Low Level Laser Therapy to Reduce Chronic Pain

Erchonia

Status: Completed

Conditions: Chronic Pain

Treatments: Device: Erchonia PL2000 Laser; Device: Placebo laser

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Industry

Identifiers

NCT00929773

ECP-001

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study was to determine whether low level laser light directed at the neck and shoulders could be effective in the temporary reduction of chronic pain in the neck and shoulder region.

Full description

Chronic neck and shoulder pain arising from osteoarthritis, chronic muscle spasms or thoracic or cervical spine sprain strain can be seriously debilitating. Currently available treatment options such as pain relief medication, ice pack, massage, physical therapy and chiropractic are typically of limited effectiveness. More permanent options such as surgery are invasive with long recovery periods and side-effects and complications of their own. Low level laser light therapy, with its proven anti-inflammatory ability, offers a simple non-invasive option for the reduction of chronic neck and shoulder pain.

Enrollment: 100 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Muscular-skeletal pain in the neck/shoulder region
• Acute and chronic pain in the neck/shoulder region
• Restricted range of motion in the neck/shoulder region
• Fibrosis or scar tissue in the neck/shoulder region
• Inflammation in the neck/shoulder region
• Altered function in the neck/shoulder region
• Muscle strains in the neck/shoulder region
• Rating of 30 or greater on the 0-100 Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain scale
• 18-65 years of age

Exclusion criteria

• Severely herniated disks
• Pregnancy
• Taken pain medication within the past 12 hours

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

---

100 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

Erchonia PL2000 Laser

Active Comparator group

Description:

Low level laser light energy comprised of 1 milliWatts (mW) of red light (635 nm).

Treatment:

Device: Erchonia PL2000 Laser

Placebo laser

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

inactive light

Treatment:

Device: Placebo laser