Mechanism family
Mechanical / Biomechanical (force to tissue) Mechanical force applied to tissue — by machine, by actuator or by hand. Loading and acceleration (whole-body vibration, vibroacoustic beds), unloading (flotation), compression (pneumatic), and bodywork both robotic and manual. Who applies the force is a delivery form, not a carrier difference — which is what makes the automation vector legible: a robotic massage unit and a therapist's hands are one family, and the atlas can then say plainly that only one of them logs its dose. The body responds here as a structure (loading, acceleration); when it responds as a propagating medium , that is the Acoustic family. Evidence across the family is mixed and mostly early.
Nazarov BMS + Krainov Belt — Biomechanical Vibration Longitudinal mechanical vibration applied along muscle fibres (~18–33 Hz) for strength, flexibility, and recovery — tested on athletes and cosmonauts. A real mechanical modality with a coherent neuromuscular rationale; the evidence is early, sparse, and largely Soviet-era, with no modern large RCTs. The RU/Eastern mechanical strand. Insufficient evidence / under study grade CWhole-Body Vibration (WBV) Training A vibration platform delivers vertical mechanical accelerations through the feet to muscle and bone, aimed at bone mineral density, muscle strength, balance, and falls. Multiple RCTs and meta-analyses show site-specific BMD gains, but GRADE certainty is low and there is no regulatory treatment clearance for osteoporosis — a real mechanism with mixed, low-certainty evidence. Insufficient evidence / under study grade B/CFlotation-REST & Dry Flotation Mechanical UNLOADING is the carrier — a load is removed, not added (subtractive). The strongest new evidence in this set; both peer-reviewed sources are on the modality, neither on a product. Insufficient evidence / under study grade CRobotic Mechanical Bodywork Automation is new; the carrier (mechanical force applied to tissue) is not — one family with manual bodywork. Crossover evidence puts manual ahead on several outcomes. The atlas can now say plainly that only one of the two logs its dose. Insufficient evidence / under study grade C/DSequential Pneumatic Compression Widely deployed in recovery suites; a real mechanical (pressure) carrier, but no isolated longevity evidence was located. Insufficient evidence / under study grade CManual Massage, Acupressure & Manual Bodywork Same carrier as the machine bodywork rows (8–10) — mechanical force applied to tissue; human rather than machine delivery is a delivery form, not a new carrier. The half of the pair that does NOT log its dose. Insufficient evidence / under study grade C
This is an evidence atlas — a map, not a marketplace and not medical advice. It reports the mechanism, evidence grade, and regulatory status of the modalities it catalogues, including the views and claims of third parties, with sources cited where they exist. Regulatory registration or clearance is a market-access fact, never proof of efficacy. Nothing here is an endorsement, a diagnosis, or a treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified clinician before making any health decision.
Evidence grades reflect the position of scientific consensus on the available evidence and may change. All trademarks belong to their respective owners; cited material remains the property of its authors.
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