I’m pickin’ up good vibrations
She’s giving me the excitations (oom-bop-bop)Beach Boys 1967
Remember the Beach Boys song “Good Vibrations” from 1967? Some of you who are YOPD may be too young to remember it. Although it has nothing to do with Parkinson’s Disease, it is our theme for the week. I looked at the lyrics to see if anything relates to PD, but as you can see, it is about sex, not tremors, which are definitely not sexy.
For several years, reseachers have been working on vibrating medical devices that will counteract the Parkinson’s tremor. Peter Tass, a Stanford professor, was one of the first to design “vibrating gloves.” Dr. Tass spoke to our group in March, 2023 about the reasoning behind the gloves and how they work.
Here is what I learned from TurnTo.AI about it:
Vibrating devices are emerging as a promising tool to help manage tremors in individuals with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). These devices use various mechanisms to reduce tremors and improve motor control. Below is an overview of how they work and their potential benefits.
How Vibrating Devices Work
- Disrupting Abnormal Brain Activity:
- Vibrations can “reset” abnormal electrical activity in the brain associated with Parkinson’s tremors. For example, gloves delivering light vibrations to the fingertips have shown potential in pilot studies to alleviate tremors, stiffness, and slowness.
- Coordinated Reset Stimulation:
- Some devices, like vibration gloves, use specific vibration frequencies (e.g., 100-300 Hz) to target abnormal neuron firing patterns. This approach has been shown to improve symptoms like tremors, rigidity, and balance without side effects.
- Energy Dissipation:
- Certain wearable devices absorb the energy created by tremors using mechanical means, such as springs or magnets, to dampen the movement.
- Muscle Stimulation:
- Functional electrical stimulation devices trigger muscle contractions to counteract tremors.
- Gyroscopic Stabilization:
- Devices like the GyroGlove use gyroscopes to counteract tremor forces, providing stability.
- Handheld Devices:
- Products like the Vilim Ball use vibration therapy to temporarily reduce hand tremors. These devices often adapt to the user’s specific needs using artificial intelligence.
Learn more here
What devices are available now?
Vilim Ball
I have been testing Vilim Ball for about 6 weeks and I think it has helped to reduce my tremor. Unfortunately I broke my wrist 2 weeks ago, so I have been unable to do some of the recommened exercises with it to get feedback on how I am doing. I am continuing to use the ball and hope to see more progress as my wrist heals. The Vilim Ball is available through their website or on Amazon in the US. You can get a $50 discount on their website with the code TW50.
Espanola Gloveworks
This unique project is based on the research of Peter Tass. Steve Cox has been working with high school and university students in Espanola, New Mexico, to develop and produce vibrating gloves. You can learn more and order them here There is a suggested donation of $125 for each pair of gloves. I ordered a pair, but cannot try them for a while because of my wrist.
Beech Band
This was developed in the UK and had limited availability outside of Europe until now. It is now available as of today in the US and other countries. I have heard good things about it but have not tried it yet, since it was not available in the US. For more information go to the website www.beechband.com. The band is selling in the US for $90.
Have you tried any of the vibration devices? We would love to hear about your experiences in the coments.
This is your chance to help women with Parkinson’s. With a donation of $20 or more, you will receive the link for viewing the recording of our Comedy Show on November 9, “What’s so Funny About Parkinson’s?” Not only will you get to see Mr, Twitchy’s hilarious rendition of “Twitchy Woman” (sung to the tune of Witchy Woman) and the big hit song from the World Parkinson Congress (WPC) in Barcelona “Parky Raccoon”, you will also hear from several well-known comedians and story tellers. Special thanks to Papa Robbie who put the show together and served as emcee for the show.
All proceeds will go to the Twitchy Woman Travel Fund for the WPC next May in Phoenix. We have 32 applications for women going for the first time to the WPC and we are still $3000 short of our goal to help everyone of these women get to Phoenix. Help us out by clicking here now. This offer disappears Tuesday, December 2 at midnite!
Watch for our t-shirt sale beginning in a few days with a brand new design!
Have a great week!
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