Manual Therapy for a Chronic Non-Specific Low Back Pain Rat Model

Summary

This study proposes a standardized procedure for manual therapy on chronic low back pain model rats, which will be of reference value for future experimental research on manual therapy.

Abstract

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a highly prevalent condition worldwide and a major cause of disability. The majority of patients with CLBP are diagnosed with chronic non-specific low back pain (CNLBP) due to an unknown pathological cause. Manual therapy (MT) is an integral aspect of traditional Chinese medicine and is recognized as Tuina in China. It involves techniques like bone-setting and muscle relaxation manipulation. Despite its clinical efficacy in treating CNLBP, the underlying mechanisms of MT remain unclear. In animal experiments aimed at investigating these mechanisms, one of the main challenges is achieving normative MT on CNLBP model rats. Improving the stability of finger strength is a key issue in MT. To address this technical limitation, a standardized procedure for MT on CNLBP model rats is presented in this study. This procedure significantly enhances the stability of MT with the hands and alleviates common problems associated with immobilizing rats during MT. The findings of this study are of reference value for future experimental investigations of MT.

Introduction

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is characterized by persistent low back pain lasting more than 3 months, typically between the rib cage and transverse hip line, with or without lower limb pain^1,2. It is a highly prevalent disease, with an estimated global annual prevalence of 38% and a lifetime prevalence of 39%, making it a common public health issue^3,4. The majority of patients with CLBP, more than 90-95%, cannot be given a definitive pathological and anatomical diagnosis (such as the tumor, fracture, and infection), leading to the classification of Chr....

Protocol

This experimental protocol was approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee of Zhejiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and all procedures adhered to the National Institutes of Health Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. The study used adult male SD rats (see Table of Materials) with a body weight ranging from 330 g to 350 g. All rats were housed in a standard animal facility with a light-dark cycle of 12 h, temperature of 24 ± 2 °C, and humidity of 50 ± 5%. The rats were provided with adequate food and water supply. The following protocol provides a detailed description of the CNLBP model establishment and man....

Results

In this study, the aim was to investigate the analgesic effect of MT on CNLBP model rats. For this purpose, 24 rats were randomly assigned to four groups, namely the blank, sham-operated, model, and MT groups, each containing six rats. The blank group did not receive any intervention, while the sham-operated group underwent only a surgical procedure in which the lumbar muscles on both sides of the L4-6 spinous process were separated and sutured without any subsequent intervention. The CNLBP model rats were established in.......

Discussion

Currently, a consensus on an animal model that accurately replicates chronic non-specific low back pain (CNLBP) is lacking. Multiple animal models of CNLBP exist, such as disc-derived, neurogenic, osteoarticular-derived, and muscle-derived models²³. However, these models have limitations due to the heterogeneous nature of CNLBP in clinical practice. The CNLBP model used in this study was modified from Henderson's "external link" model²⁴, which is an osteoarticul.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Automatic Dehydrator	Thermo Fisher Scientific Co.,Ltd	Excelsior AS
Automatic Stainer	Thermo Fisher Scientific Co.,Ltd	Gemini AS
Constant temperature table	Harvard Bioscience (Shanghai) Co.,Ltd	50-1247	Heated small animal operating table usually operated at 37 °C–38 °C
Digital Slide Scanner	HAMAMATSU Co.,Ltd	C13210-01
External link fixation system	Shanghai Naturethink life science & Technology CO., Ltd	custom-made
Embedding box	Citotest Labware Manufacturing Co., Ltd	31050102W
Hargreaves Apparatus	UGO BASILE Co.,Ltd	37370
Neutral Resin	ZSGB-BIO Co.,Ltd	ZLI-9555
Paraformaldehyde	Macklin Co.,Ltd	P804536
Penicillin	Hangzhou Zhengbo Biotechnology Co.,Ltd	ZSQ-100-160A
Plastic ball toys	Shanghai Huake Industrial Co., Ltd.	HK11029-35503
SD rats	Shanghai SLAC Laboratory Animal Co.,Ltd	SCXK (HU) 2022-0004	male, 330-350 g
Sodium pentobarbital	Hangzhou Dacheng Biotechnology Co., Ltd.	P3761
Von Frey filaments	Stoeltingco Co., Ltd.	NC12775
Weighing table	Shanghai Lichen Bangxi Instrument Technology Co., Ltd.	YP20002B