ABSTRACT
Paciente do sexo masculino, 55 anos, apresentava antecedente clínico de radiculopatia lombar abordado cirurgicamente (discectomia e artrodese L5-S1) em dezembro de 2021, com resolução completa da dor associada. Iniciou com quadro de dor pós-operatória de características distintas. A primeira sessão de tratamento iniciou-se com terapia por ondas de choque extracorpóreas focal direcionada ao quadrado lombar, glúteo médio, glúteo mínimo e região peritrocantérica à direita. Posteriormente, associou-se agulhamento seco em pontos-gatilho presentes nesses mesmos 3 músculos e também no ligamento sacrotuberal direito, junto à inserção do glúteo máximo direito. Numa reavaliação uma semana depois, o paciente referiu uma redução de 70% da intensidade da dor inicial. O mesmo tratamento foi repetido, com resolução completa dos sintomas no final da sessão. Três meses depois, o doente manteve o controle álgico e recuperou totalmente a sua funcionalidade e qualidade de vida anteriores. Neste caso de limitação funcional a longo prazo devido a dor lombar crônica, a combinação da terapia por ondas de choque extracorporais e do agulhamento seco resultou num método eficaz e rápido para obter o alívio da dor e restaurar a funcionalidade anterior. No entanto, são necessários mais estudos para investigar o impacto desta combinação de terapias no controle da dor e na perda de funcionalidade devido à dor lombar crônica.
Male patient, 55 years old, had a clinical background of lumbar radiculopathy and a surgical approach (L5-S1 discectomy and arthrodesis) in December of 2021, with complete resolution of associated pain. One year later, the patient seeks medical treatment, referring a new, different pattern of low back pain, which initiated post-surgery. The first treatment session began with focused extracorporeal shockwave therapy directed at the right quadratus lumborum, gluteus medius, gluteus minimus and peritrochanteric region. Afterwards, dry needling was associated in trigger-points present in those same 3 muscles and also in the right sacrotuberal ligament, close to the insertion of the right gluteus maximus. In a reevaluation one week later, the patient reported a reduction of 70% of initial pain intensity. The same treatment was repeated, with complete resolution of symptoms at the end of the session. Three months later, the patient-maintained symptom control and fully recovered his previous functionality and quality of life. In this case of long-term functional limitation due to chronic low back pain, the combination of extracorporeal shock wave therapy and dry needling resulted in an effective and quick method to achieve pain relief and restore previous functionality. However, more studies are needed to investigate the impact of this combination of therapies in pain management and functionality loss due to chronic low back pain.
ABSTRACT
Glucocorticoids represent some of the most prescribed drugs that are widely used in the treatment of neuromuscular diseases, but their usage leads to side effects such as muscle atrophy. However, different synthetic glucocorticoids can lead to different muscle effects, depending upon its chemical formulation. Here, we intended to demonstrate the muscle histologic and molecular effects of administering different glucocorticoids in equivalency and different dosages. Methods: Seventy male Wistar rats distributed into seven groups received different glucocorticoids in equivalency for ten days or saline solution. The study groups were: Control group (CT) saline solution; dexamethasone (DX) 1.25 or 2.5 mg/kg/day; methylprednisolone (MP) 6.7 or 13.3mg/kg/day; and deflazacort (DC) 10 or 20 mg/kg/day. At the end of the study, the animals were euthanized, and the tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius muscles were collected for metachromatic ATPase (Cross-sectional area (CSA) measurement), Western blotting (protein expression of IGF-1 and Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK pathways) and RT-PCR (MYOSTATIN, MuRF-1, Atrogin-1, REDD-1, REDD-2, MYOD, MYOG and IRS1/2 genes expression) experiments. Results: Muscle atrophy occurred preferentially in type 2B fibers in all glucocorticoid treated groups. DC on 10 mg/kg/day was less harmful to type 2B fibers CSA than other doses and types of synthetic glucocorticoids. In type 1 fibers CSA, lower doses of DC and DX were more harmful than high doses. DX had a greater effect on the IGF-1 pathway than other glucocorticoids. MP more significantly affected P-ERK1/2 expression, muscle fiber switching (fast-to-slow), and expression of REDD1 and MyoD genes than other glucocorticoids. Compared to DX and MP, DC had less of an effect on the expression of atrogenes (MURF-1 and Atrogin-1) despite increased MYOSTATIN and decreased IRS-2 genes expression. Conclusions: Different glucocorticoids appears to cause muscle atrophy affecting secondarily different signaling mechanisms. MP is more likely to affect body/muscles mass, MEK/ERK pathway and fiber type transition, DX the IGF-1 pathway and IRS1/2 expression. DC had the smallest effect on muscle atrophic response possibly due a delayed timing on atrogenes response.
