Low level laser therapy for pain management

[charlie9]

Has anyone tried LLLT Laser therapy for RA, slipped discs, fibromyalgia or other chronic pain? Eg at a pain clinic or own device like the b-cure?

[Sheila_G]

Sorry. I haven't heard of this.

[oldtimer]

It seems to have been around for a long time, which suggests it's not a brilliant success, but what you are looking for is personal experience I guess, which I haven't got.

This is the summary from one review paper: One has to be realistic about the therapeutic use of LLLT. The previous discussion has shown that LLLT is beneficial for pain relief and can accelerate the body’s ability to heal itself. LLLT has a long history and strong basic science evidence, which supports its use in pain management. It has few side effects and is well tolerated by the elderly. A laser or LED does not correct situations involving structural deficits or instabilities whether in bone or in soft tissue. Also, LLLT should only be used as an adjuvant therapy for pain relief in patients with neuropathic pain and neurologic deficits. Successful outcomes, like all medical management, depend on good clinical skills linked with an understanding of the nature of injury, inflammation, repair, pain, and the mechanism of laser and LED effects. ref: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

[bienassis in reply to oldtimer]

Never heard of this! But I was interested in your detailed reply. It has never been mentioned by any doctor I have consulted, and friends with RA who attend pain management clinics have never brought it up.

You mention its use in neuropathic problems. It seems to me more likely to succeed there than with the complex pains of RA. But I'm an ignoramus, with no experience of the therapy.

If it were a successful treatment for RA it would be surprising not to have heard of it.

[charlie9 in reply to bienassis]

youtu.be/iXg4mSo4pm4(Not working as expected?)

I know my Mum with severe RA has very poor circulation. This isn't for a cure but a daily part of pain management. I have bitten the bullet and ordered one and absolutely will update on how I find it and will try on my mum too x

[bienassis in reply to charlie9]

Thanks for that charlie9. It would be very interesting to see how you both get on with it.

[charlie9 in reply to bienassis]

Right. It's arrived. My son has a chest infection so had to go to hospital to get antibiotics (gps refused to see him. He's only 11 months old sat in a&e surrounded by people coughing. 5.5hrs later the poor boy was back home in bed. Don't get me started on gps right now!) Anyway my point is I couldn't start treatments. But I did want to commit to sharing my experience of it so I managed a quick video at nap time (his nap time, I went to sit down and he woke up haha always the way). This video doesn't really say much however I felt if I shared it I would make myself accountable for sharing this experience so here is my first video. Really an intro into why I'm doing it but also to start a review before I know whether I'll like it or not. To be really unbiased showing the beginning. Something I didn't find when researching lllt. So here it is. Eek. Lol I will aim to update regularly and give it a good go in the limited time I find with 3 little rascals! youtu.be/OeQpocMKAmI(Not working as expected?)

[bienassis in reply to charlie9]

Many thanks, charlie9, for taking the trouble to send the video - I intend to watch it when I get back here at 1.00pm, I'm anxious to see what it is about!

Shocking that your GP wouldn't see your little boy. Are GPs still around? At our surgery only the nurses are seeing patients. I've spoken to a GP on the phone but no chance of seeing him.

I do hope your little boy doesn't suffer any consequences from his long wait among a lot of sick people in A&E.

[eastbournelady]

No never been offered anything like this its either lose weight or move more or use mindfulness!!!! none of which treats the immediate problem of pain.

[BikerGuy66]

LLLT (otherwise known as photobiomodulation or "Red Light Therapy") has a lot of supporters in the sports medicine world, but it has not made the same impact for the population who have chronic musculoskeletal and neurological conditions. A recent randomised controlled trial of PBM for low back pain showed it was no better than placebo (journals.lww.com/pain/Fullt... & (journals.lww.com/pain/Fullt....

A Spanish trial specifically in FM has not been able to recruit participants, most likely due to Covid (clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show.... All in all, not a great picture...however, the narrow outcomes that are examined in the various clinical trials might not capture the totality of the effect. For example, if a treatment has a modest effect on pain, anxiety, tiredness, and sleep and therefore generally made "life better" is it a failure because the pain scores didn't drop or a success because the overall quality of life was improved?

I know a number of therapists who use PBM in conjunction with relaxation, hydromassage, exercise and mindfulness with good effect in people with chronic pain. Which part contributes what is open to debate. However, it is almost certain that traditional medical models using randomised controlled trials will never be able to show what the true contribution of each component is. The only way you will find out is to find a place where you can try PBM and some of the other therapy modes, at an affordable rate, to see if it suits you.

[charlie9]

I've ordered the b-cure device and have started using it. I decided to record my experience of it because I couldn't find any videos really online that seemed genuine and not made by the company which I'm sure are genuine but when produced by the company it's bound to be pretty positive! I've started using it this week and maybe it might be helping a little. I'll keep updating with videos on YouTube for anyone interested. 2 videos on there at the moment. youtu.be/OeQpocMKAmI(Not working as expected?)

youtu.be/awTetg7IGFU(Not working as expected?)

[charlie9]

Also here's an article about its use for fibro "Low-Level Laser Therapy for Fibromyalgia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis - PubMed" pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/311...