🤰 Vibration Plates and Pregnancy | Are they Safe?
Can Vibration Plates Cause Miscarriage?
The concept of muscle toning and getting rid of unwanted weight without the need to perform intense workouts sounds like a dream come true. And that is precisely what vibration plate manufactures are claiming is true. All you have to do is pave your way to getting in shape just by using the whole-body vibration plate. There aren’t sufficient clinical studies that support or discourage the use of vibrating plates and machines by pregnant women. But medical officials and most machine manufacturers advise against using vibrating plates during pregnancy.
If you are pregnant and don’t know if you can use a vibration platform safely, it is always recommended asking your doctor. ALWAYS.
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Vibration plates/machines
A vibration plate is one of the latest and most popular devices used for fitness by celebrities, athletes, and regular people. It gives vibration therapy to those who want to shed some pounds or build muscle, giving similar results as an hour of intense workout in a gym. Although vibration therapy dates back to as early as the 1800s when Greeks used them for stimulating muscle gain and weight loss, Russians were the first to embrace it fully in the 1960s.
Vibration plates available at gyms and even at homes usually have low-impact and are safe for almost everyone. These machines help you get the muscle mass you want to gain with much lesser effort than an actual workout. That is why they are very popular among patients and older people requiring muscle and bone strengthening. With that said, whether pregnant women can use vibration plates or not is the question.
In this post, we will get through the details of how vibration plates can be beneficial or dangerous during pregnancy. So read on to know more.
Vibration Benefits
Since exercise machines that involve vibration allow the muscles to swiftly release and contract, they tend to show some positive results for people who want to enhance weight loss, flexibility, circulation, and strength. Some studies also suggest that using whole-body vibration can help athletes enhance their ability to jump higher. As there is an increased flow of blood in the body, prolonged vibrations might be able to give benefits similar to stretching and certain physical activities. If you want to know more about the main benefits, check our article about the benefits of vibration plates.
Are Vibration plates recommended during pregnancy?
The connection between extended whole-body vibration and danger to pregnancy is not very clear. There are some myths that encourage overdue pregnant women to expose themselves to some kind of vibration or a jerky ride to activate labor. But there is no strong support to that belief, and it is undetermined whether vibrations or bumps can start labor when the expecting mother is not due to give birth.
The conventional recommendation is to avoid exposure to vibration during these times as the shaking might harm the fetus and the mother too. And we are not just talking about vibration plates here, but also the type of vibration in certain working facilities. It has the potential to cause low birth weight and premature births.
Some occupational vibration exposures have occasional associations with pregnancy failures and complications. However, studies in the past overlooked the effect of whole-body vibration (WBV) on pregnant women. Therefore, even if there are some unfavorable birth outcomes related to the WBV machine, there is insufficient evidence to determine it strongly. We have created an awesome in depth article about vibration plaftforms, we recommend that you check it out: vibration plates reviews.
A study conducted in 1993 showed the effect of low-density vibration exposure on pregnant women. It indicated the adverse effects that can occur to the female reproductive organs and also the fetus when exposed to vibration of low frequencies. According to the study, vibration can play a significant role in fetus damage, abortion risks, and stillbirth.
Some more possible risks included spine degeneration, reproductive organ injury, and even hearing loss. The vibration type labeled in this study was rigorous and concentrated on exposure for long durations, like that in a working facility.
Vibration plates might not be the same as this type of occupational vibration exposure. Still, there is also not much research information on whether the use of vibration plates during pregnancy is safe. Therefore, until there is confirmation through studies about the safety of these machines for pregnant women, it is best to avoid them.
If you have never tried using a vibration plate before and are curious about its benefits, you can start anytime but not while you are pregnant, unless your doctor recommends it. And even if you were a regular vibration machine user, you should stop using it until you have given birth and are ready to do other forms of intense exercises too.
Vibration plates are one of the most innovative products ever created for people with varying health issues, and it proves to be greatly beneficial. However, it is not always a good time to subject your body to a whole-body vibration machine, like when you are pregnant or have cardiovascular disease, hip/knee replacements, and so on.
Some manufacturers strictly discourage pregnant women from using WBV machines because of concerns relating to the stimulation of pressure points that can result in the child’s premature birth. But there is no medical evidence that backs up this claim.
There are several layers of fluid and other substances inside you that is enough to protect your baby and him or her cushioned enough. When you stand or sit on a whole-body vibration machine for a short time, it may only feel similar to a massage and not affect the baby much. However, as mentioned earlier, there is no proof of whether the vibrations are harmful to your baby or you. If you think you really need a WBV machine to help with back pain or other issues during pregnancy, the best thing is to consult with your doctor.
Conclusion
As there isn’t enough research to support the topic, we cannot give a definite answer to “can vibration plates cause miscarriage?” However, we have learned what exposure to vibrations in occupational environments can cause to a pregnant woman. There is a possibility of fetus damage and organ injury as a result of vibration exposure during pregnancy. Therefore, it is best to stay away from vibration plates to avoid accidents while you are pregnant.
References:
https://oem.bmj.com/content/77/10/691
https://www.livestrong.com/article/554720-are-vibrating-exercise-machines-good-for-pregnant-women/
