Study On The Mechanism Of Recovery Of Cervical Nerve Roots Injury Treated With Manipulation Of Mechanical Vibration And Compression Of The Acupoints

Objective :Using a self constructed mechanical vibration manipulation machine to treat rats with cervical nerve root injury using a treatment method of mechanical vibration and steady compression of certain acupoints. The results were then analysed using nerve electrophysiology and immunohistochemistry to observe the effect of treatment methods on the recovery of damaged rat cervical nerve root tissue, and to speculate about the mechanism of recovery.Method:Right-sided cervical nerve root injury was surgically induced in 120 Wistar rats. The rats healed for one week before they were separated randomly and equally into three groups. Each group contained 40 rats each. The first group was the mechanical vibration and steady compression group, the second group was the NGF group, and the third group was the model comparison group. Each group was then divided into 4 subgroups based on the treatment time periods of 7 days, 14 days, 21 days, and 28 days.The mechanical vibration and steady compression group used a method of mechanical vibration and steady compression of the rat Qu Chi (LI-11), He Gu (LI-4), and Ashi acupoints. Each acupoint received treatment for one minute once a day. The NGF group used a method of intramuscular injection of NGF into the pectoralis major of the injured side. The model comparison group receiced no medical treatment. At the appropriate treatment dates, based on the subgroup assignments, several parameters were taken. The gait of the rat was observed, both forelimb diameters were measured and compared to each other, the MNAP and MNCV of the right side forelimb were measured, the submandibular gland was stained by immunohistochemistry, and nerves were observed by electron microscope.Results :In all three groups, the mechanical vibration and steady compression group, NGF group, and model comparison group, the MNCV, MNAP, and submandibular gland NGF concentration all increased as treatment time increased. The difference in forelimb diameter in all three groups all first increased and then decreased; the mechanical vibration and steady compression group reached its peak at 14 days, and the NGF group and model comparison group reached their peaks at 21 days. In the 7 day and 14 day subgroups, the MNAP of the mechanical vibration and steady compression group and model groups showed no significant difference (P>0.05), whereas the MNCV of the mechanical vibration and steady compression group was significantly faster than that of the model comparison (P<0.05). In the 7 day, 14 day, and 21 day subgroups, the MNAP of the mechanical vibration and steady compression group was significantly better than the model comparison group (P<0.05). In the 21 day and 28 day subgroups, the MNAP, MNCV, and difference in forelimb diameter was better in the mechanical vibration and steady compression group than the NGF group (P<0.05), which was better than the model comparison group (P<0.01).Submandibular gland NGF immunohistochemistry: Each subgroup in the mechanical vibration and steady compression group was. better than both the NGF and model comparison groups(P<0.05). In the 7 day subgroups, the model comparison group was better than the NGF group. However, in the 14 day, 21 day, and 28 day subgroups, the NGF group was better than the model comparison group.Gait analysis:In the 7 day and 14 day subgroups, there was no significant difference between all three groups (P>0.05). In the 21 day and 28 day subgroups, the mechanical vibration and steady compression group was better than the NGF group, and the NGF group was better than the model comparison group (P<0.05)Conclusion:This study show that mechanical vibration and steady compression of acupoints can effectively prevent muscle atrophy, increase the speed of injured right forelimb function recovery, induce submandibular gland NGF secretion, and induce the recovery of injured cervical nerves.