Scientists from Harvard University have shown that the combination of mechanical therapy with anti-inflammatory drugs can significantly improve the recovery of aging muscles after injuries. Research published in the journal Science Robotics.
Mechanotherapy is a direction in the rehabilitation of patients after muscle injuries using special simulators. This method has been used for a long time, but its biological basis and optimal parameters are still not fully understood, especially in elderly patients.
Previously, the study’s authors developed a robotic mechanotherapy device similar to a massage gun. This technology made it possible to accurately deliver non-invasive mechanotherapy to the injured muscles of mice while simultaneously measuring its biological effects in mice.
In a new study, researchers found that the same mechanotherapy treatments that help younger muscles recover faster after injury exacerbate damage to older muscles. The scientists found that this was due to the fact that mechanotherapy did not reduce inflammation in aged muscles, but increased it by interfering with the normal healing process.
Scientists have found a solution to this problem. They found that administration of the anti-inflammatory drug glucocorticoids reduced overall levels of inflammation to levels seen in damaged young muscles. This allowed the muscles to respond better to mechanotherapy and heal faster.