The Efficacy of Low-level Laser on Cervical Myofascial Pain Syndrome

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

100 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2011-02-28

Study Completion Date

2011-08-31

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of application of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) to trigger points and traditional acupoints for patients with cervical myofascial pain syndrome (MPS).

Design: A single-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial Setting: University rehabilitation hospital Participants: One hundred and twenty one patients with cervical MPS Intervention: The investigators performed this experiment using low level 810-nm gallium aluminum arsenide (Ga-Al-As) laser. One hundred participants were randomly assigned to four treatment groups, including (1) acupoint therapy (2) acupoint control (3) trigger point therapy and (4) trigger point control groups.

Main Outcome measures: The investigators evaluated the patient's visual analogue scale (VAS) pain scores, pressure pain threshold and cervical range of motion (ROM) before and after the therapy.

Related Clinical Trials

Explore similar clinical trials based on study characteristics and research focus.

Treatment of Chronic Myofascial Pain Syndrome Over Neck by Using Intravascular Laser Irradiation of Blood

NCT02470000

Myofacial Pain Syndromes

UNKNOWN NA

Dual Frequency Low-Level Laser Therapy in Myofascial Trigger Points of Upper Trapezius

NCT07137728

Myofascial Pain Syndrome (MPS) Upper Trapezius Muscle Pain

NOT_YET_RECRUITING NA

Comparison Between High-Intensity Laser Therapy and Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy in the Treatment of Myofascial Pain Syndrome

NCT07176039

Myofascial Pain Syndrome - Neck

COMPLETED NA

High Intensity Laser Versus Ischemic Compression on Myofascial Trigger Points in the Upper Trapezius

NCT06552780

Neck Pain

ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING NA

Dry Needling and Low-level Laser Therapy to Treat Myofascial Pain

NCT03375229

Myofascial Pain Trigger Points

COMPLETED NA

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Low level laser therapy (LLLT) has been promoted since 1960s. It was clinically applied on neurological, musculoskeletal and soft tissue disorders, with the effects such as acceleration of wound healing, edema reduction in human flexor tendon injuries, improvement of morning stiffness, and pain relief in rheumatoid arthritis and lateral epicondylitis. As for relief of musculoskeletal pain, however, the effect of LLLT is controversial. Some studies reported that LLLT was a safe and effective treatment for relief of musculoskeletal pain, while others considered LLLT as ineffective in treating certain musculoskeletal diseases.

LLLT has been used to stimulate traditional acupoints, which is denoted as laser acupuncture. In addition to pain relief, laser acupuncture has been reported to be effective in a variety of disorders such as intractable hiccups,enuresis, as well as weight reduction. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms and modes of application of laser acupuncture remain unclear.

There has been evidence that needle acupuncture on traditional acupoints or trigger points may ease neck pain. However, needle acupuncture has some limitations because it is an invasive procedure with risk of infection or pneumothorax. Besides, some patients were not able to tolerate the discomfort from needle manipulation during acupuncture therapy.

LLLT is a type of non-invasive painless therapy and hence a good alternative to needle acupuncture. LLLT has been used to treat neck pain since 1981 and demonstrated significant reduction of pain intensity and improvement of cervical range of motion (ROM) in patients with cervical myofascial pain syndrome (MPS). In most of the studies on LLLT and cervical MPS, trigger points were chosen as the application area domain for LLLT. However, there is no report yet to compare the effectiveness of LLLT on trigger points and traditional acupoints.

In the present single-blinded, randomized, controlled study, the investigators aimed to investigate the effectiveness of application of LLLT to the trigger points and traditional acupoints in patients with cervical MPS. The outcome measurement was pain relief and the improvement of cervical ROM, on which the findings could provide in-depth understanding of the therapeutic mechanism of LLLT and further allow more flexible options of clinical application.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Myofacial Pain Syndromes

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

FACTORIAL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Participants

An infrared (the low-level laser, class IIIb) gallium aluminum arsenide (Ga-Al-As) diode laser device (MediUm-TECH Medizingeräte GmbH, Germany) with a wavelength of 810nm and a maximum power output of 150mW in the continuous wave mode

Intervention Type OTHER

Other Intervention Names

Discover alternative or legacy names that may be used to describe the listed interventions across different sources.

low-power laser therapy

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

1. complaint of regional pain in the neck,
2. presence of a palpable taut band,
3. presence of a tender spot along the length of taut ban, and
4. reproduction or enhancement of the clinical symptoms by compression of the active trigger point

Exclusion Criteria

1. cervical spine lesion, such as radiculopathy or myelopathy,
2. fracture or surgery of cervical spine,
3. cervical spine instability, and
4. cognitive deficits or psychiatric illness

Minimum Eligible Age

20 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

65 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No