The Curative Effect of Swimming Exercise on Electrophysiological Parameters after Sciatic Nerve Injury

Year 2023, Volume: 6 Issue: 2, 37 - 50, 31.10.2023

Osman Özocak , Sevil Kestane , Huriye Humeyra Duran , Bekir Coksevim

https://doi.org/10.46385/tsbd.1325961

Abstract

The sciatic nerve damage can cause symptoms such as loss of muscle strength and pain as a result of trauma to the nerve due to pressure, stretching or cutting, as well as lifelong disability. Despite the increasing knowledge about sciatic nerve regeneration mechanisms, full functional recovery is still insufficient. It is well known that exercise improves overall health. The current study aimed to reveal the therapeutic effects of swimming exercises using electrophysiological methods in rats with experimental sciatic nerve injury. Eighteen male Wistar Albino rats were used in this study. The subjects were randomly divided into three groups (n=6): 1-Control (C), 2-Intact Exercise (IntE), 3-Operated Exercise (OpE) groups. Sciatic nerve injury was performed by inducing experimental damage to the left hind extremity sciatic nerve of rats. Swimming exercise was applied for 45 minutes a day, five days a week (25°C) for four weeks. The level of regeneration was evaluated by taking motor function test-sciatic function index and EMG recording performed at the beginning of the experiment (day 0), after nerve damage (day 3), and at the end of the experiment (day 35). It was determined that sciatic function index, amplitude of motor and sensory nerves, peak-peak amplitude, percentage of compound muscle action potential, motor and sensory nerve conduction velocities, which decreased after sciatic nerve injury, increased with swimming exercise (p<0.05). Positive and significant effects were observed in terms of nerve regeneration, motor functional recovery, and electrophysiological parameters in the swimming exercise groups. This study showed that swimming exercise has effective results in the level of recovery after sciatic nerve injury.

Keywords

electromyography, exercise, recovery, sciatic fonction index, sciatic nerve damage

Supporting Institution

Erciyes University Scientific Research Projects Unit (BAP)

Project Number

TDK-2019-9480

Thanks

The authors wish to thank Prof. Dr .Bekir Çoksevim for guiding during this study, the participants who supported the study and the Erciyes University support.

Yüzme Egzersizinin Siyatik Sinir Hasarı Sonrasında Elektrofizyolojik Parametreler Üzerindeki İyileştirici Etkisi

Abstract

Siyatik sinir hasarı, sinirin basınç, gerilme veya kesilme gibi nedenlerle travmaya uğraması sonucu kas gücü kaybı ve ağrı gibi semptomlara neden olduğu gibi hatta yaşam boyu sakatlığa da neden olabilmektedir. Rejenerasyon mekanizmaları hakkındaki bilgilerin artmasına rağmen tam fonksiyonel iyileşme hala yetersizdir. Egzersizin genel sağlığı iyileştirerek fiziksel ve psikolojik refahı arttırdığı iyi bilinmektedir. Bu çalışmada yüzme egzersizlerinin, deneysel siyatik sinir yaralanması olan sıçanlarda elektrofizyolojik yöntemler kullanılarak terapötik etkilerinin ortaya çıkarılması amaçlandı. Bu çalışmada 18 adet erkek Wistar Albino rat kullanıldı. Denekler rastgele üç gruba (n=6) ayrıldı: 1-Kontrol (K) grubu, 2-İntak Egzersiz (IntE) grubu, 3-Opere Egzersiz (OpE) grubu. Siyatik sinir hasarı, sıçanların sol arka ekstremite siyatik sinirinde deneysel hasar oluşturularak gerçekleştirildi. Dört hafta süresince, haftada beş gün, günde 45 dakika yüzme egzersizi uygulandı (25°C). Rejenerasyon düzeyi, deney başında (0. gün), sinir hasarı sonrası (3. gün) ve deney sonunda (35. gün) yapılan motor fonksiyon testi-siyatik fonksiyon indeksi ve EMG kaydı alınarak değerlendirildi. Siyatik sinir hasarı sonrası azalan siyatik fonksiyon indeksi, motor ve duyu sinirlerinin amplitüdü, peak-peak amplitüdü, bileşik kas aksiyon potansiyeli yüzdesi, motor ve duyusal sinir iletim hızlarının yüzme egzersizi ile arttığı belirlendi (p<0,05). Yüzme Egzersizi yapılan gruplarda sinir rejenerasyonu, motor fonksiyonel iyileşme ve elektrofizyolojik parametreler açısından olumlu ve anlamlı etkiler gözlendi. Bu çalışma yüzme egzersizinin siyatik sinir hasarı sonrasında toparlanma düzeyinde etkili sonuçlar olduğunu gösterdi.

Keywords

elektromiyografi, egzersiz, siyatik fonksiyon indeksi, siyatik sinir hasarı, toparlanma

Project Number

TDK-2019-9480

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