Plantar Stimulation, Whole-Body Vibration, and Baduanjin for Muscle Activation

Study on the Activation Effect of Vibration Training Under Plantar Stimulation and Baduanjin on Lower Limb Muscles

This study will examine how different short-term exercise and vibration conditions affect lower-limb muscle activity in young adults with flat feet and young adults with normal feet.

Participants will complete several conditions, including whole-body vibration, whole-body vibration combined with plantar stimulation under different areas of the foot, and a Baduanjin heel-raise exercise. Surface electromyography sensors will be placed on the skin over selected lower-limb muscles to record muscle activity before and during each condition. Each participant will complete all study conditions in a balanced order.

This study does not aim to treat flat feet or evaluate long-term clinical benefits. The purpose is to collect preliminary information on immediate muscle activation and foot discomfort, which may help design future studies on foot-related exercise, plantar stimulation, and rehabilitation training.

This is a prospective, exploratory, self-controlled crossover study designed to investigate the immediate effects of different exercise and vibration-based conditions on lower-limb muscle activation.

Flat feet may be associated not only with structural changes of the foot arch, but also with altered neuromuscular control of the lower limb. Whole-body vibration provides a standardized mechanical stimulus, while Baduanjin heel-raise exercise represents an active movement-based training condition. Because the plantar surface is an important sensory input area, this study will also examine whether adding regional plantar stimulation to whole-body vibration produces different muscle activation patterns compared with whole-body vibration alone.

Participants will be classified as having flat feet or normal feet based on foot type assessment. Each participant will complete all study conditions in a balanced order, including whole-body vibration alone, whole-body vibration combined with stimulation of different plantar regions, and Baduanjin heel-raise exercise. Surface electromyography will be used to record lower-limb muscle activity before and during each condition.

This study is not designed to evaluate treatment efficacy or long-term clinical outcomes. Its purpose is to collect preliminary mechanistic data on immediate neuromuscular responses, which may inform future studies on plantar stimulation, vibration training, and individualized rehabilitation strategies.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. College students aged 18 to 25, regardless of gender
2. agree to participate in the study and voluntarily sign the informed consent form
3. and are deemed suitable to participate in this study by the researchers.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Persons with severe cardiovascular diseases, motor dysfunction or cognitive disorders
2. persons who have suffered severe trauma or been hospitalized recently and are unsuitable for exercise testing
3. persons with congenital lower limb or spinal deformities affecting foot posture other than flatfoot
4. persons with a medical history of muscular, neurological or skeletal system disorders affecting foot posture other than flatfoot
5. persons deemed ineligible to participate in this study by the investigators