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Abstract

Research & Investigations in Sports Medicine

Effectiveness of Low-Level Laser Therapy in the Management of Unilateral Rotator Cuff Tendinitis of Shoulder Joint

Submission: August 11, 2018; Published: November 01, 2018

DOI: 10.31031/RISM.2018.04.000585

ISSN: 2577-1914
Volume4 Issue2

Abstract

Background: Estimates of the annual incidence of shoulder pain in clinical practice vary from 6.6 to 25 cases per1000 patient. Rotator cuff tendinitis is one of the main causes of shoulder pain. There is little evidence to support or refute the efficacy of common interventions for shoulder impingement syndrome. On the other hand, in some cases the choice is not clear, and patient’s expectations and preferences may affect the outcome

Objective: The purpose of the study is to determine the effectiveness of low-level laser therapy in combination with shoulder exercises on reducing pain, improving range of motion and functional activities in patients with rotator cuff tendinitis of the shoulder joint.

Methods: A total of 20 patients were included in the study with 10 patients each in experimental and control group. Subjects in experimental group were treated using laser with a wavelength of 850nm, power output of 100mV, continuous wave. Applied with a dosage of 4joule/cm2 at maximum 5‐6 painful points for 1 minute at each point over sub acromial region of the shoulder joint. Control group received conventional physiotherapy

Results: Pain severity, range of motion and functional status of all patients were evaluated before and after the treatment. Independent ‘t’ test was used to compare the effectiveness of treatment between two groups. Based on the statistical analysis, VAS score and range of motion showed significant improvement in experimental group than control group.

Conclusion: This study proved that low-level laser therapy (LLLT) combined with shoulder exercises shows a statistically significant reduction of pain, improvement in the range of motion and functional activities of shoulder joint compared to the group that did not receive low-level laser therapy (LLLT) treatment.

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