No abstract

BACKGROUNDTreatment of neuropathic pain is still a challenge. Pharmacotherapies provide an effective efficacy for treatment of neuropathic pain, but drugs produce some side effects. Whether exercise training without drug treatment could provide beneficial effects on neuropathic pain.MATERIALS AND METHODSChronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve in male SD rats produces behavioral hypersensitivity and is an accepted model of neuropathic pain. All rats were divided into 6 groups: sham, sham with swimming/treadmill exercise, CCI, CCI with swimming/treadmill exercise. We compared behavior responses and body weight in sham operated and CCI rats with or without exercise training. Thermal hyperalgesia and tactile allodynia was assessed by Plantar test and von Frey filament test.RESULTSOur results showed that treatment with swimming and treadmill exercises attenuated thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia significantly in the CCI rat. The change trend of body weight indicated no significant differences between each group but not the sham group.CONCLUSIONOur preliminary results support both swimming and treadmill exercises training attenuated neuropathic pain in the rat. This study was supported partially by a grant from the China Medical University (CMU98‐S‐35) of Taiwan.