Basic Science Department, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan.
Lasers Med Sci. 2024 Jul 11;39(1):179. doi: 10.1007/s10103-024-04111-1.
To evaluate the current evidence comparing low level to high level laser therapy to reveal any superiorities in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders.
Five databases were searched till September 2022 to obtain relevant RCTs comparing high intensity and low-level laser therapies in the management of musculoskeletal disorders. Two authors assessed the methodological quality of the included studies using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale and meta-analysis was conducted for studies that showed homogeneity.
Twelve articles were included in this systematic review with a total population of 704 participants across various musculoskeletal pathologies including tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic non-specific low back pain, knee arthritis, plantar fasciitis, and subacromial impingement. There were no statistical differences between the two interventions in pain, electrophysiological parameters, level of disability, quality of life, postural sway or pressure algometer, however, Low level laser therapy showed superiority in increasing grip strength compared to high intensity laser therapy while results were significant in favour of high intensity laser therapy regarding long head of biceps diameter and cross sectional area, supraspinatus thickness and echogenicity and acromio-humeral distance.
The current literature suggests no superiority of both types of laser therapy in musculoskeletal disorders, however, more RCTs with larger sample size are required to reach a definitive conclusion regarding the superiority of either form of laser therapy in musculoskeletal disorders.
评估目前比较低水平和高水平激光疗法治疗肌肉骨骼疾病的证据，以揭示两者在治疗中的任何优势。
检索了五个数据库，截至 2022 年 9 月，以获取比较高强度和低水平激光疗法治疗肌肉骨骼疾病的相关 RCT。两位作者使用物理治疗证据数据库量表评估纳入研究的方法学质量，并对显示同质性的研究进行荟萃分析。
本系统评价纳入了 12 篇文章，共有 704 名参与者，涉及各种肌肉骨骼疾病，包括网球肘、腕管综合征、慢性非特异性下腰痛、膝关节炎、足底筋膜炎和肩峰下撞击综合征。两种干预措施在疼痛、电生理参数、残疾程度、生活质量、姿势摆动或压力测痛计方面没有统计学差异，但与高强度激光疗法相比，低水平激光疗法在增加握力方面具有优势，而在肱二头肌长头直径和横截面积、冈上肌厚度和回声以及肩峰肱骨头距离方面，高强度激光疗法的结果则更有优势。
目前的文献表明，在肌肉骨骼疾病中，两种类型的激光疗法都没有优势，但需要更多的 RCT 来增加样本量，以得出关于高强度或低水平激光疗法在肌肉骨骼疾病中优势的明确结论。
