Low-level laser therapy as a treatment for chronic pain

Review of Literature on Low-level Laser Therapy Benefits for Nonpharmacological Pain Control in Chronic Pain and Osteoarthritis

Conclusion • Based on current research, the utilization of LLLT for pain management and osteoarthritic conditions may be a complementary strategy used in clinical practice to provide symptom management for patients suffering from osteoarthritis and chronic pain.

Photobiomodulation: Implications for Anesthesia and Pain Relief

Conclusions: This review provides strong evidence in neuroscience identifying inhibition of neural function as a mechanism for the clinical application of PBM in pain and anesthesia.

The Efficacy of Low-Power Lasers in Tissue Repair and Pain Control: A Meta-Analysis Study

Comparative Study of the Physiotherapeutic and Drug Protocol and Low-Level Laser Irradiation in the Treatment of Pain Associated with Temporomandibular Dysfunction

Conclusions: Based on obtained data, we concluded that, compared to drug protocol, laser therapy treatment is effective to control pain associated with TMD.

Use of low intensity laser treatment in neuropathic pain refractory to clinical treatment in amputation stumps

This article focuses on three patients with chronic, intense, and debilitating stump pain who were previously treated with pain medications, but with little success. These patients underwent nine sessions of low-intensity laser therapy (LILT) to the stump – this is a new treatment that has been used to treat other pain disorders. All patients reported a decrease in the intensity of their pain and increased ability to perform daily living activities during a 4-month follow-up.

Efficacy of Photobiomodulation Therapy in the Treatment of Pain and Inflammation: A Literature Review

A total of 11 articles were selected, all of them RCTs. Of the articles, five showed that PBM positively influences chronic pain, while another showed the same but only in the short term. In two other articles, the patient’s inflammation improved markedly. In one article there was no improvement in chronic pain and in another, there was no improvement in inflammation. Four articles demonstrated that PBM is beneficial in acute pain. Furthermore, six studies were given an “excellent” score and the remaining five a “good” score based on the IVS.

Pain suppressive effect of low power laserirradiation. A quantitative analysis of substance P in the rat spinal dorsal root ganglion

These results suggest that the laser irradiation suppresses the excitation of the unmyelinated C-fibers in the afferent sensory pathway.

PLASMA ACTH AND ?-ENDORPHIN LEVELS IN RESPONSE TO LOW LEVEL LASER THERAPY (LLLT) FOR MYOFASCIAL TRIGGER POINTS

Results indicated that the analgesic response to phototherapy may be mediated through hormonal/opioid mechanisms, and that responses to LLLT are dose and wavelength dependent