The Ultimate Guide to Red Light Therapy (2) - Flipbook - Page 11
11
The Ultimate Guide to Red Light Therapy
2.1.2 RLT and Neck Pain
Chronic (long-term) nonspecific neck pain is the most common type of neck pain. One recent study evaluated
how effective RLT in the form of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is in treating this condition.
39
Researchers
conducted a randomized clinical trial with 44 patients, who were divided into two groups.
The first group of 22 patients received LLLT, which involves
using red light with a wavelength of 980 nanometers and
a power level of 16 joules per square centimeter.
39
The light
was applied to the painful neck areas, the spine muscles,
and the upper trapezius muscles (the muscles extending
from the neck to the shoulders).
The second group, also with 22 patients, received a sham
laser treatment.
Both groups had 12 treatment sessions, each lasting 15 minutes, three times a week for four weeks.
39
Pain
levels were measured using the visual analog scale (VAS), a tool that rates pain from 0 to 10, before and after
the treatment period. Patients were also followed up for four weeks.
The results showed that the LLLT group experienced a significant reduction in
chronic nonspecific neck pain compared to the placebo group.
39
This suggests
that LLLT might be an effective, non-invasive (non-surgical), and safe method
for short-term relief of chronic nonspecific neck pain.
An earlier study also investigated the effectiveness of LLLT for chronic neck pain. 40 90 participants received
either real laser treatment or a placebo over seven weeks.The study was double-blind, meaning neither
participants nor researchers knew who got the real treatment. Pain levels were measured using a 0-10 scale
and quality of life questionnaires.
The study lasted seven weeks, with participants receiving 14 treatment sessions.40 During each session, either
the real laser or the sham one was applied to sore areas of the neck. The actual laser used light with specific
properties: a power of 300 milliwatts and a wavelength of 830 nanometers (a type of infrared light invisible to
the human eye).
The laser therapy group reported significant pain reduction (2.7 points on
average).
40
2.7
Those
receiving
real
treatment
also
showed
improvements
in
physical activities and neck-related tasks. Benefits lasted for at least three
months after the study began.
