European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

HIGH-INTENSITY LASER THERAPY IN PAIN MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS

Koushalya Dangi* and Manisha Saharan

ABSTRACT

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is an important health condition, affecting one third of people aged 65 years or more. Pain is the main cause of disability. Laser therapy is part of many therapeutic protocols, with two forms: low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and high-intensity laser therapy (HILT). In the present study, an attempt has been made to review the recent references on the effect of HILT in pain management of patients with knee osteoarthritis. Methods: Though a total of 31 references were included in the study, 18 were compared and analyzed critically. Results: Research on number of published articles revealed that the analgesic effect was rapid, cumulative, and long lasting. Compared to sham, to LLLT, or to other combinations of therapeutic modalities, HILT provided significantly better results on pain reduction and functional improvement. Conclusion: It might be concluded that HILT was effective in pain reduction, improvement in function and disability, outperforming LLLT and some combinations of physical modalities.

Keywords: Knee osteoarthritis, High-intensity laser therapy, Pain management, Physical stimulation.