PHYSIOLOGICAL AND MECHANICAL RESPONSE OF THE HUMAN TO LONGITUDINAL WHOLE-BODY VIBRATION AS DETERMINED BY SUBJECTIVE RESPONSE

Abstract : The production of symptoms in specific body regions to whole-body vibrations is dependent upon physiological alterations resulting from the mechanical stimulation of various organ-tissue complexes of the body. We investigated subjective response to gain an insight into the mechanical properties of the body. Fifteen subjects experienced with whole-body vibrations were included in a two-phase study in an attempt to measure qualitatively and quantitatively subjective response to longitudinal vibrations from 1 to 20 cps in a sitting position. In the first phase the complexity of body response to whole-body vibration was demonstrated since the subjects usually experienced several symptoms for each frequency tested. The second phase suggested that the sensations were resonance-dependent. Mechanical and physiological responses were correlated.