Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare (Dec 2020)
Immediate Effect of Local Vibration Therapy for Sport-induced Fatigue Based on Traditional Chinese Medicine’s Holistic Theory
Abstract
Yufan Chu,1 Yanan Zhao,2 Shugang Hu,3 Qiming Wang,4 Luz M Semeah,5 Huanguang Jia,5 Tao Lv,1 Xiaolong Li,6 Renqiu Wang6 1Department of Physical Education, Hohai University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China; 2School of Sports Science and Physical Education, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Rehabilitation, Nanjing Jiangning Hospital, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China; 4College of Science, Hohai University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Veterans Affairs, North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System, Gainesville, FL, USA; 6College of International Languages and Cultures, Hohai University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Xiaolong LiCollege of International Languages and Cultures, Hohai University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail [email protected]: Vibration therapy has been widely used and published in alleviating muscle fatigue. However, reports on applying vibration therapy based on the holisitic theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) remains limited. This study is to evaluate the immediate effect of vibration therapy on exercise-induced muscle fatigue.Methods: For this retrospective parallel controlled study, all data were from a previously approved and completed clinical trial. Participants (n=40) in the clinical trial included local Greco-Roman wrestling and Judo athletes in south China. The participants were equally randomly divided into the intervention group (n=20) and control group (n=20). The intervention group received a seven-week vibration intervention-based TCM holistic theory combined with conventional therapy, such as stretching, massage, and flapping, while the control group only received the conventional therapy. Surface electromyography (sEMG) of the lumbar segment of erector spinae was measured for each participant pre- and postintervention, and the two-point discrimination thresholds of the data were differentiated and compared with panel data analysis.Results: For the control group, the pre- and postintervention sEMG measure showed no significant difference (p=0.333), whereas significant difference (p=0.004) was observed for the intervention group. Further, the pre- and postintervention two-point discrimination test also showed a significant difference (p=0.016) for the intervention group.Discussion: The application of vibration therapy based on TCM holistic theory may have an immediate effect in reducing sport-induced muscle fatigue from intensive training. Future larger sample size and robust designed clinical trial is warranted to evaluate the long-term effect of the intervention.Keywords: holistic theory, traditional Chinese medicine, sport, muscle fatigue, vibration therapy
