• Sholeh Nesioonpour, Reza Akhondzadeh, Soheila Mokmeli, Shahnam Moosavi, Mandana Mackie, and Morteza Naderan.
• Pain Res Manag. 2014 Nov 1; 19 (6): e154-8.

BackgroundThe use of intravenous regional anesthesia (IVRA) is limited by pain resulting from the application of tourniquets and postoperative pain.ObjectiveTo assess the efficacy of low-level laser therapy added to IVRA for improving pain related to surgical fixation of distal radius fractures.MethodsThe present double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial involved 48 patients who were undergoing surgical fixation of distal radius fractures. Participants were randomly assigned to either an intervention group (n=24), who received 808 nm laser irradiation as 4 J⁄point for 20 s over ipsilateral three nerve roots in the cervical region corresponding to C5-C8 vertebrae, and 808 nm laser irradiation as 0.1 J⁄cm2 for 5 min in a tangential scanning mode over the affected extremity; or a control group (n=24), who underwent the same protocol and timing of laser probe application with the laser switched off. Both groups received the same IVRA protocol using 2% lidocaine.ResultsThe mean visual analogue scale scores were significantly lower in the laser-assisted group than in the lidocaine-only group on all measurements during and after operation (P<0.05). The mean time to the first need for fentanyl administration during the operation was longer in the laser group (P=0.04). The total amount of fentanyl administered to patients was significantly lower in the laser-assisted group (P=0.003). The laser group needed significantly less pethidine for pain relief (P=0.001) and at a later time (P=0.002) compared with the lidocaine-only group. There was no difference between the groups in terms of mean arterial pressure and heart rate.ConclusionThe addition of gallium-aluminum-arsenide laser irradiation to intravenous regional anesthesia is safe, and reduces pain during and after the operation.

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