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Clinical Abstracts
Clinical Studies Utilizing Theralase Therapeutic Lasers
- Laser Therapy Applications for Chronic Joint Pain. September, 2002
Click here to view in pdf format - Low-Intensity Laser Therapy for Painful Symptoms of Diabetic Sensorimotor Polyneuropathy. December 23, 2003
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Low Level Laser Therapy - Positive Outcome Clinical Studies
- Wong E. et al. Successful management of female office workers with "repetitive stress injury" or "carpal tunnel syndrome" by a new treatment modality - application of low level laser. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1995; 33 (4): 208-211.
"The 100 mW GaAlAs laser rapidly alleviated pain and tingling in the arms, hands and fingers." - Sugrue M E et al. The use of infrared laser therapy in the treatment of venous ulceration. AnnVas Surg. 1990; 4 (2): 179-181.
"Infrared laser therapy used in a group of patients with chronic venous ulcers unresponsive to conservative measures produced a 44% ulcer reduction. The most dramatic effect of LLLT was the reduction of ulcer pain, from 7.5 to 3.5 on a VAS scale." - Simunovic Z, Trobonjaca Z. Treatment of medical and lateral epicondylitis - tennis and golfer's elbow. J Clin Laser Med & Surg. 1998; 16 (3): 145-151. In Low level laser therapy: a multicenter double blind, placebo-controlled clinical study on 324 patients.
"All 324 patients had previously been treated with various methods such as TENS, supersonic vibrations, drugs, and surgery. 82% of the acute patients experienced complete relief of pain and restored functional ability." - Longo L et al. Laser therapy for fibromyositic rheumatism. J Clin Med Surg. 1997; 15 (5): 217-220.
"During a 15-year period 846 patients with fibromyositic rheumatism were treated with LLLT. 66% of the patients benefited from the treatment with regard to local pain, hypomobility and phlogosis." - Wong E et al. Efficacy of low power laser therapy in the pain relief of migraine headaches. Proc Ninth Congress Soc Laser Surgery and Medicine, Anaheim, California, USA: 2-6 November 1991.
"20 patients suffering with migraine or symptoms resembling migraine were treated with a GaAlAs laser. The pain disappeared after 1-5 minutes." - Gruszka M et al. Low intensity laser therapy on herniated lumbar discs. Laser Surg Med. 1998; Suppl. 10: 6.
"GaAs laser therapy was used on 15 patients with one or more protruded lumbar disc herniations. 100% of the patients were free from pain at the end of the treatment program. Gait and neurological signs improved in all patients. EMGs and CAT scans showed less protrusion of the herniated discs." - Soriano F et al. Low level laser therapy response in patients with chronic low back pain. A double blind study. Laser Surg Med. 1998. Suppl. 10, p.6.
"Ten consecutive LLLT treatments were administered to elderly patients suffering from chronic low back pain. The treatment was effective in 71% of the patients. The pain disappeared completely in 45% of the patients." - Landau Z. Topical hyperbaric oxygen and low energy laser for treatment of diabetic foot ulcer. Archives of Orthpaedic & Trauma surgery. 1998; 117 (3): 156-158.
"Fifty patients with chronic diabetes foot ulcers were treated with topical hyperbaric oxygen alone (15 patients) or in combination with LLLT. 86% of the patients were cured." - Bernal G Helium Neon and Diode Laser Therapy is an effective adjunctive therapy for facial paralysis. Laser Therapy. 1993; 5 (2): 79-87.
"If the laser treatment was begun within two days of the occurrence of the injury, treatment with LTTT was successful in 100% of cases, and a maximum of 15 treatments was required." - Laakso E L et al. Plasma ACTH and Beta-endorphin levels in response to low level laser therapy (LLLT) for myofascial trigger points. Laser Therapy. 1994; 6: 133-142.
"In a double-blind study, 56 patients with chronic pain conditions were treated using LLLT and LED therapies. ACTH and beta-endorphin levels were significantly elevated in the LLLT group but not in the LED group." - Shiroto C et al. Retrospective study of diode laser therapy for pain attenuation in 3,635 patients: Detailed analysis by questionnaire. Laser Therapy. 1989; 1 (1): 41.
"Of the 3,635 patients treated over a period of 46 months, 82.8% regarded the treatment as effective." - Ortutay J et al. Psoriatic arthritis treatment with low power laser irridation. A double blind clinical study. Lasermedizin - Laser in Med Surg. 1998: 13 (3-4): 140.
"87% of the patients in the treatment group had a remission of clinical activity: increased range of movement decreased joint stiffness and tenderness. In the placebo group, only 20% of the patients improved."
Double Blind Therapeutic Laser Clinical Studies
Diode Laser in Cervical Myofascial Pain: A Double Blind Study Versus Placebo
Ceccherelli F, Altafini L, Lo Castro G, Avila A, Ambrosia F, Giron GP
Institute of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, University of Padua, Italy.
We present a double-blind trial in which a pulsed infrared beam was compared with a placebo in the treatment of myofascial pain in the cervical region. The patients were submitted to 12 sessions on alternate days to a total energy dose of 5 J each. At each session, the four most painful muscular trigger points and five bilateral homometameric acupuncture points were irradiated. Those in the placebo group submitted to the same number of sessions following an identical procedure, the only difference being that the laser apparatus was nonoperational. Pain was monitored using the Italian version of the McGill pain questionnaire and the Scott-Huskisson visual analogue scale. The results show pain attenuation in the treated group and a statistically significant difference between the two groups of patients, both at the end of therapy and at the 3-month follow-up.
E Liisa Laakso Carolyn Richardson, and Tess Cramond 1: Physiotherapy Department, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Brisbane; 2: Physiotherapy Department, Univeristy of Queensland, Brisbane; and 3: Pain Clinic, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Clinically, Low Level Laser Therapy - LLLT has been used successfully in the treatment of chronic pain but many have questioned the scientific basis for its use. Many studies have been poorly designed or poorly controlled. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, random allocation study was designed to analyze the effect of second daily infrared (JR) laser (820 nm, 25 mW) and visible red laser (670 nm, 10 mW) at 1 J/cm2 and 5 J/cm2 on chronic pain. Forty-one consenting subjects with chronic pain conditions exhibiting myofascial trigger points in the neck and upper trunk region underwent five treatment sessions over a two week period. To assess progress, pain scores were measured using visual analogue scales before and after each treatment. The incidence of side effects was recorded. All groups demonstrated significant reductions in pain over the duration of the study with those groups, which received infrared (829 nm) laser at 1 J/cm2 and 5 J/cm2, demonstrating the most significant effects (p<0.001). Only those subjects who had active laser treatment experienced side effects. Results indicated that responses to LLLT at the parameters used in this study are subject to placebo and may be dependent on power output, dose and /or wavelength.
Addressee for Correspondence: E Liisa Laakso BPhty PhD, Physiotherapy Department, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Herston, Queensland, Australia, 4029. 6/97 Rep. US $8-10-12 copyright 1997 by LT Publishers, U.K. Ltd. Manuscript received: January, 1997 Accepted for publication: March 1997 LASER THERAPY. 9: 67-72 67
Successful Management of Female Office Workers with "Repetitive Stress Injury" or "Carpal Tunnel Symdrome" by a New Treatment Modality - Application of Low Level Laser
E Wong G LEE J. Zu CHERMAN and D. P. MASON
Western Heart Institute and St. Mary's Spine Center St. Mary's Medical Center San Franscisco. CA USA and Head and Neck Pain Center, Honolulu HL. USA
Abstract. Female office workers with desk jobs who are incapacitated by pain and tingling in the hands and fingers are often diagnosed by physicians as "repetitive stress injury" (RSI) or "carpal tunnel syndrome" (CTS). These patients usually have poor posture with their head and neck stooped forward and shoulders rounded; upon palpitation they have pain and tenderness at the spinous processes C5 - T1 and the medical angle of the scapula. In 35 such patients we focused the treatment primarily at the posterior neck area and not the wrists and hands. A low level laser (100 mW) was used and directed at the tips of the spinous processes C5 - T1. The laser rapidly alleviated the pain and tingling in the arms, hands and fingers and diminished tenderness at the involved spinous processes. Thereby, it has become apparent that many patients labeled as having RSI or CTS have predominantly cervical radicular dysfunction resulting in pain to the upper extremities which can be managed by low level laser. Successful long-term management involves treating the soft tissue lesions in the neck combined with correcting abnormal head, neck and shoulder posture by taping, cervial collars, and clavicle harnesses as well as improved work ergonomics.
Manuscript received: July 1997 Accepted for publication: September 1997 LASER THERAPY, 1997:9: 1997 131-136 09/97 Rep. US $10-12-14 Copyright 1997 by LT Publishers, UK., Ltd.