Characterization of the Frequency and Muscle Response in the Lumbar and Thoracic Spines During Sinusoidal Vertical Whole Body Vibration

Vibration exposure has been linked to chronic neck and lower back pain [1,2]. For example, American male workers operating vibrating vehicles, such as industrial trucks and tractors, have been reported to have a higher prevalence of low back pain than workers whose occupations do not involve vibration exposures [1]. Also, military helicopter aviators report increased pain during deployment compared to pre-deployment, with between 22–37% reporting neck and 39–70% reporting low back pain [2]. It has been suggested that the cyclic muscle response to whole body vibration (WBV) can lead to muscle fatigue, further contributing to the development of low back pain [3]. Although several studies have measured the transmissibility response of the human spine [4,5], studies defining the mechanical effects of whole body vibration in a seated human are limited [4,5] and none have investigated the relationship between the biomechanical and muscle activity responses during such whole body vibration exposures.