Cryotherapy reduces functional impairment and oxidative damage after sciatic nerve injury in rats

Peripheral Nerve Injury (PNI) has a multifactorial etiology and results in functional impairment in both motor and sensory behavior, which can be reversed by appropriate treatment strategies. As PNI results in an inflammatory response, conservative modalities with antioxidant potential, such as cryotherapy, are promising tools to be studied. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of cold water immersion on functional, oxidative, and morphological changes after a PNI model in rats. PNI was surgically induced by compression of the sciatic nerve, and cryotherapy started the day after the injury and was applied daily for 15 days. PNI caused a significant impairment in motor behavior that was accompanied by microscopic damage to the structure of the sciatic nerve. The observed functional and morphological changes were accompanied by a significant oxidative damage in the skeletal muscle innervated by the injured sciatic nerve. The effects of cryotherapy in reducing motor impairment were corroborated by the modulation of morphological damage to the sciatic nerve and also by the reduction of oxidative damage in innervated areas. Taken together, the results presented suggest that cryotherapy may be a potential treatment resource after a PNI; however, more studies are needed to clarify the mechanisms underlying the origin of its therapeutic effects.