ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Physiol.
Sec. Exercise Physiology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphys.2025.1567227
This article is part of the Research TopicNeuromodulation Techniques, Mechanisms, and Potential Benefits for Physical Activity Participation and Human PerformanceView all articles
Concurrent effect of supra-threshold TENS applied over tibialis anterior muscle decreases mediolateral sway of healthy young adults
Provisionally accepted
- 1University Rehabilitation Institute (Slovenia), Ljubljana, Slovenia
- 2Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- 3Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Introduction:Postural stability during quiet standing relies on effective sensorimotor integration. Sensory stimulation techniques, commonly applied to the lower limbs, have been used to enhance sensory input and reduce postural sway. This study investigated the immediate effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) applied over the tibialis anterior (TA) and triceps surae (TS) muscles on postural sway in healthy young adults. A secondary aim was to compare the postural responses between the two stimulation sites.Methods:Twenty healthy volunteers (28.1 ± 3.8 years) participated in this study. Supra-threshold TENS at 100 Hz was applied over the TA and TS muscles in two separate sessions. Four postural sway variables were analyzed in the time domain: center of pressure (CoP) velocity, mediolateral and anteroposterior path lengths, and sway area. Testing was performed under both eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions.Results:TENS applied over the TA muscle significantly decreased mediolateral sway path length under eyes-closed conditions. No significant effects were observed for stimulation over the TS muscle, nor for either site under eyes-open conditions.Discussion:These findings suggest that supra-threshold TENS at 100 Hz applied over the TA muscle may improve postural stability in more demanding sensory conditions (i.e., eyes closed), with effects specifically observed in the mediolateral direction. No significant impact of TS stimulation was found under either visual condition. Further research is warranted to investigate the effects of prolonged or repeated TENS application and its potential to enhance postural control.
Keywords: postural control1, neuromodulation2, eyes closed3, healthy people4, Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation5
Received: 26 Jan 2025; Accepted: 26 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Vidovič, Kafel, Šuc, Rugelj and Weber. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Marko Vidovič, University Rehabilitation Institute (Slovenia), Ljubljana, Slovenia
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