Therapeutic and photobiomodulation effects of low-level laser irradiation on Egyptian patients with carpal tunnel syndrome : a placebo-controlled study

الملخص EN

Background/Aim Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most prevalent mononeuropathy, where the median nerve is entrapped in the hand; it affects women more than men and is diagnosed by clinical and electrophysiological examination.

Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) was suggested for conservative treatment of CTS.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of LLLT in the treatment of CTS.

Patients and methods The study was carried out on 40 female patients with CTS.

Patients were recruited from Neurology and Rheumatology clinics at National Research Centre, Egypt.

The patients were randomly divided into two groups (20 patients each).

The first group was subjected to active LLLT, and the second group was subjected to placebo (sham) LLLT.

The patients of the first group were treated with real LLLT by gallium-aluminum-arsenide laser (905 nm) with touch sensor guide light +8 diodes of power output of 100 MW each (800 MW total), and pulsed mode of frequency of 10 000 Hz over two areas, one extends from the proximal palmer crease to the distal wrist crease and the other over the thenar area, for three times per week for 4 weeks (12 sessions).

All patients were subjected to clinical and nerve conduction studies evaluations.

Results LLLT showed significant reduction in erythrocyte sedimentation rate and visual analog scale and significant improvement in functional status scale and symptom severity scale (P<0.05) in real laser exposed group when compared with sham laser exposed group.

In addition, there was a significant reduction of the sensory (P<0.05) and motor latencies (P<0.05) and also significant improvement of sensory (P<0.05) and motor amplitudes (P<0.05), as well as sensory (P<0.05) and motor velocities (P<0.05) of median nerve conduction studies in real laser exposed group when compared with sham laser exposed group.

Conclusion This study confirmed the safety and positive effects of LLLT on pain, inflammation, functional capacity, and electro-neurophysiological aspects of median nerve in patients with CTS.