Is low-level laser therapy in relieving neck pain effective? Systematic review and meta-analysis

Is low-level laser therapy in relieving neck pain effective? Systematic review and meta-analysis The aim of this study is to determine the efficacy of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in reducing acute and chronic neck pain as measured by the visual analog scale (VAS). A systematic search of nine electronic databases was conducted to identify original articles. For study selection, two reviewers independently assessed titles, abstracts, and full text for eligibility. Methodological quality was assessed using the Detsky scale. Data were analyzed using random-effects model in the presence of heterogeneity and fixed-effect model in its absence. Heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran’s Q statistic and quantifying I 2. Risk ratios (RR) with 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were reported. Eight randomized controlled trials involving 443 patients met the strict inclusion criteria. Inter-rater reliability for study selection was 92.8 % (95 % CIs 80.9–100 %) and for methodological quality assessment was 83.9 % (95 % CIs 19.4–96.8 %). Five trials included patients with cervical myofascial pain syndrome (CMPS), and three trials included different patient populations. A meta-analysis of five CMPS trials revealed a mean improvement of VAS score of 10.54 with LLLT (95 % CI 0.37–20.71; Heterogeneity I 2 = 65 %, P = 0.02). This systematic review provides inconclusive evidence because of significant between-study heterogeneity and potential risk of bias. The benefit seen in the use of LLLT, although statistically significant, does not constitute the threshold of minimally important clinical difference. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Rheumatology International Springer Journals

Is low-level laser therapy in relieving neck pain effective? Systematic review and meta-analysis

Download PDF
9 pages
Read Article

Loading next page...
 
/lp/springer-journals/is-low-level-laser-therapy-in-relieving-neck-pain-effective-systematic-zUXOWoXcJc
Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 2013 by Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
Subject
Medicine & Public Health; Rheumatology
ISSN
0172-8172
eISSN
1437-160X
DOI
10.1007/s00296-013-2742-z
pmid
23579335
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the efficacy of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in reducing acute and chronic neck pain as measured by the visual analog scale (VAS). A systematic search of nine electronic databases was conducted to identify original articles. For study selection, two reviewers independently assessed titles, abstracts, and full text for eligibility. Methodological quality was assessed using the Detsky scale. Data were analyzed using random-effects model in the presence of heterogeneity and fixed-effect model in its absence. Heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran’s Q statistic and quantifying I 2. Risk ratios (RR) with 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were reported. Eight randomized controlled trials involving 443 patients met the strict inclusion criteria. Inter-rater reliability for study selection was 92.8 % (95 % CIs 80.9–100 %) and for methodological quality assessment was 83.9 % (95 % CIs 19.4–96.8 %). Five trials included patients with cervical myofascial pain syndrome (CMPS), and three trials included different patient populations. A meta-analysis of five CMPS trials revealed a mean improvement of VAS score of 10.54 with LLLT (95 % CI 0.37–20.71; Heterogeneity I 2 = 65 %, P = 0.02). This systematic review provides inconclusive evidence because of significant between-study heterogeneity and potential risk of bias. The benefit seen in the use of LLLT, although statistically significant, does not constitute the threshold of minimally important clinical difference.

Journal

Rheumatology International – Springer Journals

Published: Apr 12, 2013

References

  • The epidemiology of neck pain
    Hoy, DG; Protani, M; De, R; Buchbinder, R
    Bookmark
  • Bonica’s management of pain
    Loeser, JD; Bonica, JJ
  • Evaluation of neck pain. Primary care medicine
    Goroll, AH
  • Clinical practice implications of the bone and joint decade 2000–2010 task force on neck pain and its associated disorders: from concepts and findings to recommendations
    Guzman, J; Haldeman, S; Carroll, LJ; Carragee, EJ; Hurwitz, EL; Peloso, P
  • Low level laser therapy (classes I, II and III) for treating rheumatoid arthritis
    Brosseau, L; Robinson, V; Wells, G; Debie, R; Gam, A; Harman, K
  • Selective decrease of small sensory neurons in lumbar dorsal root ganglia labeled with horseradish peroxidase after ND: YAG laser irradiation of the tibial nerve in the rat
    Wesselmann, U; Lin, SF; Rymer, WZ
  • Blockade of inflammatory signals by laser radiation
    Palma, J; Juri, H; Campana, V
  • 820 nm gallium aluminium arsenide laser modulation of a prostaglandin E2 production in interleukin 1 stimulated myoblasts
    Sattayut, S; Hughes, F; Bradley, P
  • Efficacy of 904 nm gallium Arsenide low level laser therapy in the management of chronic myofascial pain in the neck: a double-blind and randomize-controlled trial
    Gur, A; Sarac, AJ; Cevik, R; Altindag, O; Sarac, S
  • Low level laser therapy for nonspecific low-back pain
    Yousefi-Nooraie, R; Schonstein, E; Heidari, K; Rashidian, A; Pennick, V; Akbari-Kamrani, M
  • The effect of low-level laser therapy on musculoskeletal pain: a meta-analysis
    Gam, AN; Thorsen, H; Lonnberg, F
  • Efficacy of low-level laser therapy in the management of neck pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised placebo or active-treatment controlled trials
    Chow, RT; Johnson, MI; Lopes-Martins, RA; Bjordal, JM
  • Incorporating variations in the quality of individual randomized trials into meta-analysis
    Detsky, AS; Naylor, CD; O’Rourke, K; McGeer, AJ; L’Abbe, K
  • Evidence-based medicine teaching tips working group. Tips for learners of evidence-based medicine: 4. Assessing heterogeneity of primary studies in systematic reviews and whether to combine their results
    Hatala, R; Keitz, S; Wyer, P
  • The measurement of observer agreement for categorical data
    Landis, JR; Koch, GG
  • Clinical importance of changes in chronic pain intensity measured on an 11-point numerical pain rating scale
    Farrar, JT; Young, JP; LaMoreaux, L; Werth, JL; Poole, RM
  • Low-level laser therapy for neck pain
    Shiri, R; Viikari-Juntura, E
  • Low-level laser therapy for neck pain
    Verhagen, AP; Schellingerhout, JM
  • Reliability of the visual analog scale for measurement of acute pain
    Bijur, PE; Silver, W; Gallagher, EJ
  • Pain: a review of three commonly used pain rating scales
    Williamson, A; Hoggart, B
  • Investigation of the effect of GaAs laser therapy on cervical myofascial pain syndrome
    Altan, L; Bingol, U; Aykac, M; Yurtkuran, M
  • Diode laser in cervical myofascial pain: a double-blind study versus placebo
    Ceccherelli, F; Altafini, L; Castro, GL; Avila, A; Ambrosio, F; Giron, GP
  • The effect of 300 mW, 830 nm laser on chronic neck pain: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study
    Chow, RT; Heller, GZ; Barnsley, L
  • A pilot study of low-power laser therapy in the management of chronic neck pain
    Chow, RT; Barnsley, L; Heller, GZ; Siddall, PJ
  • The effect of gallium arsenide aluminum laser therapy in the management of cervical myofascial pain syndrome: a double blind, placebo-controlled study
    Dundar, U; Evcik, D; Samli, F; Pusak, H; Kavuncu, V
  • Comparison of laser, dry needling, and placebo laser treatments in myofascial pain syndrome
    Ilbuldu, E; Cakmak, A; Disci, R; Aydin, R
  • The clinical efficacy of low-power laser therapy on pain and function in cervical osteoarthritis
    Ozdemir, F; Birtane, M; Kokino, S
  • Low-level laser therapy for acute neck pain with radiculopathy: a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized study
    Konstantinovic, LM; Cutovic, MR; Milovanovic, AN; Jovic, SJ; Dragin, AS; Letic, MD
  • Evidence-based surgery working group. Users’ guide to the surgical literature. Understanding confidence intervals
    Cadeddu, M; Farrokhyar, F; Levis, C; Cornacchi, S; Haines, T; Thoma, A
  • Meta-analysis of pain relief effects by laser irradiation on joint areas
    Jang, H; Lee, H

You’re reading a free preview. Subscribe to read the entire article.

Try 2 weeks free now

DeepDyve is your
personal research library

It’s your single place to instantly
discover and read the research
that matters to you.

Enjoy affordable access to
over 18 million articles from more than
15,000 peer-reviewed journals.

All for just $49/month

Explore the DeepDyve Library

or browse the journals available

Search

Query the DeepDyve database, plus search all of PubMed and Google Scholar seamlessly

Organize

Save any article or search result from DeepDyve, PubMed, and Google Scholar... all in one place.

Access

Get unlimited, online access to over 18 million full-text articles from more than 15,000 scientific journals.

Your journals are on DeepDyve

Read from thousands of the leading scholarly journals from SpringerNature, Elsevier, Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford University Press and more.

All the latest content is available, no embargo periods.

See the journals in your area

DeepDyve

Freelancer

DeepDyve

Pro

Price

FREE

$49/month
$360/year

Save searches from
Google Scholar,
PubMed

Create folders to
organize your research

Export folders, citations

Read DeepDyve articles

Abstract access only

Unlimited access to over
18 million full-text articles

Print

20 pages / month

PDF Discount

20% off

Sign up
for free
Start 14 day
Free Trial