Whole-Body Vibration in Rehabilitation: Frequency and Voluntary Contraction-Dependent Activation of Tonic Vibration Reflex and Bone Myoregulation Reflex
Whole-Body Vibration in Rehabilitation: Frequency and Voluntary Contraction-Dependent Activation of Tonic Vibration Reflex and Bone Myoregulation Reflex
When vibration is applied, sensors inside the muscle send signals to the nervous system, leading to automatic muscle activation. In this research, vibration will be applied using different body postures (such as standing or semi-squatting) and different vibration frequencies to understand how body position and vibration intensity influence muscle responses. Muscle activity will be recorded using surface electrodes placed on the skin. All procedures are non-invasive, painless, and do not involve medication or surgery.
The goal of this study is to improve understanding of how whole-body vibration affects muscle and nerve function. The findings may contribute to future rehabilitation strategies
This study investigates how whole-body vibration (WBV) affects muscle reflex activity in healthy adults. Whole-body vibration will be delivered using a vibration platform that transmits mechanical oscillations through the lower limbs and trunk while participants maintain specific postures.
The primary objective is to examine how different vibration frequencies and different body postures influence reflex-related muscle activation. Secondary objectives include evaluating how vibration modifies neuromuscular excitability and the timing and magnitude of reflex responses.
Participants will be exposed to multiple experimental conditions across separate sessions. These conditions will include different postural tasks (such as upright standing and semi-squat) and different vibration frequencies, allowing comparison of how mechanical load distribution and sensory input alter reflex modulation. Each vibration application will last 15 seconds, and rest periods will be provided between trials to minimize fatigue and ensure measurement reliability.
Muscle activity will be recorded using surface electromyography (EMG) electrodes placed over the soleus muscle. Reflex responses under different postures and vibration frequencies will be recorded during vibration. Data processing and analysis will be performed offline after the experiment is completed.
This study is based on previous findings indicating that whole-body vibration can stimulate muscle spindle afferent receptors as well as osteocyte-related mechanoreceptors within bone tissue, thereby increasing afferent sensory input and transiently modulating spinal and supraspinal motor control mechanisms, including reflex excitability and motor unit recruitment patterns. By systematically varying posture and vibration frequency, the study aims to clarify how vibration-induced sensory input interacts with biomechanical and neural factors to shape reflex response behavior.
The findings obtained from this study are expected to contribute to a more effective and targeted use of whole-body vibration in neuromuscular training, balance rehabilitation, enhancement of movement performance, and support of bone health. Furthermore, the results are anticipated to provide a scientific basis for the development of optimized vibration-based intervention protocols that consider both neuromuscular and musculoskeletal effects in clinical and athletic settings.
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