Mechanism

• While vibrating massagers come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, power sources and output levels, they all share the same underlying mechanism: an unbalanced weight being spun around by an electric motor.
  
  The weight is "unbalanced" because its center of mass does not line up with the axis around which is spins. As the weight's center of mass revolves around the motor, it creates a linear "pulling" sensation against the motor known as "centripetal force." The direction of the centripetal force follows the position of the weight around the axis in a circular motion. So, every time the weight completes a revolution, the direction of the centripetal force rotates a full 360 degrees. Each full directional cycle of centripal force is perceived by the body as a vibration. Therefore, the more times the weight revolves per minute, the more vibrations per minute the body "feels."
  
  

Settings

• Many massagers allow users to increase or decrease the power of the vibrations. Vibrating motors increase output power simply by increasing the number of revolutions per minute. By turning a switch, the user sends more electrical energy to the motor. The motor uses this additional energy to accelerate the weight to faster speeds. Higher speed means more cycles of centripetal force per minute, which means that more force is delivered into the body per minute.
  
  

Therapeutic Benefits

• When muscles contract, the muscle cells go from being long and narrow to short and thick. When muscles relax, the cells return to their original state. But due to prolonged muscle tension from stress or repetitive movements, a significant number of muscle cells may only partially relax back into their long, narrow form. This results in more "thick," semi-loosened cells that can press against nerves, causing pain.
  
  Through vibrations, the massager exerts force into adjacent muscle tissue, creating a microscopic "pulling" effect that helps these strained cells return to their proper relaxed state. The reduction of thick, semi-contracted cell shapes helps to relieve pressure on the nerves.