By Marie Oliveras, DC, ACU, NP, N.R.C.P.T., La Joya Hospital
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It has been reported that local vibration therapy can benefit recovery after peripheral nerve injury (PNI), but it was highly experimental, and effectiveness of the therapy was unclear. In the recent study, scientists investigated the effects of local vibration therapy of different amplitudes on the recovery of nerve function in rats with sciatic nerve injury (SNI). Sciatic pain issues are very common, and people suffering from symptoms of SNI are always searching for new therapies for relief.
According to the Journal of Integrative Medicine, in recent experiments, adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were used to help SNI relief. They were randomly divided into five groups, and starting on the seventh day after model initiation, local vibration therapy was given for 21 consecutive days with a frequency of 10Hz and an amplitude of 1, 2, or 4mm for five minutes. The sciatic function was assessed before surgery and 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after surgery. Tissues were collected after 28 days post-surgery for morphological, immune-fluorescence, and Western blot analysis (WBA).
The results of treated and untreated sciatic nerve injury groups were compared 28 days after surgery. The treatment group for sciatic nerve injury showed increased cross-sectional areas of myocytes (muscle cells) in the entire group. They were improved, and nerve growth factor (NGF) proteins in the treatment group was increased.
In conclusion, local vibration therapy, especially with medium amplitude waves, was able to promote the recovery of nerve function in rats with sciatic nerve injury. This result was linked to the growth of Schwann cells and the activation of the signaling pathways. I will be using frequency and vibration therapy for sciatica and piriformis syndrome, as well as other health issues that have been shown to have positive and effective results in recent studies. I’m looking forward to adding more therapeutic modalities to help my amazing patients. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me, Marie Oliveras, DC, ACU, NP, N.R.C.P.T., La Joya Hospital, Torre Medica, via WhatsApp at 415 197 6086.
