In physiotherapy, localised vibration is mainly used for pain relief and muscle soreness, so patients can move and load with less pain. VibraCool straps onto the painful area. Physios use it for knee, elbow, shoulder, neck, back, hip, ankle and heel pain.

E-Stim, such as TENS, uses electrical current on the skin. M-Stim uses mechanical vibration at a set frequency, with no current. VibraCool's M-Stim runs at 150 to 200 Hz, which targets deep Pacinian touch receptors. It adds ice or heat, needs no electrodes and is safe with pacemakers.

VibraCool Pro is the clinic range of VibraCool. Pro Healthcare is a single unit for the treatment room. Pro Lower Extremity and Pro Upper Extremity each have two motor units on a compression cuff for the leg or arm, with ice and hot packs. The motor units wipe clean between patients.

TENS helps some patients. In a trial where the same patients tried both, they rated VibraCool up to 3.4 times more effective. VibraCool uses vibration instead of electrical current, so there are no pads to place or replace. Patients who stopped getting relief from TENS are a good group to start with. See the full vibration therapy vs TENS comparison.

Exercise and graded loading, manual therapy, education, heat, cold, bracing, TENS and vibration. Australia's Opioid Analgesic Stewardship in Acute Pain Clinical Care Standard asks clinicians to discuss these non-drug options with patients. VibraCool combines two of them, vibration and cold, in one device patients can use at home.

TENS units, heat and cold packs, ultrasound, shockwave and massage devices are the most common. Wearable vibration devices such as VibraCool are a newer option, used in the treatment room and sold to patients for home use. In Australia and New Zealand, clinics order VibraCool from Buzzy4Shots, the official distributor, through the clinician order form.

For pain relief, yes. A 2025 review in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy found the strongest evidence for vibration in pain relief, flexibility and muscle soreness. A 2023 NIH-funded study of VibraCool-style vibration found a 57% average drop in pain.

No. Vibration plates are for strength and balance training, and massage guns use heavy, slower strokes. VibraCool is a small wearable strapped over the painful area, with light, fast vibration plus cold. Most massagers run well below 150 Hz, the level Pain Care Labs says is needed to increase blood flow.

Yes. There is no electrical current, only vibration with cold or heat.

Use vibration on its own, which Pain Care Labs says gives more than 40% of the pain relief. Or swap the ice pack for the heat pack.

VibraCool adds high-frequency vibration to cold, and it is small enough to wear during exercise. Ice machines cover a larger area, which some patients prefer for a swollen knee in the first days after surgery. Many patients use both.

Pain Care Labs suggests 5 to 10 minutes of vibration on its own to warm up muscles before treatment or exercise. Clinicians also use it before taping, kinesiology tape or instrument-assisted soft tissue work. Patients can wear it during rehab exercises. After exercise, use vibration with the ice pack, or the heat pack, for 20 minutes.

Do not use it over broken skin, a rash or a burn, or when a patient has calf pain you cannot explain. Skip the ice pack for patients who are sensitive to cold, such as with Raynaud's, CRPS or sickle cell disease. Use vibration on its own or the heat pack instead.

Pain Care Labs suggests 20 minutes, 2 to 3 times a day. For acute injury and after surgery, use ice and vibration 2 to 3 times a day for at least 5 days. For tendinitis and plantar fasciitis, use it 2 to 3 times a day for 10 days, then daily. For persistent pain or spasm, swap the ice pack for the heat pack.

Place the ice pack on or just above the point of pain, with the unit over it, and strap it in place. For tennis elbow, that is the outer elbow just below the joint. After surgery, place it on the skin just above the dressing, never over the incision. The step-by-step guide is on how to use VibraCool.

Yes. Buzzy4Shots is the official distributor of VibraCool in Australia and New Zealand. You can book a clinic trial, order at clinic pricing for your treatment rooms, or stock kits for patients to take home. Use the clinician order form or call +64 21 190 5564.