Neck Pain Relief LLLT

Research Published in the Lancet, for Cold or Low Level Laser treatment for neck pain

Neck Pain is common, often persistent, and responds poorly to medication. So it is encouraging to read that a relatively novel, non-invasive treatment shows evidence of effectiveness. A systematic review and meta-analysis of 16 randomised controlled trials of low-level laser therapy (LLLT)’ yielded 820 patients, for whom data was pooled. LLLT was found to reduce pain immediately after treatment in acute neck pain and up to 22 weeks after completion of treatment in patients with chronic neck pain. Low-level laser – or cold laser – is yet to be established as a medical treatment but, according to Wikipedia, papers are appearing at the rate of around 25 per month, mainly investigating treatment of musculoskeletal disorders.

1. Chow RT, Johnson Ml, Lopes-Martins RA, Bjordal JM. Efficacy of low-level laser therapy in the management of neck pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised placebo or active-treatment controlled trials. Lancet 2009 Dec 5;374(9705):1897-908.