Effect of mechanical vibration on peripheral blood flow in laboratory exposure: a narrative review

Abstract

Although mechanical vibration (MV) has grown in popularity and utilization in recent years, there is lack off the literature in relation to its impact on peripheral blood flow. The main aim of the current narrative review is to examine the effects of local mechanical vibration (LMV) and whole‑body vibration (WBV) on peripheral blood flow in different populations. Between January 2000 - February 2025, the authors used the following keywords related to MV and peripheral blood flow: "whole-body vibration," "WBV," "whole-body periodic acceleration," "WBPA," "local vibration," "LV", "mechanical vibration," "MV," "blood flow," "peripheral blood flow," and "peripheral circulation" to search Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed databases and reference lists from relevant articles. The authors used both single-word and combination searches. Nineteen potential articles that fit the inclusion criteria were identified. While LMV exhibited positive as well as negative impacts on peripheral blood flow in several studies, WBV was demonstrated to have a favorable effect on peripheral blood flow. Furthermore, the impact of MV on blood flow was modified by variables such as vibration type and frequency. Mechanical vibration has benefits and risks to the peripheral blood flow. When it comes to enhancing peripheral blood flow, WBV is more beneficial than LMV. Standardized procedures and uniform results reporting can be more advantageous in order to facilitate future meta-analyses and allow for more transparent comparisons between studies. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2026;39(2).