In typical traditional hearing, sound waves move through the air, reaching the ear canal and then causing the eardrum to vibrate. Bone conduction, on the other hand, is a physiological mechanism by which sound waves are transmitted to the inner ear by vibrations of the bones within the skull. These vibrations are then transmitted by way of the middle ear bones (ossicles) to the inner ear, where they are transformed into electrical signals that the brain perceives as sound.

With bone conduction, sound waves take a detour from the outer and middle ear and directly stimulate the inner ear. This scenario can occur when vibrations from a vibrating object or even more specifically from bone conduction headphones, are attached or placed upon the bones of the skull. Bone conduction technology is utilized for various health-related applications such as for hearing aids. This technology can be highly beneficial for people with particular types of hearing loss or for environments where traditional headphones may not be as appropriate, such as underwater communication or scenarios requiring awareness of ambient sounds.

I propose that this concept of bone conduction might be related to the perception of sounds originating from within the body, such as sounds produced by muscles, bones, and joints. However, specific sounds that one may hear when moving their bodies about, during physical exercise or other activities may actually come about due to different physiological mechanisms. Sounds such as snap, crackle, and pop (just like the old Rice Crispie cereal catchphrase) are more commonly due to the movement of joints and their release of gas bubbles within the synovial fluid that is known to lubricate the joints. The sound of a particular joint “popping” may be the result of the release of nitrogen gas from within the synovial fluid, when pressure changes come about during joint movement. While these sounds may not always directly related to bone conduction in the sense of transmission of sound waves through to the inner ear bones, they do involve the mechanical aspects of bone and joint movement. Bone conduction as explained here previously, usually refers to the transmission of external sounds through the bones of the skull to the inner ear, as opposed to sounds generated from within the body.

However, I draw some attention to this phenomenon as being more apparent when practicing specific exercises from activities such as yoga, Pilates, tai chi, qigong, and perhaps others. These methods usually require a heightened sense of self-awareness, where an individual can become quite sensitive to interoception. Interoception is the ability to sense internal signals from one’s own body, such as when we are hungry, when our heart is beating fast, or when we need to use the toilet. Having this level of self-awareness sensitivity may provide opportunities to “hear” their digestive system working, muscles, fascia, and bones repositioning, and even hear their own heartbeat as if it were outside of their physical body. In summary, the sounds we hear during exercise are probably more related to joint physiology, mechanics, and fluid dynamics, than due to the bone conduction of external sounds being transmitted to within our heads.

Reference:

Chadwick, J. (2020, July 30). Apple unveils “bone conduction headphones” concept. Mail Online. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-8576155/Apple-unveils-bone-conduction-headphones-concept.html

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Jim Moltzan

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