Effects of swimming and pulsed electromagnetic field therapy on nerve recovery in rats with sciatic nerve crush lesion

This study was planned to investigate the effects of swimming exercises and pulsedelectromagnetic field (PEMF) on wound healing in rats after crush-type injury as aneuropathy model. Study material was 28 adult male Wistar type albino rats. Animals aredivided into four groups including Group I as control (n = 7), Group II as injury (n = 7),Group III as injury + PEMF (n = 7) and group IV as injury + swimming (n = 7). Live bodyweight and electroneuromyographic (ENMG) measurements were made at 5 th day afterinjury. PEMF (2 Hz and 0.3 mT sinusoidal) and swimming exercises were applied to ratsfor 1 hour per day at five days a week. Rats were allowed to rest at every sixth day in weekfollowing the application and measurements were made at every seventh day. ENMGmeasurements were made using VIASYS Nikolet Viking Quest (ABD) electromyography(EMG) device with two channels. It was observed that motor nerve conduction rate,compound muscle action potential (CMAP), latency and Hmax/Mmax ratios wereinfluenced in varying degrees in all groups in the first 4 weeks. Both of PEMF andswimming exercises were made positive contributions to the nerve regeneration and wereincreased the regeneration from first week. At the end of the 4-weeks period, swimmingexercises were ensured better results than PEMF in regeneration. When duration of theprocedure was examined, it was observed that 4-weeks period was not enough for bothprocedures in order to complete the regeneration.