Low-level laser in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome: clinical, electrophysiological, and ultrasonographical evaluation

Abstract

The objective of this study is to investigate the efficacy of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Sixty patients with CTS were included in this placebo-controlled and double-blind study and randomly assigned to three treatment groups: active laser with a dosage of 1.2 J/per painful point, active laser with a dosage of 0.6 J/per painful point, and placebo groups. A total of 5 points across the median nerve trace were irradiated with Gal-Al-As diode laser. All groups were treated 5 times per week for 3 weeks. Clinical assessments included pain intensity, grip strength, symptom severity score (SSS), functional status score (FSS), nerve conduction studies, and cross-sectional area (CSA) of the median nerve as measured by ultrasonography. Compared to baseline, post-treatment VAS scores (group 1, P < 0.001; group 2, P < 0.001; group 3, P < 0.01), grip strength (P < 0.05), SSS scores (group 1, P < 0.001; group 2, P < 0.001; group 3, P < 0.01), and FSS scores (P < 0.05) improved significantly in all groups. Only sensorial nerve velocity measurements on the palmar region showed a significant improvement in both active laser groups (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in any of the outcome measures among the groups. With the chosen laser type and dose regimen, the results suggested that LLLT was no more effective than placebo in CTS.

Effectiveness of low-level laser on carpal tunnel syndrome

“…[ 23 , 24 ] The blindness of the participants and personnel was not clear in 2 studies, [ 23 , 32 ] and the blindness of the outcome assessment was not described in 4 studies. [ 23 , 24 , 31 , 32 ] The details of the methodological quality of the included studies are presented in Fig. 2 .…”

Treatment of the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome with Laser

“…One study found no statistically significant clinical differences between the group of patients treated with laser and the placebo group, but improved sensory conduction in patients who received Laser was observed, similarly to our data. 23 The Spearman correlation test between clinical data and conduction studies parameters showed no statistic significance. As the Spearman correlation test applies predominantly to ordinal scale variables, and, as in our study the only ordinal scale used was the VAS (visual analogue scale of pain, ranging from zero to ten), we opted for conducting also the Pearson correlation test.…”

Low Level Laser Therapy in Diabetic Patients with Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome

“…LLL therapy (LLLT) was suggested as a simple and non-invasive option in the treatment of TTS. Mechanisms implicated in its action include enhancement of the local microcirculation, improvement of axonal myelination, and augmented release of endorphins 13 . Therefore, this study proposed to evaluate the effect of LLLT on clinical symptoms and neurophysiological parameters in type II diabetic patients with TTS.…”