The Swisswing® Biomechanical Stimulation Device has been previously used to treat muscle soreness. It is a form of vibration therapy that is beneficial in increasing circulation to treated muscles.
Purpose: To determine the effectiveness of the Swisswing® Biomechanical Stimulation device for decreasing biochemical markers of muscle damage and inflammation and muscle pain after acute exercise in professional male soccer players.
Methods: Seventeen male professional soccer players, aged 20.9 + or - 2.4 years participated in a two-week study to determine the effects of receiving treatment with the Swisswing® Biomechanical Stimulation Device. The players were randomly assigned to groups A, B, C, or D to determine the order in which they would receive treatment. During the first week, half of the group received a 4-minute warm-up treatment prior to practice and a 32-minute treatment immediately following soccer practice for five consecutive days. The following week, those who received treatment served as a control and those in the control group received treatment. Creatine kinase (CK) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured prior to practice daily, except on day 1 when levels were also measured immediately following practice. Lactic acid (LA) and perceived pain were measured pre- and post-practice as well as post-treatment.
Results: There was no significant difference between treatment and control groups for LA, CK, and CRP. LA increased from pre- to post-workout and then declined post-treatment for both groups. Daily LA accumulation was also greatest on day 1 for both groups. CK levels increased above baseline until day 4 and then spiked again on day 5 for both groups. CRP increased steadily for the control group, while the treatment group experienced a decline on day 4. However, these differences were not significant. Post-treatment perceived pain was significantly lower for the treatment group (1.4) versus control (2.9). This difference was significant across the five days (p=.036) and specifically on day 2 (p = .027).
Conclusions: Swisswing treatment after soccer practice did not produce significant results among the blood markers that identify damage and inflammation. It did, however, help decrease perceived pain, at least on day 2 following the most vigorous practices. Therefore, the Swisswing may be responsible for enhancing the rate of recovery from muscle soreness following intense physical activity.