Muscle tone inhibitory effects of vibration applied to the tendon and muscle belly of the triceps surae

Abstract

[Purpose] The objective of this study was to clarify the effects of vibration stimulus at different application points on the muscle tone of skeletal muscle. [Subjects] The subjects were 15 healthy males with no history of nerve disorders in the lower limbs. [Method] We stimulated the tendon or muscle belly of the triceps surae of the left lower limb for 3 minutes with vibration of 76.6 Hz and 2 mm amplitude, and assessed the muscle tone using the Hmax: Mmax ratio, the ratio of the maximal values of the H and M waves, derived from evoked electromyograms recorded before and after the vibration application. [Results] The Hmax:Mmax ratio decreased with the application of vibration to both the tendon and muscle belly, and the decrease was greater when the vibration was applied to the tendon. [Conclusion] Irrespective of the point of application, vibration inhibited the muscle tone of skeletal muscle, suggesting vibration has an increasing role to play in the clinical setting.