EVIDENCE SPOTLIGHT: Vibroacoustic Therapy for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain in Children and Adolescents
STUDY OVERVIEW
Chronic musculoskeletal pain can interfere with movement, daily activities, school participation, emotional well-being, and quality of life in children and adolescents.
This randomized, placebo-controlled study examined whether vibroacoustic therapy could reduce pain and improve daily functioning in young patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain.
The researchers studied 84 children and adolescents. Participants who received active vibroacoustic therapy experienced greater reductions in pain and greater improvements in functional ability than those in the placebo control group.
STUDY DETAILS
Study Type: Randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study reported as a conference abstract
Participants: 84 children and adolescents
Average Age: 11.9 years
Population: Patients with chronic pain from different musculoskeletal disorders
Intervention Group: 46 participants
Control Group: 38 participants
Treatment Frequency: Three sessions per week
Session Length: 20 minutes
Vibrational Frequency: 115 Hz
Initial Treatment Period: Four weeks
Primary Focus: Pain intensity and functional ability in daily living
Study Period: 2017 through December 2019
WHAT THEY DID
Participants were randomly assigned to an active vibroacoustic therapy group or a placebo control group.
The active group received 20-minute sessions three times per week for four weeks, for a total of 12 sessions. During treatment, participants listened to music through headphones while a therapist positioned a specialized cushion over painful areas of the body. The cushion transmitted music-based vibrations at 115 Hz.
After the first four-week treatment period, participants had an eight-week break and then repeated the treatment protocol.
The control group received conventional medication and placebo vibroacoustic therapy.
A pediatric rheumatologist evaluated participants at the beginning of treatment, after four weeks, and at the end of the study.
OUTCOMES MEASURED
The researchers measured:
Pain intensity using a 0–10 Visual Analog Scale, with 0 representing no pain and 10 representing severe pain
Functional ability in daily living using the Child Health Assessment Questionnaire, scored from 0 to 3, with lower scores indicating less disability
Participants were evaluated at the beginning of treatment, after four weeks, and at the end of the study.
MAJOR FINDINGS
After the first 12 vibroacoustic therapy sessions, the average pain score in the active-treatment group decreased from 8.6 to 4.2.
In the control group, the average pain score decreased from 8.2 to 6.7.
The researchers reported that this difference reached statistical significance at p = 0.05.
Functional activity improved by 47% in the vibroacoustic therapy group, compared with 23% in the control group. This difference was statistically significant at p = 0.02.
At the end of the study, the reported improvement in pain scores was 68% in the active-treatment group, compared with 29% in the control group. This difference was statistically significant at p = 0.01.
All participants who received active vibroacoustic therapy showed improved functional ability by the end of the study. Their final functional scores were significantly better than those of the placebo control group.
ADDITIONAL REPORTED BENEFITS
The researchers also reported:
Reduced muscle tension
Improved range of motion
Increased mobility
Greater relaxation
Better support for rehabilitation
More noticeable pain reduction in areas where the vibration cushion was applied
The authors suggested that vibrations transmitted through the body may support autonomic nervous system balance and reduce excess physical tension.
These physiological mechanisms were proposed by the researchers but were not directly measured in the study.
CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS
The findings suggest that vibroacoustic therapy may be a useful complementary intervention for children and adolescents living with chronic musculoskeletal pain.
Chronic pain may contribute to muscle guarding, limited movement, reduced activity, and difficulty participating in rehabilitation. A noninvasive intervention that helps reduce pain and muscle tension may make movement and daily activities more manageable.
The study is also notable because the researchers measured both pain and functional ability. The results suggest that the participants receiving active treatment did not simply report less pain; they also demonstrated greater improvement in daily functioning.
Vibroacoustic therapy was not studied as a replacement for medical treatment. The findings support its potential use alongside conventional care and rehabilitation.
Several limitations should be considered:
The specific musculoskeletal diagnoses were not reported.
The placebo procedure was not fully described.
The music used during treatment was not identified.
The vibration intensity was not reported.
The exact timing of the final assessment was unclear.
Adverse-event monitoring was not described.
The study was published as a conference abstract rather than a full journal article.
Because of these limitations, the findings should be considered promising but preliminary.
RELEVANCE TO SICKLE CELL SUPPORT
This study did not include children or adolescents with sickle cell disease. It was selected because chronic musculoskeletal pain, reduced mobility, muscle tension, and difficulty with daily activities can also affect young people living with sickle cell disease.
The study found that children and adolescents receiving vibroacoustic therapy experienced greater reductions in pain and greater improvements in functional ability than those in the placebo control group. The researchers also reported improved relaxation, mobility, range of motion, and reduced muscle tension.
These findings do not establish vibroacoustic therapy as a treatment for sickle cell disease or vaso-occlusive pain. However, they offer relevant preliminary evidence that VAT may support broader symptom-management goals such as comfort, relaxation, movement, and daily functioning. More research involving people with sickle cell disease is needed.
WHY IT MATTERS
This study contributes to the emerging evidence on vibroacoustic therapy for chronic pain in children and adolescents.
Its randomized, placebo-controlled design strengthens the findings compared with studies that evaluate only one treatment group. The researchers also examined functional ability, which is important because chronic pain treatment should support not only symptom relief but also movement, independence, and participation in everyday life.
The treatment sessions were brief, noninvasive, and delivered three times per week. The results suggest that targeted sound vibration may offer additional support for pain management and rehabilitation.
More detailed studies are needed to determine which pediatric conditions may respond best, how long improvements last, and what treatment frequencies and vibration settings are most effective.
PUBLICATION & RESEARCH ACCESS
Study: Effects of Vibroacoustic Therapy in Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain in Children and Adolescents
Authors: C. Ailioaie and L. Ailioaie
Institution: Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Medical Physics, Iași, Romania
Publication: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
Year: 2020
Conference Abstract: FRI0639-HPR
Abstract Identifier: 6118
DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2020-eular.6290
Evidence Level: Randomized, placebo-controlled study reported as a conference abstract
Research Access Note: The available publication is a conference abstract. A full article with expanded methodology, diagnosis-specific results, safety reporting, and detailed statistical analysis was not included in the available research material.