Osteoarthritis can’t be cured, but you can relieve pain and delay a worsening of the disease.
Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common causes of knee pain worldwide. Osteoarthritic knee pain is caused by repetitive stress and mechanical loading that generates an inflammatory process within the knee joint, resulting in articular cartilage destruction and chondrocyte loss. Prostaglandin E2 and metalloproteinases, the cartilage matrix-degrading enzymes, have also been found to play a significant role in this degrading process.
Objectives of the study:
The aim of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of high-intensity laser therapy (HILT) on pain reduction in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).
Methods:
42 Forty-two participants with knee OA who fulfilled the eligibility criteria were enrolled in this study.
The participants were randomly allocated to two groups: HILT and sham laser plus conservative treatment:
- HILT
- Sham laser plus conservative treatment
Conclusion:
Our research findings indicate that HILT is still an effective treatment for osteoarthritis knee pain, even when provided at a lower dosage. Although there have been previously reported similar results to this study, the present study also supports this positive effect of HILT on pain relief in a different cohort population and with a different laser treatment protocol. The results from our study might be implemented in clinical practice such that a lower-dose protocol of HILT could promote short-term pain relief in any stage of knee OA. The advantage of this treatment protocol is that it may provide effective pain reduction in a shorter treatment time with fewer adverse effects than the high-dose protocol. This would be beneficial, especially for those who refuse surgical treatment or high-risk patients contraindicated for surgery due to reasons such as multiple comorbidities or older people.
Read more about the study made by P. Siriratna, C. Ratanasutiranont, T. Manissorn, N. Santiniyom og W. Chira-Adisai. Pain Research and Management, ID 1319165, 2022.