VibraCool for Podiatrists and Sports Medicine
Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common conditions your patients bring to clinic, and pain often persists between appointments. VibraCool gives you a drug-free option to recommend, backed by clinical evidence and simple enough for patients to use themselves at home.
Drug-free vibration and cold therapy for plantar fasciitis
VibraCool is a wearable, portable device that uses vibration and cold therapy. It uses patented Mechanical Stimulation (M-Stim) at 150 to 200 Hz, which triggers vasodilation and helps separate stiffened, degenerated fibres in the plantar fascia, paired with an attached ice pack that reduces inflammation and pain on contact.
Is VibraCool the same as shockwave therapy?
Not quite, but they work on a similar principle. Shockwave therapy delivers a concentrated, high intensity pulse in clinic, usually reserved for more advanced or calcified cases. VibraCool uses a gentler, lower amplitude vibration that patients can use themselves at home, invented by Dr Amy Baxter MD, the physician behind Buzzy.
VibraCool is physician invented, FDA cleared, and clinically proven:
(2019 AAPM&R crossover trial)
on M-Stim technology
extends access for eligible patients
VibraCool is a gentler alternative to shockwave therapy. Here's how they compare.
Shockwave Therapy
Shockwave therapy treats plantar fasciitis by delivering small, concentrated pulses of energy to break apart fibres in the plantar fascia that have stiffened together from overuse and lactic acid buildup.
Best for: advanced or calcified cases, where the higher intensity pulse is more likely to be needed.
The pulses are often uncomfortable, and treatment requires repeat clinic visits.
VibraCool
VibraCool works on the same principle, using mechanical stimulation to separate those stiffened fibres, but at a much gentler, lower amplitude. At 150 to 200 Hz, it also triggers vasodilation, increasing blood flow to the plantar fascia.
How to use VibraCool: Place the unit on the arch of the foot for 20 minutes, two to three times a day, between appointments.
Plantar fasciitis webinar with Dr Baxter
Dr Amy Baxter walks through the physiology of plantar fasciitis and how to position VibraCool Plantar with patients in clinic.
Common Questions
No, but they work on a similar principle. Both use mechanical energy to separate fibres in the plantar fascia that have stiffened from overuse. Shockwave therapy does this with a concentrated, high intensity pulse delivered in clinic, usually reserved for more advanced or calcified cases. VibraCool uses a gentler, lower amplitude vibration that patients can use themselves at home.
Shockwave therapy is often uncomfortable, since it relies on strong, concentrated pulses to break apart stiffened fascia. VibraCool uses a much lower amplitude stimulus at 150 to 200 Hz, so a 20 minute session is generally well tolerated.
The recommended session is 20 minutes, two to three times a day. Because the stimulus is gentle enough to self-administer, patients can use it at home between appointments rather than only during a clinic visit.
Yes. VibraCool is NDIS claimable, which extends access for eligible patients.
In a 2019 AAPM&R crossover trial, VibraCool reduced pain 240 to 340% more effectively than TENS (Marovino and Baxter).
