A couple of months ago, I sprained my neck due to choking on some fish bones. SCARY, I know! Since then, I have noticed a decrease in pain and an increase in ROM in my neck rotation whenever I engage in activities that help clear my lymphatic system (ex. manual lymphatic drainage and lymphatic breathing). After reading and hearing from colleagues that the vibration plate may help support the pumping of my lymphatic system, I was curious to explore if it could help me heal faster.
As part of my experiment, I decided to do 4 sets of squats in 30-second intervals at 30 Hz (the speed of vibration). I used my iPhone to video record my neck rotation before and after each set. In the end, I produced 12 videos in total. You might be thinking that I could have used a more precise method of measuring my neck rotation, but this is what I had access at the time of my experiment. In the future, I may use a goniometer.
After looking at my neck rotation on video, I measured a bit of improvement in my ROM from my first to my last session (I did a total of three sessions). Whether this progress was due to using the vibration plate or not, I cannot tell you. What I do know is that after every session from performing squats on the vibration plate, I felt more energy and less pain than the days that I did squats without the vibration plate. The increase in energy and decrease in sensation of pain would last, on average, for two hours. Then I would notice feeling more tired than normal at night on the days that I would use the vibration plate.
From my experience, I would probably use the vibration plate again for changing up my exercise routine and for possible benefits in lymphatic stimulation.
For more information on the lymphatic system, click here.
To watch a video with Dave Asprey on why he uses a vibration plate, click here.
To watch a great demonstration on how to perform a self-manual lymphatic drainage for congestion, click here to view the video.