Short-term effects of high-intensity laser therapy on frozen shoulder: A prospective randomized control study

Abstract

Background: Frozen shoulder, which is characterized by shoulder pain and limitation of the range of motion (ROM), is a common disorder. High-intensity laser therapy (HILT) was recently introduced in the musculoskeletal therapeutic field.

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the clinical efficacy of HILT in patients with frozen shoulder.

Design: A prospective randomized controlled study.

Method: Patients with frozen shoulder were randomly divided into 2 groups: a HILT group (n = 33) and a placebo group (n = 33). The treatment was administered 3 times per week on alternate days for 3 weeks. For all patients, the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, VAS for satisfaction, and passive ROM were measured at baseline and 3, 8, and 12 weeks after the treatment.

Results: The HILT group had a lower pain VAS score at 3 weeks (3.2 ± 1.7 vs. 4.3 ± 2.2, p = 0.033) and 8 weeks (2.2 ± 2.0 vs. 3.4 ± 2.7, p = 0.042), however, no statistically significant difference in the pain VAS was observed between the two groups at the final follow-up (12 weeks). No statistical difference in the ROM and the satisfaction VAS was observed between the 2 groups at serial follow-ups.

Conclusions: In management of frozen shoulder, HILT provided significant pain relief at 3 and 8 weeks, but not at the final follow-up time point. HILT is a noninvasive adjuvant treatment that can reduce pain in frozen shoulders. Further study is needed in order to optimize the dose and duration of HILT.

Keywords: Frozen shoulder; High-intensity laser therapy; Pain visual analogue scale.