Qualitative analysis of effects of phonophoresis with Arnica montana onto acute inflammatory process in rat skeletal muscles

Abstract

This study aimed at verifying the effects of phonophoresis associated to Arnica montana on the acute phase of an inflammatory muscle injury. Forty Wistar male rats of which the Tibialis Anterior muscle was surgically lesioned, were divided into 4 groups (n=10 each): control group received no treatment; the ultrasound group (US), treated with US; the US+A group was treated with arnica phonophoresis; and the arnica group (A) received massage with arnica gel. Treatment for the three groups started 24 h after surgical injury and lasted 3 days, being applied during 3 minutes once a day. On the 4th day after lesion animals were sacrificed and sections of the injured, inflamed muscle were removed for histological analysis. Results showed, in C group, an intense infiltrate of inflammatory cells and an only incipient regeneration process; in both US and US+A groups an advanced inflammatory process was noticed, with organized and thick conjunctive tissue. In A group a reduced number of ill-arranged inflammatory cells was detected, which might lead to delays in the regeneration process. Since both US and US+A groups showed similar acceleration of the acute inflammatory process, it may be inferred that arnica phonophoresis did not have extra healing effect, hence is inneffective when compared to ultrasound alone.