Effectiveness of High Power Laser Therapy on Pain and Isokinetic Peak Torque in Athletes with Proximal Hamstring Tendinopathy: A Randomized Trial

Abstract

Athletes such as long-distance runners, sprinters, hockey, and/or football players may have proximal hamstring tendinopathy (PHT). Laser therapy has been shown to be effective in tendinopathies. High power laser therapy (HPLT) is used for the treatment of several musculoskeletal conditions; however, its efficacy on PHT has not been investigated. This study is aimed at examining the effects of HPLT on pain and isokinetic peak torque (IPT) in athletes with PHT. The two-arm comparative pretest-posttest experimental design was used with random allocation of 36 athletes aged 18-35 years into two groups (experimental and conventional group). The experimental group included the application of HPLT for 3 weeks. The conventional group included treatment with a conventional physiotherapy program including ultrasound therapy, moist heat pack, and home exercises for a total of 3 weeks. Pain and IPT of the hamstring muscle were measured before and after the application of the intervention. Pain score decreased, and IPT increased significantly ( p < 0.05 ) after application of HPLT, by 61.26% and 13.18%, respectively. In the conventional group, a significant difference ( p < 0.05 ) was observed in pain scores only, which decreased by 41.14%. No significant difference ( p > 0.05 ) was observed in IPT in the conventional group. When HPLT was compared with conventional physiotherapy, a significant difference was found in pain scores only. HPLT for 3 weeks was found to be effective in improving pain in athletes with PHT. However, no significant difference was found between HPLT and conventional physiotherapy (US, moist heat, and home exercises) in improving the IPT of the hamstring muscle.

Effects of Photobiomodulation on Pain and Return to Play of Injured Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

“…Musculoskeletal pain rating scale and time to return-to-play data were collected. Six studies evaluated pain by the visual analogue scale (3,50), modified numerical rating scale (52), pain pressure threshold (53), and numeric pain rating scale (57). The findings indicated a positive effect on pain reduction for PBM vs. control groups, SMD = 1.03, SE = 0.22, 95% CI = [0.43–1.63], p = 0.0089 (Figure 2).…”

“…Two researchers who published on the effects of PBM on pain in injured athletes were contacted to locate additional studies and referred studies were evaluated against inclusion criteria. After searching the reference list of relevant articles and Google Scholar, 2 additional articles were found making the total number of articles included to be 6 (3,42,50,52,53,57). Figure 1 demonstrates the process used to retain included studies.…”

Hamstring Injury Treatments and Management in Athletes

“…After removing duplicates, a total of 1,693 were remained for screening their titles and abstracts. Then, 84 full texts were reviewed, and 30 studies with a total of 1,195 participants were included in our study, based on our previously set inclusion criteria 13,17-57 (Fig. 1).…”

“…Modalities such as high-power laser treatment 53 and SWT 23 might be beneficial in certain cases, potentially enhancing the rehabilitation program's effectiveness. The use of NSAIDs alone may not significantly influence recovery 19,46 .…”

“…Three studies were reviewed in this category. Verma et al treated 36 professional athletes with subacute proximal tendinopathy using a high-power laser or a conventional physiotherapy pro-gram 53 . The high-power laser group demonstrated superior peak torque outcomes.…”