Laser Therapy Effective for Reducing Neck Pain

Reduces acute pain immediately, chronic pain up to 22 weeks following treatment, concludes literature review.

By Peter W. Crownfield, Executive Editor

A literature review and meta-analysis of randomized placebo or active-treatment controlled trials concludes that low-level laser therapy "reduces pain immediately after treatment in acute neck pain and up to 22 weeks after completion of treatment in patients with chronic neck pain" and compares favorably with other forms of therapy for neck pain - particularly pharmacological interventions. The authors of the review study, published in the Lancet, note that clinical benefits take place when laser therapy is administered as a stand-alone treatment or in conjunction with an exercise/stretching program, and that adverse effects from treatment are mild and similar to placebo.