Postural Sway Response to Local Vibratory Stimulation in Young, Middle-aged and Elderly People in Standing Position

We investigated the postural sway in response to local vibratory stimulation applied to young, middle-aged and elderly people in the standing position. For this purpose we developed a variable-frequency vibratory stimulation device and measured the postural sway using a gravicorder. As a result, when the vibratory stimulation was applied to the gastrocnemius muscles, the center of pressure moved backward in all subject groups. We found that elderly people with low back pain may perform balance control using their trunks more than their lower legs.