the LIFTMOR and VIBMOR trials has said in recent interviews that the Marodyne did not have any effect they could detect on bone density in the VIBMOR trial. Results of the trial are not yet published but she has stated this in more than one interview. Perhaps it has other good effects but at this point I would not recommend the Marodyne or any vibration plate to anyone.

The studies that have shown improvements in bone density have used intense weight training using movements like squats and deadlifts and impact from jumping (or hopping) and landing with force. My favorite examples are the LIFTMOR and related trials by Belinda Beck in Australia. I think it's also unknown if weighted vests help much. No definitive study. I'm using one with fingers crossed.
Good luck to all of us with bone loss

VT007 is MADE IN CHINA, distributed in Minnesota, I bought VT007 thinking it was made in Minnesota. I wrote a review stating it was and the owner sent me an email and corrected me.

I bought the VT007 and use it at the lowest settings. Who knows! I appreciate the honesty of the owner and found his website to be quite informative in general about vibration plates and research related to osteoporosis. He also answers questions, general and specific to VT007. Of course it’s all part of good marketing….who knows, maybe the VT007 will help me (I’m not holding my breath but at least I didn’t sink a lot of money into it).

I was looking for a made in the USA machine. This machine kept popping up. I just wish he had been more clear and not advertised that the machine is manufactured in Minnesota and then told me it was made in China. I also have the machine. I have read other reviews and seen ... now ... that say he ignores answering questions. I hope I have not made a mistake in my purchase.

If you only have osteopenia, you might want to look into OsteoBoost, the vibration belt that has FDA approval. Not sure where it is made, though.

To build new bone, there must be enough stress on the bone that actually causes tiny fissures and then your body creates new bone to heal itself. From what I’ve read, vibration plates and belts do not have this effect.

I had read physical therapy research stating that jumping from the height of a 14” block is enough to stress the bone - although it did NOT say if that was safe for people with osteopenia or osteoporosis. I don’t have that reference now, sorry.

Doing body weight exercises, strength training, weighted vests, and possibly vibration that cause the muscles to respond, all help keep existing bone strong. Estrogen helps keep bones strong. Unfortunately, that is the problem for many of us.

I think physical therapy is underused (I am an occupational therapist). A knowledgeable PT can help design the best exercises to fit a person’s individual needs. I’m not suggesting that ongoing therapy is needed, but an initial plan with some follow-up. An average person with no bone density problems can just use an athletic trainer. But a therapist is trained in BMD concerns. Choose a therapist who focuses on this area.

Starting next year, there will probably be some major disruption in medical service reimbursement, especially OT/PT. If you need something, do it now.