ABSTRACT
Objective To observe the effect of low level infrasound on neuropathic pain and explore its underlying mechanism. Methods Rats were divided into experimental and control groups after their L5 spinal nerves had been ligated to create a neuropathic pain model. The experimental group was subjected to 40 to 80 dB infra sound. The control group received no infrasound treatment. Paw withdrawal latency in response to heat radiation was measured and the average gray scale of the microglia in a slice of the L5 spinal cord was compared. Results The experimental group expressed significantly lengthened paw withdrawal latency on the 12th and 14th day. The average gray scale showed significantly weakened activation of spinal microglia in the 2nd week of infrasound treatment compared with the control group. Conclusion Low level infrasound can ameliorate neuropathic pain to a certain extent,which might be related with inhibition of spinal microglia.