Knee osteoarthritis / joint pain
Low-level laser therapy for knee osteoarthritis pain meta-analysis
Stausholm MB, Naterstad IF, Joensen J, et al. BMJ Open. 2019.
A placebo-controlled meta-analysis found knee osteoarthritis pain reductions, especially when studies used recommended LLLT doses.
Evidence grade
moderate
Effect direction
positive
Panel relevance
partially-replicable
Key findings
- The review meta-analyzed 22 trials with 1,063 participants.
- Overall pain was reduced versus placebo at the end of therapy and at 1-12 week follow-up.
- Recommended-dose subgroups showed larger pain reductions than non-recommended-dose protocols.
Protocol details
| Wavelengths | Not reported nm |
|---|---|
| Irradiance | Not reported mW/cm2 |
| Fluence | Not reported J/cm2 |
| Session time | Not reported minutes |
| Frequency | Varied by trial |
| Duration | Varied by trial |
| Treatment area | Knee joint points |
| Device type | Low-level laser therapy |
Caveats
- Most included protocols used clinical point lasers rather than broad consumer panels.
- Guidelines differ on whether LLLT should be recommended for knee osteoarthritis.