Effects of therapeutic ultrasound on the hyperalgesia and edema in arthritic rats

Abstract

With the population aging, the prevalence of chronic diseases of muscles and joints restricting in the elderly functional capacity has been increasing. The rheumatoid arthritis is part of this group of pathologies and the treatment of the disease has been basically to reduce the symptoms as pain, edema, rigidity, muscular atrophies through the inhibition of the inflammatory process. For this, treatments with drugs and treatment with physical therapeutics resources are used. The ultrasound is a physical therapeutic resource that has been used thoroughly in the clinical practice with the objective of solving the inflammatory process of the rheumatoid arthritis. The effect of the ultra-sound was observed on the edema and on the hyperalgesia of the posterior paws of arthritic rats. The rheumatoid arthritis was induced through an injection of an emulsion oil-water contends 400 ?g of Micobacierium butiricum. The hyperalgesia was detected in the 11 st day and the edema in the 12nd day after the induction of the rheumatoid arthritis. For comparative study, it was administered the indometacina orally in the dose of 0,5 mg/kg/dia during 15 days where we didn't observe reduction of the hyperalgesia but there was reduction of the edema of the posterior paws of the arthritic rats. The ultrasound in the frequency of 1 MHz. intensity 0,2 watts/cm2, for 5 minutes, for 15 days didn't reduce the hyperalgesia or edema of the posterior paws of the arthritic rats. The association of the ultrasound with the indomethacin in the doses already mentioned previously got to inhibit the hyperalgesia and edema of the posterior paws of the arthritic rats significantly.