Efficacy of home-based low-level laser therapy in patients with low back pain: a double-blinded randomized controlled trial

This study tests the effect of home-based portable low-level laser therapy(spot size of the laser 0.16 cm2, consisting of a total 110 pieces of multi-wavelength vertical-cavity surface-emittinglaser diodes(55 units at 670nm with 1mW output each, 25 units at 780nm with 2mW output each, 10 units at 830nm with 15mW output each, and 20 units at 910nm with 5mW output each) for treatment of patients with chronic low back pain. Thirty patients with low back pain were enrolled in this prospective, randomized, sham-controlled, home-based self-therapy trial. The experimental group (n = 15) received laser stimulation of the painful area of their backs using the CarerayTM, while the control group (n = 15) received sham stimulation using identical equipment that generated a red light only without laser output. Both groups self-treated for 20 minutes a day, 5 days a week for 3 weeks (a total of 15 sessions). The primary outcome was assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS) for low back pain, ranging from 0 (painless) to 10 (extreme pain). The secondary outcomes were measured using the Oswestry Disability Index-Korean test (ODI-K), Schober’s test, and a 36-item Short Form Survey (SF-36). Outcome measurements were taken before and after treatment. All thirty participants provided outcome data. After the intervention, both groups reported significantly reduced VAS scores. In the experimental group, scores decreased from a pre-treatment average of 4.38±1.19 to a post-treatment average of 3.25±1.04, a change of ∆1.13±1.13 (p = 0.026). The control group's scores dropped from a pre-treatment average of 4.00±0.53 to a post-treatment average of 2.88±0.83, a change of ∆1.13±0.83 (p = 0.024) in the within-group comparison. Both group showed a significant improvement in Schober’s test results (experiment group: p = 0.007, control group: p = 0.002). In the ODI-K and SF-36, both group showed improvements, but only the control group showed significant improvements. There were no significant differences between the two groups across all outcomes, and no side effects were reported. Medical laser irradiation is a portable and easy to use laser therapeutic modality without side effects. Further research is needed regarding physical therapeutic modalities that are readily accessible to patients experiencing chronic low back pain.