Lasers in medical science
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Lasers in medical science · Apr 2019
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyEfficacy of high-intensity laser therapy in comparison with conventional physiotherapy and exercise therapy on pain and function of patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial with 12-week follow up.
Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders causing pain and functional impairment. The purpose of the study is to compare the effects of high-intensity laser therapy (HILT), conventional physical therapy (CPT), and exercise therapy (ET) on pain and function in patients with KOA. The study was designed as an assessor-blind randomized controlled trial. ⋯ The effect of HILT and CPT on the TUG, 6MWT, and WOMAC pain subscale was not significantly different after treatment, and both were better than ET. HILT was significantly better than the others after follow-up, particularly more effective on the stiffness subscale of WOMAC. HILT combined with exercise therapy, as a useful therapeutic approach, could have positive influences on KOA patients.
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Lasers in medical science · Apr 2019
Randomized Controlled TrialClinical effectiveness of multi-wavelength photobiomodulation therapy as an adjunct to extracorporeal shock wave therapy in the management of plantar fasciitis: a randomized controlled trial.
The goal of our study was to investigate the cumulative effect of combining medium-energy extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) and photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT), as well as to compare between their relative effectiveness in the management of plantar fasciitis (PF). One hundred twenty participants with chronic PF, more than 6 months with failure to respond to conservative treatment, were randomly assigned into four equal groups. Participants received either ESWT with PBMT, ESWT (once a week), PBMT (three times a week), or sham-PBMT (three times a week) for three consecutive weeks. ⋯ Both ESWT and PBMT were effective in increasing PPT values, decreasing pain and increasing functional ability. Additionally, application of PBMT after ESWT was shown to be superior over ESWT and PBMT alone, and ESWT was superior over PBMT in terms of reducing pain sensitivity and increasing function. Level of Evidence II.