Recent widespread use of vibration therapy in treating sport-induced muscle fatigue spurred researchers to study the effects of the holistic local vibration therapy used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).
Using data from a previously approved and completed clinical trial, the study examined the results of a seven-week vibration-based TCM holistic theory combined with conventional therapy, such as stretching, massage, and flapping, on local Greco-Roman wrestling and Judo athletes in south China. A control group received only the conventional therapy.
Significant positive effects on exercise-induced muscle fatigue were shown in the TCM intervention group. A pre- and postintervention two-point discrimination test also showed a significant difference for the intervention group.
The study concludes that “application of vibration therapy based on TCM holistic theory may have an immediate effect in reducing sport-induced muscle fatigue from intensive training.” The authors recommend future robustly designed clinical trials with larger sample sizes to evaluate the long-term effect of the intervention.
