Effects of mechanical vibration of the foot sole and ankle tendons on cutaneomuscular responses in man

The modulation of cutaneomuscular responses in response to mechanical vibration applied to the foot sole and to the ankle tendons was established in ten healthy subjects. The effects of mechanical vibration applied to the skin adjacent to the tibialis anterior (TA) and Achilles tendons were examined in two subjects. With the subjects seated, mechanical vibration applied to the TA and/or Achilles tendons significantly depressed the cutaneomuscular responses in all subjects, regardless of the frequency (50, 150, 250. Hz) of vibration. Mechanical vibration applied either to the foot sole or to the skin adjacent to the tendons induced no significant effects. The demonstration that mechanical vibration applied to muscle tendons exerts an inhibitory effect on cutaneomuscular responses supports the hypothesis that receptors that mediate body kinesthesia can be used as a vehicle to alter the spinal excitability state. The data suggests that tendon vibration could be utilized in neurological disorders to induce exogenous-mediated potentiation of presynaptic inhibition.