Effects Of Neck Muscle Vibration Research Articles

Good vibes for the brain - Placebo versus real vibration in patients with chronic neck pain: A randomized cross-over study

BackgroundNeck muscle vibration decreases pain and improves sensorimotor impairments in patients with chronic neck pain. However, the impact of placebo on these effects are still unclear. ObjectiveThe aim was to evaluate the effect of neck muscle vibration compared to placebo neck muscle vibration in patients with chronic neck pain. MethodsTwenty-three people with chronic neck pain participated in this double-blinded, randomized crossover study. After baseline assessment at day 1, patients received either neck muscle vibration or placebo neck muscle vibration at day 2. At day 3, patients underwent the other treatment. The primary outcomes assessed at each day were active cervical joint position sense acuity, resting pain, and pressure pain threshold. ResultsCervical joint position sense revealed a significant time effect (F1, 22 = 4.366, p = 0.016, η2 = 0.902). Post-hoc testing revealed significant increases in cervical joint position sense after neck muscle vibration (p = 0.023; d = 0.602) but not after placebo vibration. Resting pain (F1, 22 = 7.550, p = 0.003, η2 = 0.418) displayed significant time effects for neck muscle vibration and placebo vibration. Pressure pain threshold demonstrated a significant time to condition effect (F1, 22 = 6.146; p = 0.008, η2 = 0.369). Post-hoc tests revealed that only neck muscle vibration significantly increased pressure pain threshold (p = 0.043, d = 0.516). ConclusionThe study demonstrates the efficacy of neck muscle vibration to decrease neck pain and improve cervical joint position sense in patients with chronic neck pain. Nevertheless, the influence of placebo effects should not be underestimated as they may contribute to these effects, indicated by similar decreases in resting pain.

Neck muscle vibration and prism adaptation fail to improve balance disturbances after stroke: A multicentre randomised controlled study

BackgroundPilot studies suggest potential effects of neck muscle vibration (NMV) and prism adaptation (PA) on postural balance disturbances related to spatial cognition. ObjectivesTo evaluate the effect of 10 sessions of NMV and/or PA on ML deviation. We used the mediolateral centre of pressure position (ML deviation) as a biomarker for spatial cognition perturbation, hypothesising that PA and NMV would improve ML deviation, with a potential synergistic impact when used together. MethodsWe conducted a multicentre, single-blind, randomised controlled study. Participants within 9 months of a right-hemisphere supratentorial stroke and with less than 40% body weight supported on the paretic side in standing were randomised into 4 groups (PA, NMV, PA+NMV, or control). Primary outcomeML deviation at Day 14. Secondary outcomes: force platform data, balance abilities, autonomy, and ML deviation, measured just after the first session (Day 1), at Day 90, and Day 180. A generalised linear mixed model (GLMM) assessed intervention effects on these outcomes, adjusting for initial ML deviation and incorporating other relevant factors. Results89 participants were randomised and data from 80 participants, mean (SD) age 59.2 (10.2) years, mean time since stroke 94 (61) days were analysed. At Day 14, a weak time x group interaction (P = .001, omega-squared = 0.08) was found, with no significant between-group differences in ML deviation (P = .12) or in secondary outcomes (P = .08). Between-group differences were found on Day 1 (P = .03), Day 90 (P = .001) and Day 180 (P < .0001) regardless of age and stroke-related data. On Day 1, ML deviation improved in both the PA and NMV groups (P = .03 and P = .01). In contrast, ML deviation deteriorated in the NMV+PA group on Day 90 and Day 180 (P = .01 and P = .01). ConclusionsThe study found no evidence of any beneficial effects of repeated unimodal or combined sessions of NMV and/or PA on ML deviation after stroke. Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01677091

Does vibration frequency and location influence the effect of neck muscle vibration on postural sway? A cross-sectional study in asymptomatic participants.

Postural control is of utmost importance for human functioning. Cervical proprioception is crucial for balance control. Therefore, any change to it can lead to balance problems. Previous studies used neck vibration to change cervical proprioception and showed changes in postural control, but it remains unknown which vibration frequency or location causes the most significant effect. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of different vibration frequencies and locations on postural sway and to serve as future research protocol guidance. Seventeen healthy young participants were included in the study. We compared postural sway without vibration to postural sway with six different combinations of vibration frequency (80, 100, and 150Hz) and location (dorsal neck muscles and sternocleidomastoid). Postural sway was evaluated using a force platform. The mean center of pressure (CoP) displacement, the root mean square (RMS), and the mean velocity in the anteroposterior and mediolateral direction were calculated, as well as the sway area. The aligned rank transform tool and a three-way repeated measures ANOVA were used to identify significant differences in postural sway variables. Neck vibration caused a significant increase in all postural sway variables (p < 0.001). Neither the vibration frequency (p > 0.34) nor location (p > 0.29) nor the interaction of both (p > 0.30) influenced the magnitude of the change in postural sway measured during vibration. Neck muscle vibration significantly changes CoP displacement, mean velocity, RMS, and area. However, we investigated and found that there were no significant differences between the different combinations of vibration frequency and location.

Effects of unilateral neck muscle vibration on standing postural orientation and spatial perception in healthy subjects based on stimulus duration and simultaneous stimulation of trunk muscles.

Neck muscle vibration (NMV) influences proprioceptive sensations and modulates standing postural orientation and spatial perception. However, the effects of NMV in healthy participants would vary based on the influence of stimulus duration and combination with trunk muscle vibration. Therefore, this study with a cross-over design clarified these effects. Twenty-four healthy participants (mean age, 25.7±3.7 years) were enrolled. To assess standing postural orientation, standing center-of-pressure (COP) measurements were recorded on a COP platform, starting with closed eyes and then with open eyes. The mean mediolateral (ML) and anteroposterior (AP) position [mm] of COP and other parameters were calculated. To assess spatial perception, subjective straight ahead (SSA) measurements were recorded, wherein participants were instructed to point and project the position of the manubrium of sternum on the touch panel using their right index finger with their eyes closed. Measurements were taken before and after four conditions: no vibration (control), left NMV for 30 s, left NMV for 10 min, and left NMV and left lumbar back vibration for 10 min. Vibratory stimulation was performed with the eyes closed at 80 Hz. The measurements under the four conditions were conducted with random cross-over and 5-min resting period between the conditions. COP and SSA values were subtracted before and after each condition for standardized variation and compared. NMV combined with trunk muscle vibration for 10 min resulted in significant deviations of the ML-COP toward the stimulation side and AP-COP toward the anterior side compared to the control condition with closed eyes. SSA showed no significant differences. These findings suggest that NMV-induced nervous system modulation would be amplified by proprioceptive sensory input to trunk muscles. Therefore, this method could provide a new option for clinical trials on postural orientation using NMV. SSA based on proprioceptive sensation may not be biased without visual illusions.

Neck Muscle Vibration Alters Upper Limb Proprioception as Demonstrated by Changes in Accuracy and Precision during an Elbow Repositioning Task.

Upper limb control depends on accurate internal models of limb position relative to the head and neck, accurate sensory inputs, and accurate cortical processing. Transient alterations in neck afferent feedback induced by muscle vibration may impact upper limb proprioception. This research aimed to determine the effects of neck muscle vibration on upper limb proprioception using a novel elbow repositioning task (ERT). 26 right-handed participants aged 22.21 ± 2.64 performed the ERT consisting of three target angles between 80-90° (T1), 90-100° (T2) and 100-110° (T3). Controls (CONT) (n = 13, 6F) received 10 min of rest and the vibration group (VIB) (n = 13, 6F) received 10 min of 60 Hz vibration over the right sternocleidomastoid and left cervical extensor muscles. Task performance was reassessed following experimental manipulation. Significant time by group interactions occurred for T1: (F1,24 = 25.330, p &lt; 0.001, ηp2 = 0.513) where CONT improved by 26.08% and VIB worsened by 134.27%, T2: (F1,24 = 16.157, p &lt; 0.001, ηp2 = 0.402) where CONT improved by 20.39% and VIB worsened by 109.54%, and T3: (F1,24 = 21.923, p &lt; 0.001, ηp2 = 0.447) where CONT improved by 37.11% and VIB worsened by 54.39%. Improvements in repositioning accuracy indicates improved proprioceptive ability with practice in controls. Decreased accuracy following vibration suggests that vibration altered proprioceptive inputs used to construct body schema, leading to inaccurate joint position sense and the observed changes in elbow repositioning accuracy.

'Does Vibration Frequency and Location Influence the Effect of Neck Muscle Vibration on Postural Sway? A Cross-Sectional Study in Asymptomatic Participants'

'Does Vibration Frequency and Location Influence the Effect of Neck Muscle Vibration on Postural Sway? A Cross-Sectional Study in Asymptomatic Participants'

Effects of neck muscle vibration on subjective visual vertical in an altered visual frame of reference

Rod and Frame Testing (RFT) has been used to investigate the effects of an altered visual frame of reference on subjective visual vertical. RFT requires an individual to align a luminous rod as best they can with true vertical.

Effect of neck muscles vibration on postural balance and spatial frame of reference: A systematic scoping review

Muscle vibration, in particular applied to the neck muscle is increasingly being used as a mean of rehabilitation treatment. Neck muscle vibration (NMV) is thought to have an effect on the representation of the body in space through sensory recalibration. The objective of this systematic scoping review was to map out the characteristics of the existing studies and gather the effect of neck muscle vibration on both spatial frame of reference and on postural balance. following the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search was carried out using the databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane library and PEDrO applying the following key words [(Postural balance) OR (Spatial reference)] AND (Neck muscle vibration) for those articles published through to July 2016. Altogether 67 studies were assessed and they unveiled both a large heterogeneity and a standard quality of methodology with a total of 1522 participants included. Under unilateral neck muscle vibration, the visual environment (illusion of a visual target) seemed to move towards the opposite side of the vibration, and both the visual vertical and the straight ahead were shifted towards the vibrated side. In addition, NMV produce a body tilt. This effect is however not constant at all times. NMV is considered as a useful remedy tool in rehabilitation therapy which has shown to induce a body sway on the force platform and a deviation of the spatial representation in both healthy subjects and patients. That said, however, owing to the heterogeneity of the experiences and the various significant shortfalls highlighted, this research does not allow us to firmly conclude our results.

After-effects of neck muscle vibration on sensorimotor function and pain in neck pain patients and healthy controls – a case-control study

Purpose: Neck muscle vibration immediately improves cervical joint position sense and dynamic postural control but increases pressure pain thresholds in neck pain patients. The aim of this study was to explore longer lasting effects of neck muscle vibration on sensorimotor control and pressure pain threshold.Materials and methods: Five series of neck muscle vibration were delivered to 15 neck pain patients and 11 healthy controls in this case control study. Outcomes were cervical joint position sense, arm-matching acuity, and pressure pain threshold at the zygapophyseal joint of C2/C3, the angulus superior, and the tibialis anterior muscle.Results: Cervical joint position sense acuity improved in neck pain patients and declined in healthy controls even after 24 h. Arm-matching acuity improved in patients assessed after 15 min, as was pressure pain threshold at the angulus superior in neck pain patients. In contrast, changes in the pressure pain threshold at the tibia were only observable immediately after vibration.Conclusion: Neck muscle vibration induced short-lasting general as well as longer-lasting specific effects on analgesia and sensorimotor function. Based on our observations, future studies should investigate potential benefits of neck muscle vibration as adjunct to physical therapy in order to improve cervical sensorimotor function.Implications for RehabilitationA single session of neck muscle vibration improves cervical joint position sense in neck patients for up to 24 h.Neck muscle vibration improves arm-matching acuity in neck pain patients.Neck muscle vibration increases pressure pain thresholds at the stimulated place but decrease pressure pain thresholds more distally.Neck muscle vibration shows distinct effects in neck pain patients and healthy control.

Short-term effect of neck muscle vibration on postural disturbances in stroke patients.

Balance disorders after stroke have a particularly detrimental influence on recovery of autonomy and walking. The present study is aimed at assessing the effect of proprioceptive stimulation by neck muscle vibration (NMV) on the balance of patients with right hemispheric lesion (RHL) and left hemispheric lesion (LHL). Thirty-one (31) patients (15 RHL and 16 LHL), mean age 61.5years (±10.6), mean delay 3.1 (±1.6) months after one hemispheric stroke were included in this prospective study. The mean position in mediolateral and anteroposterior plane of the CoP (center of pressure) and the surface were evaluated using a force platform at rest and immediately after 10min of vibration on the contralesional dorsal neck muscle. NMV decreases the lateral deviation balance induced by the stroke. Twenty patients (64.5%) experienced a visual illusion of light spot moving toward the side opposite stimulus. These patients showed more improvement by vibration than those without visual illusion. There was an interaction between sensitivity and side of stroke on the effect of NMV. Proprioceptive stimulation by NMV reduces postural asymmetry after stroke. This short-term effect of the vibration is more effective in patients susceptible to visual illusion. This result was consistent with a central effect of NMV on the structures involved in the elaboration of perception of body in space.

Long-lasting effects of neck muscle vibration and contraction on self-motion perception of vestibular origin

ObjectiveTo show that neck proprioceptive input can induce long-term effects on vestibular-dependent self-motion perception. MethodsMotion perception was assessed by measuring the subject’s error in tracking in the dark the remembered position of a fixed target during whole-body yaw asymmetric rotation of a supporting platform, consisting in a fast rightward half-cycle and a slow leftward half-cycle returning the subject to the initial position. Neck muscles were relaxed or voluntarily contracted, and/or vibrated. Whole-body rotation was administered during or at various intervals after the vibration train. The tracking position error (TPE) at the end of the platform rotation was measured during and after the muscle conditioning maneuvers. ResultsNeck input produced immediate and sustained changes in the vestibular perceptual response to whole-body rotation. Vibration of the left sterno-cleido-mastoideus (SCM) or right splenius capitis (SC) or isometric neck muscle effort to rotate the head to the right enhanced the TPE by decreasing the perception of the slow rotation. The reverse effect was observed by activating the contralateral muscle. The effects persisted after the end of SCM conditioning, and slowly vanished within several hours, as tested by late asymmetric rotations. The aftereffect increased in amplitude and persistence by extending the duration of the vibration train (from 1 to 10min), augmenting the vibration frequency (from 5 to 100Hz) or contracting the vibrated muscle. Symmetric yaw rotation elicited a negligible TPE, upon which neck muscle vibrations were ineffective. ConclusionsNeck proprioceptive input induces enduring changes in vestibular-dependent self-motion perception, conditional on the vestibular stimulus feature, and on the side and the characteristics of vibration and status of vibrated muscles. This shows that our perception of whole-body yaw-rotation is not only dependent on accurate vestibular information, but is modulated by proprioceptive information related to previously experienced position of head with respect to trunk. SignificanceTonic proprioceptive inflow, as might occur as a consequence of enduring or permanent head postures, can induce adaptive plastic changes in vestibular-dependent motion sensitiveness. These changes might be counteracted by vibration of selected neck muscles.

Neck muscle vibration can improve sensorimotor function in patients with neck pain

Background contextPeople with neck pain display a diminished joint position sense and disturbed postural control, which is thought to be a result of impaired somatosensory afferent activity and/or integration. Afferent processing can be artificially manipulated by vibration and was shown to reduce motor performance in healthy subjects. However, the effect of vibration on sensorimotor function in neck pain patients is scarcely investigated. PurposeTo assess the effect of neck muscle vibration on joint position sense and postural control in neck pain subjects and healthy controls. Study designCase control study. Patient sampleThirteen neck pain patients and 10 healthy controls participated in the present study. Outcome measurementsCervical joint position sense and dynamic and static postural stability. MethodsShort-term, targeted neck muscle vibration with 100 Hz was applied after baseline measurement. ResultsVibration had opposite effects in patients and healthy subjects. Patients showed improved joint position sense (p<.01) and reduced dynamic postural sway (p<.05) after vibration, whereas vibration resulted in reduced joint position sense acuity (p<.05) and a nonsignificant increase in postural sway in healthy controls. ConclusionsThis is the first study showing an improved motor performance after neck muscle vibration in patients with neck pain. Thus, vibration may be used to counteract sensorimotor impairment of the cervical spine. Potential underlying mechanisms are discussed.

Role of proprioceptive information to control balance during gait in healthy and hemiparetic individuals

Proprioceptive information is important for balance control yet little is known about how it is used during gait or how a stroke affects its use. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of proprioception in controlling balance during gait in healthy participants and after stroke. Twelve healthy and 9 hemiparetic participants walked on an instrumented treadmill in a fully lit room, while whole-body, three-dimensional kinematics were quantified. Vibration was applied continuously or during the stance phase only, on the posterior neck muscles and triceps surae tendon on the non-dominant/paretic side. Difficulty in maintaining dynamic and postural balance was evaluated using stabilizing and destabilizing forces, respectively. Continuous and stance phase vibration of the triceps surae reduced the difficulty in maintaining both dynamic and postural balance in healthy participants (p<.05), with a greater distance between the center of pressure and the limit of the potential base of support, a more backward body position, and no change in spatio-temporal gait parameters. No effect of neck muscle vibration was observed on balance (p=.63 and above). None of the vibration conditions affected balance or gait parameters among stroke participants. The results confirmed that proprioceptive information was not used to control balance during gait in stroke participants. The importance of proprioceptive information may depend on other factors such as walking and visual conditions. Changes in sensory integration ability likely explain the results after stroke. Further study is needed to understand the integration of proprioceptive and visual information to control balance during gait after stroke.

Local and global effects of neck muscle vibration during stabilization of upright standing

Neck muscle vibration (NMV) during upright standing is known to induce forward leaning, which has been explained as a global response to the (illusory) perception of a lengthening of the dorsal neck muscles. However, the effects of NMV both at the level of individual joints and on whole-body postural coordination, and its potential modulation by vision, have not yet been analyzed in detail. Eight healthy young adult participants completed a total of ten trials each, with a 10-s period of unperturbed standing followed by a 10-s period of NMV. Participants were instructed to stand "as still as possible". This postural task was executed under two visual conditions: eyes open (EO) and eyes closed (EC). Postural responses were measured in terms of center of pressure (CoP) and center of mass (CoM) profiles, and whole-body kinematics. Responses to NMV at the level of individual body segments and joints were assessed by decomposing the time series into linear trends and residual fluctuations. Inter-segmental coordination was analyzed using a decorrelation technique, assessing motor-equivalent stabilization of four task-related variables: CoM position, trunk orientation, as well as head position and orientation. NMV induced a general forward leaning response under both visual conditions, visible in CoP, CoM, segment positions and orientations. Locally, NMV induced a pronounced extension of the atlanto-occipital joint. Residual fluctuations were higher with EC and unaffected by NMV. Coordination analysis showed that stabilization of different body parts was differentially affected by NMV. Head orientation was consistently stabilized across all conditions, with weaker coordination in the EC condition. In contrast, motor-equivalent stabilization of CoM and head position, and trunk orientation was only observed during no-vibration periods. Taken together, our results demonstrate specific effects of vision and proprioception on different aspects of local and global postural control. While perturbed neck proprioception seemed to affect the postural "set point" (inducing forward leaning), vision appeared to mainly serve in noise reduction (residual fluctuations) and control of head orientation.

Effects of 5 minutes of neck-muscle vibration immediately before occupational therapy on unilateral spatial neglect

Purpose. To evaluate the effects of neck-muscle vibration for 5 min before occupational therapy (OT) on unilateral spatial neglect (USN).Method. In this multiple-baseline design study for 6 weeks (A1–B–A2 design: A1, A2; conventional OT without neck-muscle vibration, B; neck-muscle vibration before OT together with conventional OT), we examined 11 right brain-damaged patients in the post-acute phase of stroke who showed USN. Sessions A1 and A2: conventional OT for 40 min once daily for 5 days a week. Session B: the left posterior neck muscles of the patient were subjected to vibration for 5 min, without confirming the appearance of a kinaesthetic illusion, immediately before OT, and then the same OT programme as in sessions A1 and A2 was performed. Each session lasted 2 weeks. USN and activities of daily living (ADL) were evaluated at 2-week intervals by the Behavioural Inattention Test (BIT) and Functional Independence Measure (FIM), respectively.Results. Significant increases in the total scores in both the conventional subtest and behavioural subtest of the BIT were only seen during session B. FIM scores increased significantly during both sessions A1 and B.Conclusions. The application of neck-muscle vibration before OT may have positive effects on USN, but the specific effect on the improvement of ADL is not clear.

Effects of neck muscle vibration on subjective visual vertical: comparative analysis with effects on nystagmus

In patients with unilateral vestibular dysfunction, vibratory stimulation to the neck muscles not only induces shift of the subjective visual vertical (SVV), but also enhances the generation of nystagmus. In the present study, the effects of neck vibration on the SVV were compared with those on nystagmus in patients with unilateral vestibular schwannoma (14 patients; 6 males and 8 females, mean age 54.2 years). The results indicated that the presence of nystagmus and magnitude of the SVV were generally correlated, neck vibration significantly increased the abnormal shift of the SVV and the presence of nystagmus, and the effects of vibration to the ipsilateral dorsal neck were significantly larger than those to the contralateral dorsal neck on the SVV, whereas no significant difference was observed in slow phase velocity of nystagmus. The present study suggests that both SVV and nystagmus induced by vibration have many similar clinical features and may be important in assessing the unilateral vestibular dysfunction.

Support stability influences postural responses to muscle vibration in humans

We studied the effect of support stability on postural responses to the vibration of Achilles tendons and of neck dorsal muscles in healthy humans. For this purpose we compared postural responses on a rigid floor and on 6 cm high rocking supports (see-saws) of different curvatures (different radii: 30, 60 and 120 cm). The subject stood with eyes closed, the centre of the feet coincided with the centre of the see-saw. We recorded platform tilt, horizontal displacements of the upper body, ankle joint angle and activity of ankle joint muscles. On the rocking platform subjects maintained balance in a sagittal direction by making see-saw rotations placing the support under the body's centre of gravity. Equilibrium maintenance requires that the torque in the ankle joint increases during forward body displacements, as on the rigid floor, and be accompanied by a plantar flexion (not by a dorsiflexion) in the ankle joint. The directional dependence of vibration-induced reactions on the see-saw was the same (relative to space) as on the rigid floor: backward body displacement during Achilles tendon vibration and forward body displacement during neck muscle vibration. A decrease of support stability (with a decrease of the radius from 120 to 30 cm) diminished significantly the effect of Achilles tendon vibration and to a lesser extent the effect of neck muscle vibration. In contrast, the increase of platform stability by hand contact with a stable external object gave rise to prominent body sway in response to Achilles tendon vibration. Neck muscle vibration on the movable support provoked a quick initial forward body sway. This initial quick response was absent during vibration of the Achilles tendons. We conclude that postural responses to muscle vibration reflect the participation of different muscles in posture control and depend on the support properties. Support instability changes the role of proprioceptive information and the state of the system of equilibrium maintenance.

Neck muscle vibration modifies the representation of visual motion and direction in man.

The retinal coordinates of an image are normally insufficient to define the direction of an object in body-centred visual space. Gaze direction, specified by information on the position of eye-in-head and on the position of head-on-torso, is also required. While the source of the eye-in-head signal is controversial, it is clear that proprioceptive signals from neck muscles are sufficient to provide head-on-torso information. Observations by Goodwin et al., beginning in 1972, that vibration of limb muscles modifies proprioception from them, and induces illusory motion and false perception of limb position, suggested this study of the effects of neck muscle vibration on the representation of visual space. Verbal reports, supported by objective measures, revealed that vibration of muscles on one side of the neck induces a visual illusion: contralateral displacement of a small visual target viewed in the dark. Pointing movements towards the target are similarly affected, confirming that the representation of directions in visual space is modified by neck muscle vibration. A second vibration-induced illusion was uncovered when apparent displacement ceased. This is an illusion of pure target motion in the same direction as the previously observed displacement. The magnitudes of both the displacement and pure motion illusions were dependent on vibration amplitude and were unrelated to real or apparent movements of eyes or head. Taken together these observations indicate that vibration of neck muscles can modify independently (1) the central representation of the instantaneous direction of gaze and (2) the signal of the velocity with which this direction is changing.

Postural effects of neck muscle vibration in man.

Vibration of the dorsal neck muscles in man induces falling reactions, walking and "marche en étoile", probably by muscle afferent activation. It can be used as a reproducible error signal in analyzing the interaction between neck muscle proprioception and vestibular as well as ocular motor systems. These interactions are important for posture and coordinated head-eye movements.