title: Shock wave treatment improves nerve regeneration in the rat.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aims of the experiments were to: (1) determine whether low-energy shock wave treatment accelerates the recovery of muscle sensitivity and functionality after a nerve lesion; and (2) assess the effect of shock waves on the regeneration of injured nerve fibers.
  
  
  METHODS
  After compression of a muscle nerve in rats the effects of shock wave treatment on the sequelae of the lesion were tested. In non-anesthetized animals, pressure pain thresholds and exploratory activity were determined. The influence of the treatment on the distance of nerve regeneration was studied in immunohistochemical experiments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both behavioral and immunohistochemical data show that shock wave treatment accelerates the recovery of muscle sensitivity and functionality and promotes regeneration of injured nerve fibers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment with focused shock waves induces an improvement of nerve regeneration in a rodent model of nerve compression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurophysiology, Centre for Biomedicine and Medical Technology Mannheim, Ruprecht Karls University Heidelberg, Ludolf Krehl Strasse 13-17, 68167 Mannheim, Germany. siegfried.mense@medma.uni-heidelberg.de
authors.forename: Siegfried
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mense
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hoheisel
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008297:Male; D009409:Nerve Crush; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013016:Sound; D013497:Sural Nerve / Q000293:injuries* / Q000503:physiopathology