This was a placebo-controlled, randomized, clinical trial to investigate the clinical effects of incorporation of phototherapy in a therapeutic exercise program for individuals with knee osteoarthritis (OA) when compared to a group that received exercise alone and to a group that received exercise + placebo phototherapy.
Exercise + active phototherapy was significantly more effective than exercise alone (mean difference [MD] = 2.75, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.17 to 2.32) and exercise + placebo phototherapy (MD = 2.38, 95% CI = 2.79 to 1.96) only with regard to the NRPS, considering minimal clinically important difference. No clinical significant results were found for function, the pressure pain threshold, muscle strength or balance.
Conclusion. The combination of phototherapy and an exercise program is effective at reducing pain intensity among individuals with knee osteoarthritis than exercise alone or exercise + placebo phototherapy in a short-term protocol. Lasers Surg. Med. 50:819-828, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
de Paula Gomes CAF, Leal-Junior ECP, Dibai-Filho AV, de Oliveira AR, Bley AS, Biasotto-Gonzalez DA, de Tarso Camillo de Carvalho P. Incorporation of photobiomodulation therapy into a therapeutic exercise program for knee osteoarthritis: A placebo-controlled, randomized, clinical trial. Lasers Surg Med. 2018 Oct;50(8):819-828. doi: 10.1002/lsm.22939. Epub 2018 May 7. PMID: 29733117.
