The sound therapy centre of Vaughan
2810 Major Mackenzie drive L6A 1R8 Maple, ON, Canada

Information session on June 22, 2012

The Fibromyalgia Study Currently Dr. Naghdi, Dr. Macario and our team are conducting a clinical study about Fibromyalgia in The Sound Therapy Centre of Vaughan. "The role of Vibroacoustic Therapy (VAT) in the treatment of patients with Fibromyalgia" is a clinical study in collaboration with Dr. Heidi Ahonen from Wilfrid Laurier University, and Dr. Lee Bartel, from the University of Toronto. Since March 2012 , we had many patients who participated in our study, received VAT... and finished their course of therapy successfully. Our preliminary results have been very satisfying and consistent with other researchers’ findings in different areas of the world. In our centre, VAT has been successful to reduce pain between 45 85% in most cases. Also patients have been reporting noticeable improvements in their sleep, mood and activity of daily living pattern. Many of these patients were able to reduce the dosage or discontinue taking their pain killers and antidepressants. Some are getting back to work after many years of being on disability. The Fibromyalgia study is still going on in our centre. At this time, no cure exists for Fibromyalgia. It is only through education, lifestyle changes, and rehabilitation that the individual is able to regain control and achieve significant improvement.

How does low frequency sound affect body? Sound has a wide spectrum of therapeutic accounts and Vibration can affect blood pressure, pulse, and respiration, etc. 30 to 120 Hz are the common frequencies used in Vibroacoustic Therapy.... In 2002 Elliott Salamon et al. (Neuroscience Research Institute, State University of New York) concluded that Nitric Oxide (NO) is the molecule chiefly responsible for music therapy physiological and psychological relaxing effects. Chesky and his colleagues contend that the Pacinian corpuscle (nerve endings in the skin, responsible for sensitivity to vibration and pressure) can react to stimulation by vibroacoustic technology in the 60 to 600 Hz range known to affect these mechanoreceptors. When stimulated, the Pacinian corpuscle sends neurological nonpain messages to the brain that appear to inhibit the pain impulse. The limbic system of our brain is influenced by sound through pitch and rhythm, and the frequency at which it is played affects our somatic makers by producing cardiovascular alterations and inducing relaxation. Alpha waves (8 and 13Hz) are known to outline a state of deep calm which we naturally engage in before falling asleep. So, for example, people who have sleeping disorders can be induced a state of somnolence by playing 310Hz into the right ear and 320Hz into the left one. An opposite state of alertness can be obtained if the frequency disparity corresponds to Beta waves which are more than 12Hz. However, a 30 minute session has overall effects for a limited amount of time only, up to two or three hours. So there is great scepticism whether they can aid people with addictions or chronic pains. On the short term, binaural beats are proven to improve memory and learning abilities, reduce anxiety and lower stress levels. An application that is yet to be explored at its full capacity is the effect called binaural beats which occur in the brain and are not perceived by the human ear. Binaural beats are not a real sound in itself, but a perception of our brain when the two ears are presented with sounds of slightly different frequency. In order for the two frequencies to be perceived together as one tone, the difference between them must usually be below 30Hz, similar to the one of our brainwaves. This way the brain is entrained, that is being 'persuaded' into the desired effect of either relaxation or alertness. H. Pratt et al. from Israel Institute of Technology studied the brain's activity when binaural beats occur and compared it to that evoked when actual acoustic beats are heard, concluding that "the effects are similar to the soothing effect of gentle patting on the skin, of soft music, and even of bio-feedback that trains the subject how to concentrate, focus attention or relax".

The origin of Vibroacoustic Therapy Vibroacoustic Therapy (VAT) or as its called in Finland - Physioacoustic Therapy is being implemented in Scandinavian countries to release/eliminate pain and stress with no chemical side effects for over 25 years. ... The 19th century neurologist, Dr. Charcot, used a vibration chair for Parkinson's Disease based on patient reports of symptom improvements after train or carriage rides. He documented improvement, but after his death (1893), few subsequent studies examined vibration treatment. in 1960's, "Olav Skille" an inventor, scientist, therapist, musician and educator from Norway, who is also called "Father of VAT", invented Vibroacoustic Therapy. Olav Skille found the correlation between specific frequencies and pain and stress reduction/elimination in different body parts among a range of illness symptoms. He created 7 basic frequencies as the basis for single, mixed and layers of frequencies for relieving chronic diseases' symptoms. Our centre is proud to use these frequencies for the VAT sessions. Olav has been the VAT consultant for our centre. As a result of more than 30 years of this scientist's research and development "Vibroacoustic Therapy" is a known and approved therapy being used in many general hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, nursing homes, medical, alternative and complementary clinics in various countries around the world. According to elaborate research done by him and other researchers in this field, VAT has been shown to reduce stress, increase quality of life, decrease the experience of pain, reduce nausea, headache, anxiety, fatigue and depression, calm and soothe restless behavior, improve range of motion, promote muscle tone in hypotone children, enhance communication skills, develop sensory awareness, promote a feeling of calmness.

Which conditions can be treated with Vibroacoustic Therapy (VAT)? Many patients and physicians in different countries have used VAT as an adjunct to their medical treatments. Clinical studies have shown Vibroacoustic therapy to be effective in treating: Fibromyalgia, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's disease, Insomnia, Depression and Anxiety, Chronic neck and back pain, Arthritis, ADD, ADHD, Asthma, COPD, Pressure Ulcers (Bed Sores), Rett Syndrome, Tinnitus, etc. Many people use this modality for relaxation and internal massage.