Vibration Impairs Proprioception during Active Cyclical Ankle Movements

Accurate information about the mechanical state of the body is a vital element of functional motor control. The role of proprioception in human motor control has commonly been investigated using vibration. Essentially, tendon vibration causes many small stretches of the musculotendon complex, evoking a sense of larger length changes than are actually occurring [1]. However, recent findings in the upper extremity have demonstrated that vibration does not influence position sense when muscles are actively supporting or moving a load, as the body’s mechanical state may instead be derived from sense of effort [2].