Has anyone used the Marodyne device to stimulate bone growth?
You stand on it twice a day for 10 minutes. It gently vibrates and also helps with improving balance. The Marodyne is made in Germany and costs about $3,000. It has not been FDA approved but there are studies in progress.
Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Osteoporosis & Bone Health Support Group.
WOW, ty for that very honest assessment & information, you certainly made my mind up about the Marodyne! I will purchase a less expensive model. I'm happy to hear your new treatment has been successful. 💜
Again WOW! (first link) This sounds like NASA scrapped the Marodyne after results did not show efficacy... ! Am I reading that correctly? Please give feedback on my interpretation.
(Second link) Looks like NASA was using heavy loads exercise machines (ARED) in the space capsule itself and recommended astronauts use the machines several times a week during space flight. Also they looked a biphosonates. This is interesting as it looks like there was some funding from some of the pharmaceutical companies.
Heavy loading is what the Liftmor Study was all about - showing it can actually build bone in older postmenopausal women. Sounds like NASA came to the same conclusion.
It sounds like you want to get a whole body vibration platform that is less expensive than the Marodyne. Please do be careful if you purchase a less expensive one because it could be harmful, as Keith McCormick mentions in the pages from his "Great Bones" book that you posted 6 days ago in this thread.
At one point I thought of getting a Marodyne but balked at its price (among other concerns). I haven't thought of purchasing it since reading the vibration platform section in "Great Bones" back in January. Like Dr. McCormick, my views on the vibration platforms are still evolving. I look forward to reading the results from the VIBMOR randomized controlled trial, which I think might be published by spring 2024 (see https://trialsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13063-021-05911-4). I feel fortunate I am in good enough health to regularly do weight-bearing exercise and strength training.
NASA scrapped the whole concept of Low Intensity Vibration by any machine, at least that's the way I read it. Clinton Rubin didn't file for a patent for it until 2014 and the trial was ended by NASA in 2008. I see nothing that leads me to think the Marodyne device was even invented to be tested for the NASA Vibe Trial. Today he is one of the lead researchers for the VIBMOR Trial on LIV going on in Australia now. That appears to me to be a major conflict of interest since 2 companies Clinton Rubin founded directly profit from the success of the trial - Marodyne LIV market it worldwide and COPA Healthcare distribute in the US. He is also employed by BTT Healthcare in Germany who manufacture it, as their chief scientific investigator.
All that being said I'm sure this is nothing new in the realm of clinical trials and the goal of marketers of devices and drugs worldwide.
My personal decision from my experience has been to stick to therapies and devices that are FDA approved. I sold my Marodyne device back to COPA Healthcare, the distributor of them, in 2022. It appeared to be a company of 2 people located in Davies Florida. I got a hand written check from them for $540.00.
My current regimen at 78 years is I take liquid Alendronate once a week and walk a lot. I have seen my DEXA numbers improve by 6% in my spine and remain the same in my hip.
Good luck to everyone on this feed dealing with bone health at whatever stage you're in.
Thank you again for providing such concrete information on Marodyne. At least the cobwebs are cleared away about claims for developing Marodyne for NASA and the murky implication that NASA used or uses the Marodyne for their astronauts to build back bone after space shuttle flights. We now know that this is not the case. Still interested in what the VIBmoor trials will show.
Thank you @tetris , will be looking forward to this trial also. I would love to see a positive outcome on the LIV's!
Hi all,
I just came across a discussion Dr. Doug Lucas has on Vibration therapy on YouTube. Here's the link:
@tsc. Thank you Teri! I so appreciate you posting this. I think the world of Dr Lucas, watch his videos all the time. He's a great source for osteo information. This was quite positive and I'm happy to add anything that may help. My worst numbers are in the hip, so this may well be a great addition to exercise and diet. Watched the full video and feel much better abt purchasing a vib plate, even if for the fact of, better balance. 🥰 Again, tysm, Patty
Hi @rola,
Before I saw Margaret Martin's podcast on Whole Body Vibration, I purchased a high intensity vibration plate exerciser. I used it for about nine months. I wound up giving it away after hearing Margaret Martin's warnings about its dangers. Dr. Lucas mentions that's the type for building muscle.
There are other discussions of Marodyne on Connect. You may be able to find the posts by searching Marodyne. Good luck!
I'm where you're at, Ans, I just purchased the Marodyne after considering if for several months. I do worry a bit that I'm allowing myself to be scammed because I'm so afraid to take pharmaceuticals for osteoporosis in my 50s. Even if it aids a bit in keeping scores steady it's worth it to me, compared to all the costs of a broken bone/s. I've changed my diet and am working with a personal trainer so even if scores do stay the same with next scan I would have no exact idea why. I hope there are more studies forthcoming on the Marodyne-LiV and on new treatments for osteoporosis.