Efficacy of Interferential Laser Therapy in Shoulder Pain

Hospital Universitario Ramon y Cajal200 enrolled

Overview

The purpose of this study is to determine the advantages of the interferential laser therapy in shoulder pain reduction compared with the conventional low level laser therapy modality.

The spatiotemporal superposition of two independent and opposite beams of laser generates a constructive interference pattern that increases the therapeutic effects in the irradiated tissue. Patients diagnosed of shoulder pain from different musculoskeletal disorders will received conventional or interferential laser therapy. This is a comparative, randomized and double - blind clinical study. Two identical equipments of near infrared laser therapy will be used. Number of sessions: 15. Frequency of the sessions: daily. Irradiation technique: manual, contact and punctual.Pain will be evaluated by visual analog scale (VAS) at rest and during analytical shoulder movements (abduction, adduction, internal rotation, external rotation, flexion, extension) and by means of a pain and disability index (SPADI). Evaluations will take place at pre and post treatment.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE

Enrollment

200

Conditions

Shoulder Musculoskeletal Disorders

Interventions

Interferential Laser therapyDEVICE

Two GaAlAs laser (810 nm, 100mW)were used. In the interferential laser treatment, two probes were simultaneously applied. In the conventional laser group, only one probe was switched on. Laser was applied at five points over the pain area. The laser emission mode was continuous with an energy dose of 6 joules per point and session, a power density of 1.09 w/cm2 and an irradiation time per point of 60 s. The average output power was 100 mW and the total energy dose delivered in a patient session was 30 J. Every treatment was along 15 sessions. Hence, the accumulated energy delivered on the whole was 450 Joules for the conventional group of patients (using one beam) and 900 Joules for the interferential one (using two beams).

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 70 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Acute or chronic pain from musculoskeletal origin * Age between 18 and 70 years Exclusion Criteria: * Brachial plexus palsy * Neurological diseases * Pacemakers * Shoulder pain from cervical pathology * Osteosynthesis material * Fibromyalgia

Locations (1)

Hospital Ramon y Cajal

Madrid, Madrid, Spain

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Pain will be evaluated by visual analog scale (VAS) at rest and during analytical shoulder movements.

Time frame: Five minutes

Secondary Outcomes

Shoulder Pain Disability Index (SPADI)

Time frame: ten minutes

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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