• Ru-Lan Hsieh, Min-Tzu Lo, Wei-Cheng Liao, and Wen-Chung Lee.
• Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan. M001052@ms.skh.org.tw
• Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2012 May 1;93(5):757-64.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of short-term light therapy with 890-nm radiation on pain, physical activity, and postural stability in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).DesignA double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study.SettingRehabilitation clinic.ParticipantsWomen (n=62) and men (n=10) with a mean age of 61.2 years (range, 40-88y). All patients fulfilled the combined clinical and radiographic criteria for knee OA as established by the American College of Rheumatology, and all had obtained a Kellgren-Lawrence score of 2 or more.InterventionsParticipants received 6 sessions, lasting 40 minutes each, of active or placebo radiation treatment over the knee joints for 2 weeks (wavelength, 890nm; radiant power output, 6.24W; power density, 34.7mW/cm(2) for 40 minutes; total energy, 41.6J/cm(2) per knee per session).Main Outcome MeasuresParticipants were assessed weekly over 4 weeks using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) for pain, stiffness, and physical function. Physical activity (timed stair climbing, 10-m fast-speed walking, and chair-rising time) and postural stability (using the postural stability evaluation system) were also assessed. The pain score on WOMAC was the primary outcome variable. Data were analyzed by repeated-measures analysis of covariance.ResultsCompared with baseline, no significant improvement was observed between groups for pain (P=.546), stiffness (P=.573), or physical function (P=.904). No significant improvement was noted for physical activity including the 10-m fast-speed walking time (P=.284), stair-climbing time (P=.202), stair-descending time (P=.468), chair-rising time (P=.499), or postural stability (P=.986) at the 4 follow-up assessments. Follow-up assessments were conducted after 1 week of treatment (thus, after 3 treatments); after 2 weeks of treatment (thus, after 6 treatments); and 1 and 2 weeks, respectively, after treatment was terminated. Although we found a significant time effect for the 10-m fast-speed walking time (P<.001) in the 2 groups, and a significant group effect in the improvement of stair-climbing time in the treatment group (P=.032), the group × time interaction effects were not significant.ConclusionsShort-term 890-nm radiation therapy for patients with knee OA provided no beneficial effect in improving pain, physical activity, and postural stability.Copyright © 2012 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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