Journal of clinical laser medicine & surgery
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J Clin Laser Med Surg · Dec 1996
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialDelayed-onset muscle soreness: lack of effect of combined phototherapy/low-intensity laser therapy at low pulse repetition rates.
A double-blind, placebo-controlled study using male subjects (n = 60), was conducted to investigate the efficacy of three different frequencies of combined phototherapy/low-intensity laser therapy (CLILT) in alleviating the signs and symptoms of delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). The study was approved by the University's ethical committee. After screening for relevant pathologies, recent analgesic or steroid drug usage, current pain, diabetes, or current involvement in regular weight-training activities, subjects were randomly allocated to one of five experimental groups: Control, Placebo, or 2.5-Hz, 5-Hz, or 20-Hz CLILT groups (660-950 nm; 31.7 J/cm2; pulsed at the given frequencies for a duration of 12 min; n = 12 all groups). ⋯ Measurements were taken before and after treatment on each day, except for the McGill Pain questionnaire, which was completed at the end of the study. Analysis of results using repeated measures and one-factor analysis of variance with relevant post hoc tests showed significant changes in ranges of movement accompanied by increases in subjective pain and tenderness for all groups over time (p = 0.0001); however, such analysis failed to show any significant differences between groups on any of the days. These results thus provide no convincing evidence for any putative hypoalgesic effect of CLILT upon DOMS at the parameters used here.