Laser treatment applied to acupuncture points in lateral humeral epicondylalgia. A double-blind study Comparison of laser, dry needling, and placebo laser treatments in myofascial pain syndrome. Efficacy of Low Power Laser Therapy in Fibromyalgia: A Single-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial The Effects of Laser Acupuncture on Chronic Tension Headache – a Randomised Controlled Trial Chronic myofascial pain: management by low-output helium-neon laser therapy. Investigation of the effect of GaAs laser therapy on cervical myofascial pain syndrome Efficacy of low level laser therapy in myofascial pain syndrome: an algometric and thermographic evaluation. 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. Effect of helium-neon laser irradiation on peripheral sensory nerve latency. Lateral epicondylalgia: report of noneffective midlaser treatment. The use of infrared laser therapy in the treatment of venous ulceration Comparison of laser acupuncture and metoclopramide in PONV prevention in children. How to estimate treatment effects from reports of clinical trials. I: Continuous outcomes. Effects of helium-neon laser irradiation on skin resistance and pain in patients with trigger points in the neck or back. Laser acupuncture for adolescent smokers--a randomized double-blind controlled trial. Standards for reporting interventions in controlled trials of acupuncture: The STRICTA recommendations. STandards for Reporting Interventions in Controlled Trails of Acupuncture. Effect of low intensity laser (830 nm) irradiation on skin temperature and antidromic conduction latencies in the human median nerve: relevance of radiant exposure. Effect of laser versus placebo in tennis elbow. Transdermal posterior tibial nerve laser therapy is not effective in women with interstitial cystitis. Effects of low intensity infrared laser irradiation upon conduction in the human median nerve in vivo. Laser stimulation of acupuncture point P6 reduces postoperative vomiting in children undergoing strabismus surgery. Prospective Randomized Trial Using Laser Acupuncture versus Desmopressin in the Treatment of Nocturnal Enuresis
& NA ; Forty‐nine patients suffering from lateral humeral epicondylalgia were enrolled in a double‐blind study to observe the effects of Ga‐As laser applied to acupuncture points . The Mid 1500 IRRADIA laser machine was used , wavelength : 904 nm , mean power output : 12 mW , peak value : 8.3 W ; frequency : 70 Hz ( pulse train ) . Localization of points : LI 10 , 11 , 12 , Lu 5 and SJ 5 . Each point was treated for 30 sec result ing in a dose of treatment of 0.36 J/point . The patients were treated 2–3 times weekly with 10 treatments in all . Follow‐ups were done after 3 months and 1 year . No significant differences were observed between the laser and the placebo group in relation to the subjective or objective outcome after 10 treatments or at the follow‐ups OBJECTIVE We aim ed to evaluate the effectiveness of laser therapy in myofascial pain syndrome treatment . BACKGROUND DATA Myofascial pain syndrome is a disease that is characterized by hypersensitive points called trigger points found in one or more muscles and /or connective tissues . It can cause pain , muscle spasm , sensitivity , stiffness , weakness , limitation of range of motion and rarely autonomic dysfunction . Physical therapy modalities and exercise are used in the treatment of this frequently encountered disease . METHODS The placebo controlled , prospect i ve , long-term follow up study was planned with 60 patients who had trigger points in their upper trapezius muscles . The patients were divided into three groups r and omly . Stretching exercises were taught to each group and they were asked to exercise at home . Treatment duration was 4 weeks . Placebo laser was applied to group 1 , dry needling to group 2 and laser to group 3 . He-Ne laser was applied to three trigger points in the upper trapezius muscles on both sides with 632.8 nm . The patients were assessed at before , post-treatment , and 6 months after-treatment for pain , cervical range of motion and functional status . RESULTS We observed a significant decrease in pain at rest , at activity , and increase in pain threshold in the laser group compared to other groups . Improvement according to Nottingham Health Profile gave the superiority of the laser treatment . However , those differences among the groups were not observed at 6-month follow up . CONCLUSIONS Laser therapy could be useful as a treatment modality in myofascial pain syndrome because of its noninvasiveness , ease , and short-term application Low energy lasers are widely used to treat a variety of musculoskeletal conditions including fibromyalgia , despite the lack of scientific evidence to support its efficacy . A r and omised , single-blind , placebo-controlled study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of low-energy laser therapy in 40 female patients with fibromyalgia . Patients with fibromyalgia were r and omly allocated to active ( Ga-As ) laser or placebo laser treatment daily for two weeks except weekends . Both the laser and placebo laser groups were evaluated for the improvement in pain , number of tender points , skinfold tenderness , stiffness , sleep disturbance , fatigue , and muscular spasm . In both groups , significant improvements were achieved in all parameters ( p<0.05 ) except sleep disturbance , fatigue and skinfold tenderness in the placebo laser group ( p>0.05 ) . It was found that there was no significant difference between the two groups with respect to all parameters before therapy whereas a significant difference was observed in parameters as pain , muscle spasm , morning stiffness and tender point numbers in favour of laser group after therapy ( p<0.05 ) . None of the participants reported any side effects . Our study suggests that laser therapy is effective on pain , muscle spasm , morning stiffness , and total tender point number in fibromyalgia and suggests that this therapy method is a safe and effective way of treatment in the cases with fibromyalgia Objective Headache affects the quality of life for many people throughout the world . Tension headache is among the commonest forms . Acupuncture is the most widely practised non-medicinal treatment for headaches . The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of laser acupuncture in this type of headache . Methods Fifty patients with chronic tension-type headache were r and omly allocated to treatment or placebo groups . Patients in the treatment group received low energy laser acupuncture to LU7 , LI4 , GB14 , and GB20 bilaterally . Points were irradiated for 43 seconds , and the intensity was 1.3J ( ~13J/cm2 ) . Ten sessions were given , three per week . The placebo group was treated in a similar way except that the output power of the equipment was set to zero . The outcome variables were headache intensity ( VAS ) , duration of attacks , and number of days with a headache per month , by daily diary , assessed monthly to three months after treatment . Results There were significant differences between groups ( P<0.001 ) in changes from baseline in months one , two and three , in median score for headache intensity ( treatment group -5 , -3 and -2 , placebo group -1 , 0 and 0 ) , median duration of attacks ( treatment group -6 , -4 and -4 , placebo group -1 , 0 and 0 hours ) , and median number of days with headache per month ( treatment group -15 , -10 and -8 , placebo group -2 , 0 and 0 ) . Conclusion This study suggests that laser acupuncture may be an effective treatment for chronic tension-type headache , but the results should be confirmed in larger and more rigorous trials Therapeutic benefits of low-output helium-neon laser therapy have not been established , but laser therapy has been suggested as an effective means of treating many acute and chronic musculoskeletal pain syndromes . Although not released for general clinical use by the FA , the helium-neon laser has been promoted to physical therapists and athletic trainers as potentially useful for the treatment of pain syndromes . In particular , it has been proposed that it may be more effective than conventional measures such as medication and conventional physical therapy in the treatment of myofascial pain syndromes ( fibrositis , fibromyalgia ) . The citations in the literature include only case reports . Sixty-two patients were treated by using acupuncture points .  Two sessions of five treatments were given six weeks apart . A crossover double-blind technique was used in the treatments . The clinical responses were assessed using portions of the McGill Pain Question naire . No statistical difference between the treatment and the placebo groups could be determined Low-energy laser therapy has been applied in several rheumatoid and soft tissue disorders with varying rates of success . The objective of our study was to investigate the effect of laser therapy on cervical myofascial pain syndrome with a placebo-controlled double-blind prospect i ve study model . It was performed with a total of 53 patients ( 35 females and 18 males ) with cervical myofascial pain syndrome . In group 1 ( n=23 ) , GaAs laser treatment was applied over three trigger points bilaterally and also one point in the taut b and s in trapezius muscle bilaterally with a frequency of 1000 Hz for 2 min over each point once a day for 10 days during a period of 2 weeks . In group 2 ( n=25 ) , the same treatment protocol was given , but the laser instrument was switched off during applications . All patients in both groups were instructed to perform daily isometric exercises and stretching just short of pain for 2 weeks at home . Evaluations were performed just before treatment ( week 0 ) , immediately after ( week 2 ) , and 12 weeks later ( week 14 ) . Evaluation parameters included pain , algometric measurements , and cervical lateral flexion . Statistical analysis was done on data collected from three evaluation stages . The results were evaluated in 48 patients ( 32 females , 16 males ) . Week 2 and week 14 results showed significant improvement in all parameters for both groups . However , comparison of the percentage changes both immediately and 12 weeks after treatment did not show a significant difference relative to pretreatment values . In conclusion , the results of our study have not shown the superiority of GaAs laser therapy over placebo in the treatment of cervical myofascial pain syndrome , but we suggest that further studies on this topic be done using different laser types and dosages in larger patient population BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The efficacy of low level laser therapy ( LLLT ) in myofascial pain syndrome ( MPS ) seems controversial . Our aim was to clarify the effect of LLLT in MPS by using algometry and thermography . STUDY DESIGN / MATERIAL S AND METHODS Sixty-two patients with MPS having an active trigger point in the neck or upper back region were r and omly divided into two equal groups according to therapy applied ( group 1 : LLLT + stretching exercises , group 2 : stretching exercises alone ) . The outcome measures were pain measured with visual analogue scale ( VAS ) , algometry on the trigger point , algometric difference , thermographic difference , and thermal asymmetry . Comparison was made within and between the groups pre- and post-therapeutically and 3 weeks after therapy . RESULTS Mean pain values decreased more significantly in group 1 from baseline to 3 weeks follow up ( 7.54 - 3.06 ) while these values were 7.03 - 5.19 in group 2 ( P < 0.05 ) . Group comparisons revealed significant favorable differences in group 1 patients in terms of all other parameters at the first and the second evaluation post therapeutically ( P < 0.05 ) . CONCLUSIONS LLLT seemed to be beneficial for pain in MPS by using algometry and thermography BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES A prospect i ve , double-blind , r and omized , and controlled trial was conducted in patients with chronic myofascial pain syndrome ( MPS ) in the neck to evaluate the effects of infrared low level 904 nm Gallium-Arsenide ( Ga-As ) laser therapy ( LLLT ) on clinical and quality of life ( QoL ) . STUDY DESIGN / PATIENTS AND METHODS The study group consisted of 60 MPS patients . Patients were r and omly assigned to two treatment groups : Group I ( actual laser ; 30 patients ) and Group II ( placebo laser ; 30 patients ) . LLLT continued daily for 2 weeks except weekends . Follow-up measures were evaluated at baseline , 2 , 3 , and 12 weeks . All patients were evaluated with respect to pain at rest , pain at movement , number of trigger points ( TP ) , the Neck Pain and Disability Visual Analog Scale ( NPAD ) , Beck depression Inventory ( BDI ) , and the Nottingham Health Profile ( NHP ) . RESULTS In active laser group , statistically significant improvements were detected in all outcome measures compared with baseline ( P < 0.01 ) while in the placebo laser group , significant improvements were detected in only pain score at rest at the 1 week later of the end of treatment . The score for self-assessed improvement of pain was significantly different between the active and placebo laser groups ( 63 vs. 19 % ) ( P < 0.01 ) . CONCLUSION This study revealed that short-period application of LLLT is effective in pain relief and in the improvement of functional ability and QoL in patients with MPS The purpose of this r and omized , double-blind study was to determine the effect of a helium-neon ( He-Ne ) laser on latency of peripheral sensory nerve .  Forty healthy subjects with no history of right upper extremity pathological conditions were assigned to either a Laser or a Placebo Group . Six 1-cm2 blocks along a 12-cm segment of the subjects ' right superficial radial nerve received 20-second applications of either the He-Ne laser or a placebo . We assessed differences between pretest and posttest latencies with t tests for correlated and independent sample s. The Laser Group showed a statistically significant increase in latency that corresponded to a decrease in sensory nerve conduction velocity . Short- duration He-Ne laser application significantly increased the distal latency of the superficial radial nerve . This finding provides information about the mechanism of the reported pain-relieving effect of the He-Ne laser This study was carried out to explore the pain-alleviating effect of Ga-As + He-Ne laser ( gallium-arsenide + helium-neon ) in lateral epicondylalgia . A Space Mid Laser Mix 5-up laser was used . The probe consisted of five Ga-As emitters and one He-Ne emitter in the center . The parameters for Ga-As were wavelength , 904 nm ; average output power , 4mW , peak power , 10W ; pulse frequency , 3800Hz ; pulse duration , 180nsec ; divergence , 70mrad . The He-Ne parameters were wavelength , 632.8 nm ; continuous ; power output , 5mW , divergence 60mrad . A pen laser ( Ga-As ) was also included in the equipment . Two machines were available ; one of them had no output in the Ga-As diodes , and the He-Ne emitter was replaced with a red light emitter .  Fifty-eight patients were consecutively assigned to two groups for laser or placebo . The probe was applied perpendicularly over the painful area for eight minutes , and then the pen probe was applied to two acupuncture points , LI 11 and LI 12 , for two minutes per point . The treatments were given three to four times weekly , ten treatments in all . Follow-ups were done after 3 , 6 , and 12 months . The treatment procedure was performed exactly according to the manufacturer 's manual for this diagnosis . No other therapeutic measures were used , and medication use was proscribed during the treatments and the follow-up period . The statistical analysis showed no significant differences in subjective or objective outcome between the laser and placebo treatments after the treatment period . However , the objective outcome indicated a difference in favor of the placebo treatment ( p less than .06 ) . ( ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS Management of intractable venous ulceration remains an unrewarding task which is increasingly delegated to the realm of the vascular surgeon . The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the ulcer-healing effects of the newest form of biostimulation — the low power laser .  Twelve patients with chronic venous ulcers unresponsive to conservative measures were treated with infrared laser irradiation for twelve weeks . Two ulcers healed completely and there was a 27 % ( p<0.01 ) reduction in size of the remaining ulcers . Treatment result ed in a 44 % ( p<0.01 ) increase in ulcer floor area occupied by healthy granulation tissue . The most dramatic effect of laser treatment was the reduction in ulcer pain , from 7.5 to 3.5 ( linear analogue scale ) ( p<0.001 ) . Laser irradiation had no effect on TcPO2 , number of skin capillaries or pericapillary fibrin deposition in the lipodermatosclerotic area around the ulcer . The results of this pilot study are encouraging and a carefully controlled r and omized study is indicated to compare low power laser irradiation to conventional treatment in the management of venous ulcers BACKGROUND Postoperative nausea and vomiting ( PONV ) are frequent side effects of general anesthesia in children . The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of laser acupuncture with metoclopramide in prevention of PONV in children after sevoflurane anesthesia . METHODS A total of 120 children ASA I and II , scheduled for hernia repair , circumcision or orchidopexy were r and omly assigned into three groups : group I , received laser acupuncture on P6 point and saline infusion ; group II , metoclopramide 0.1 mg.kg(-1 ) i.v . and sham laser ; group III had sham laser and saline infusion . Anesthesia was maintained with sevoflurane and N(2)O/O(2 ) . Patients were monitored for any symptoms of retching and vomiting at 2 , 6 and 24 h postoperatively . RESULTS The incidence of vomiting was higher in the control group in the first 2 h postoperatively ( P < 0.001 ) , compared with the other groups . There was no statistically significant difference between acupuncture and metoclopramide groups in occurrence and timing of vomiting ( P < 0.001 ) . CONCLUSION Laser acupuncture is equally effective as metoclopramide in preventing PONV in children Properly conducted r and omised trials can aid clinical decision-making by providing unbiased estimates of the average size of treatment effects . This paper , the first of two , discusses how readers of clinical trials can extract simple estimates of treatment effect size from trial reports when trial outcomes are measured on a continuous scale . When making decisions about therapy for individual patients , these estimates can be modified on the basis of patient characteristics . Modified estimates of treatment effect size can be used to determine if the effect of treatment is likely to be large enough to be " clinical ly worthwhile " . This approach optimises clinical decision-making by combining unbiased estimates of the size of treatment effect from clinical trials with clinical intuition and patient preferences The purpose of this double-blind study was to ascertain the effects of helium-neon ( He-Ne ) laser irradiation on skin resistance and pain in patients with trigger points in the neck or low back . This study entailed a partial replication of a previous study by Snyder-Mackler and associates that determined the use of the He-Ne laser increased skin resistance overlying a trigger point . Twenty-four patients were r and omly assigned to either a treatment or a control group and received three 20-second applications of laser irradiation or placebo " stimulation , " respectively . Pretreatment and posttreatment skin resistance and pain measurements ( via visual analog scale ) were taken during each session . Results indicated a statistically significant increase in skin resistance ( p less than .001 ) and a decrease in pain ( p less than .005 ) following laser treatment . There was not a significant correlation between skin resistance and pain across subjects . These data substantiate the previous findings of Snyder-Mackler and associates and demonstrate a reduction in pain .  Helium-neon laser treatment , therefore , may be an effective adjunct to conventional physical therapy of these patients A double blind , r and omized , placebo-controlled clinical study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of laser acupuncture treatment in adolescent smokers . Three hundred and thirty adolescent smokers at the Smoking Cessation Clinic of Child Guidance Clinic , Institute of Health , Singapore , were r and omly assigned in equal numbers to laser acupuncture treatment and sham acupuncture ( control ) groups . The proportions of patients with complete smoking cessation after completing treatment for four weeks were 21.9 % in the treatment group and 21.4 % in the control group . At three months post-treatment , the rates for complete cessation were 24.8 % and 26.2 % , respectively . Thus , there was no significant difference in the rates of smoking cessation in the treatment and control groups Acupuncture treatment and control group interventions in parallel-group r and omised trials of acupuncture are not always precisely reported . In an attempt to improve st and ards , an international group of experienced acupuncturists and research ers devised a set of recommendations , design ating them STRICTA : ST and ards for Reporting Interventions in Controlled Trials of Acupuncture . In a further consensus-building round , the editors of several journals helped redraft the recommendations . These follow the Consoli date d St and ards for Reporting Trials ( CONSORT ) format , acting as an extension of the CONSORT guidelines for the specific requirements of acupuncture studies . Participating journal editors are publishing the STRICTA recommendations and requesting prospect i ve authors to adhere to them when preparing reports for publication . Other journals are invited to adopt these recommendations . The intended outcome is that interventions in controlled trials of acupuncture  will be more adequately reported , thereby facilitating an improvement in critical appraisal , analysis and replication of trials The effects of low intensity near-infrared laser radiation ( 830 nm ; 1.5 - 12 J/cm2 ; continuous wave ) on peripheral neurophysiology and skin temperature were investigated using antidromic conduction studies in the human median nerve in vivo . Healthy human volunteers ( n = 80 ) were recruited and r and omly allocated to one of two control ( n = 30 ) or five laser groups ( 1.5 , 3.0 , 6.0 , 9.0 , and 12 J/cm2 ; n = 10 per group ) . Analysis of variance ( ANOVA ) in negative peak latency difference scores ( NPLDs ) and skin temperature over a 20 min period post-irradiation demonstrated a significant decrease in skin temperature following irradiation at the lowest radiant exposure ( 1.5 J/cm2 ) coupled with a significant increase in NPLDs ( P < 0.05 ) . While no such ( significant ) changes were found in the other laser groups , it was found that observed changes ( increases and decreases ) in NPLDs were inversely related to changes in skin temperature . These findings demonstrate measurable peripheral neurophysiological effects of laser radiation concomitant with changes in skin temperature ; however , further studies are indicated to establish the precise relationship between the observed effects on skin temperature and nerve conduction The purpose s of this study were to compare the pain alleviating effects of laser treatment and placebo in tennis elbow . Also , the effects of laser radiation on the radial sensory nerve conduction , and the temperature changes in the tissue surrounding the treated radial nerve were studied . The results show that laser treatment is not significantly better than placebo in treating  tennis elbow .  Furthermore , no significant change was noted in the evoked sensory potential as well as subcutaneous temperatures in either experimental or control groups as a result of the applications of the laser radiation treatment PURPOSE Interstitial cystitis ( IC ) is a debilitating condition which causes irritative bladder symptoms , pain and a decrease in health status . The pathophysiology is poorly understood so therapeutic options are diverse . Percutaneous posterior tibial nerve stimulation is an effective treatment and pulsed transdermal laser stimulation is an established technique for pain management . We evaluated the efficacy of transdermal laser stimulation of the posterior tibial nerve for patients with IC . MATERIAL S AND METHODS Women meeting the National Institutes of Health National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases criteria for IC were prospect ively recruited and r and omized to treatment ( 29 ) or placebo ( 27 ) cohorts in a double-blind trial . At home the patient performed laser therapy daily for 30 seconds over the SP6 acupuncture point for 12 weeks . Measures at baseline and at 84-day followup included the 7-day voiding diary , the Interstitial Cystitis Problem Index , Interstitial Cystitis Symptom Index and R AND 36-Item Health Survey question naires . RESULTS There were no significant differences between the treatment and control cohorts on any of the measures . However , there was a significant decrease between baseline and 12-week followup in the amount voided , symptom problems and severity , and on all 8 SF-36 scales . There was no significant effect of fluid intake . CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated no difference between the active and sham device . However , it is interesting that treatment and control cohorts experienced similar improvements , suggesting that the control cohort improvements may have been due to participants ' belief that they were receiving active treatment from the stimulator . These findings provide support for investigating placebo effects in r and omized trials The current investigation , for which ethical permission was obtained , was design ed to assess the putative neurophysiological effects of low intensity ( 9.6 J/cm2 ) laser ( 830 nm ) irradiation upon conduction latencies in the human median nerve in vivo . Antidromic nerve conduction studies were performed on the non-dominant arms of healthy human volunteers ( n = 51 ) , who were each assigned to one of a variety of laser , placebo or control groups under r and omized , blinded conditions . Analysis of negative peak latency differences using analysis of variance showed small ( approximately 0.4 ms ) but significant increases in latencies as a result of direct laser irradiation , and , where two-site recording was used , distal to the site of irradiation . No such differences were seen in the other experimental groups . These results show that laser irradiation applied to intact skin at the parameters used here may produce a direct , localized effect upon conduction in underlying nerves We conducted a double-blind , r and omized , placebo-controlled study to investigate the effectiveness of P6 acupuncture on postoperative vomiting in children undergoing strabismus surgery . Acupuncture was performed by laser stimulation with a low-level laser . Laser stimulation of P6 was administered 15 min before induction of anaesthesia and 15 min after arriving in the recovery room . In the laser stimulation group , the incidence of vomiting was significantly lower ( 25 % ) than that in the placebo group ( 85 % ) Objectives : Several treatment modalities for children suffering from monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis are available , but desmopressin is a well – established option . On the other h and , alternative nonpharmacological therapies such as laser acupuncture are more frequently requested by the parents . To our knowledge , there is no prospect i ve r and omized trial which evaluated the efficacy of such an alternative approach in comparison with the widespread use of desmopressin . Methods : Forty children aged over 5 years presenting with primary nocturnal enuresis underwent a previous evaluation of their voiding function to assure normal voiding patterns and a high nighttime urine production . Then the children were r and omized into two groups : group A children were treated with desmopressin alone , and group B children underwent laser acupuncture . All children were investigated after a minimum follow – up period of 6 month to evaluate the duration of the response . Results : The children of both groups had an initial mean frequency of 5.5 wet nights per week . After a minimum follow – up period of 6 months reevaluation revealed a complete success rate of 75 % in the desmopressin – treated group . Additional 10 % of the children had a reduction of their wet nights of more than 50 % . On the other h and , 6 months after laser acupuncture , 65 % of the r and omized children were completely dry . Another 10 % had a reduction of the enuresis frequency of more than 50 % per week . 20 % of the children in the desmopressin – treated group did not respond at all as compared with 15 % in the acupuncture – treated group . Statistical evaluation revealed no significant differences among the response rates in both groups . Conclusion : I m comparison with pharmacological therapy using desmopressin , our study shows that laser acupuncture should be taken into account as an alternative , noninvasive , painless , cost – effective , and short – term therapy for children with primary nocturnal enuresis in case of a normal bladder function and high nighttime urine production . Success rates indicated no statistically significant differences between the well – established desmopressin therapy and the alternative laser acupuncture
The use of laser light as an alternative to needles to stimulate acupuncture points has been promoted for almost three decades .
However , there has been no systematic assessment of the evidence to support the effectiveness of this form of acupuncture to date .