In dogs, is concurrent laser treatment more effective at treating osteoarthritis compared to NSAIDs alone?

Question In dogs with osteoarthritis (OA) is concurrent laser treatment more effective than non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) in reducing the severity of clinical signs associated with OA? Clinical bottom line Category of research: Treatment. Number and type of study designs reviewed: One randomised controlled trial. Strength of evidence: Weak. Outcomes reported: The study showed that laser therapy significantly improved the Helsinki pain score, reduced the NSAID dose and improved the lameness score compared to the control group whose lameness scores did not improve at all. Conclusion: It is suggested that laser therapy may be effective at reducing clinical signs of osteoarthritis (OA) and therefore reducing the requirement for higher non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) doses. However, due to the power of the evidence being weak and limited, further clinical studies would be needed to confirm results and conclude whether laser treatment is superior to NSAID treatment.