Effects of Microcurrent Electrical Stimulation on Tissue Repair after Muscle Injury

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to histologically verify the effects of microcurrent electrical stimulation (MES) on muscular recovery after muscle contusion.
Methods: Muscle contusion to the left gastrocnemius muscle was induced by the weight-drop method in 24 female Wistar rats aged 10 weeks. The animals were divided into two groups of 12 each: the non-intervention group in which animals were allowed to recover naturally; and the MES group in which animals were treated with MES for 30 min/day starting from the day after the muscle contusion. Tissue samples were collected for observation from six animals in each group on Days 4 and 7 post-muscle contusion, respectively. The Day-7 histological imaging was compared between the two groups in terms of regenerating muscle fiber count within a certain field area.
Results: The histological imaging showed expansion of the spaces between muscle bundles on Day 4 post-muscle contusion in the MES group and a regenerating muscle fiber count (within a certain field area) of 45.0 ± 12.8 in the non-intervention group and 67.4 ± 11.7 in the MES group on Day 7 post-muscle contusion, indicating a significantly higher count in the MES group.
Conclusion: Early treatment with MES after muscle contusion can potentially promote muscle regeneration.