Neuromuscular Response of the Trunk following Inertial-based Perturbations with Whole-body Vibration Exposure

INTRODUCTION Low back pain/injuries due to occupational based vibration exposures can cause physical and emotional suffering as well as become a financial burden to the injured, industry and society [1]. Although there is conflicting evidence [2,3], some research has shown that vibration exposure has detrimental effects such as delayed muscular response and poor kinaesthesia [2]. Therefore, it is important to investigate if vibration exposures have negative effects on the neuromuscular system, a system that is vital for optimal muscle force coordination. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of vibration exposure (below hazardous levels identified in the ISO 2631-1 standard) on the voluntary and involuntary neuromuscular responses prior to, during and following inertial-based trunk perturbations.