It started as a means to rehabilitate NASA's astronauts and is now commonly used by slimmers but vibration technology has been brought into a new dimension.
Tauranga woman Priscilla McComb, 87, has hailed a Mount Maunganui-designed machine as a revolutionary weapon against osteoporosis.
Mrs McComb has been battling the degenerative bone disease
for six years. After failing to cope with a strict drug regime, which made her more ill, she was approached to be a guinea pig for V-Robic's Excel vibration machine.
After six months of twice-daily 10 minute bursts Mrs McComb went for a routine bone density scan last week.
"She was absolutely amazed at how I'd done," she said of the experience.
"I told her what I'd been doing and she said it was marvellous. She said if it had been my first bone scan she would have been delighted to tell me she didn't want to see me again."
At the start of her six months using the Excel Mrs McComb was experiencing intense knee pain and was advised by doctors to take eight Panadol a day.
"I would sit some nights on the end of the bed and I'd cry," she said.
"Taking all these drugs I was like a zombie. When I was given the machine I thought it would be worth a try. It's revolutionised my life.
"It felt a bit funny for a while but I soon got used to it."
The machine is not much larger than bathroom scales and can easily be fitted into the home. It lives in Mrs McComb's bedroom at her Hamilton St home.
V-Robic director Max Cherry said he had read a lot of international research showing the accelerated growth of bone density as a result of vibration training.
He chose Mrs McComb to trial the machine as a test subject with this week's bone density scan tests a bonus.
"We knew it would work but to have it confirmed is brilliant," he said.
"We saw her with a sore leg and realised if she couldn't move she would be housebound.
"We had developed our machines and it was ready to try."
A 10-minute session passively vibrates muscles causing them to rhythmically stretch and contract and blood to circulate.
It's not as vigorous as machines used in space or for people wanting to lose weight and tone up.
Studies over the past 40 years prove that whole body vibration training has significant benefits in improved muscle strength, increased metabolism, increased blood circulation, increased movement, improved balance, lymphatic drainage and stimulated cellulite reduction and weight loss.
