Low level laser for achilles tendinopathy

NewsBot · May 2, 2008

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Effects of Low-Level Laser Therapy and Eccentric Exercises in the Treatment of Recreational Athletes With Chronic Achilles Tendinopathy
The American Journal of Sports Medicine 36:881-887 (2008)

Background: Eccentric exercises (EEs) are recommended for the treatment of Achilles tendinopathy, but the clinical effect from EE has a slow onset.

Hypothesis: The addition of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) to EE may cause more rapid clinical improvement.

Study Design: Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1.

Methods: A total of 52 recreational athletes with chronic Achilles tendinopathy symptoms were randomized to groups receiving either EE + LLLT or EE + placebo LLLT over 8 weeks in a blinded manner. Low-level laser therapy ( = 820 nm) was administered in 12 sessions by irradiating 6 points along the Achilles tendon with a power density of 60 mW/cm2 and a total dose of 5.4 J per session.

Results: The results of the intention-to-treat analysis for the primary outcome, pain intensity during physical activity on the 100-mm visual analog scale, were significantly lower in the LLLT group than in the placebo LLLT group, with 53.6 mm versus 71.5 mm (P = .0003) at 4 weeks, 37.3 mm versus 62.8 mm (P = .0002) at 8 weeks, and 33.0 mm versus 53.0 mm (P = .007) at 12 weeks after randomization. Secondary outcomes of morning stiffness, active dorsiflexion, palpation tenderness, and crepitation showed the same pattern in favor of the LLLT group.

Conclusion: Low-level laser therapy, with the parameters used in this study, accelerates clinical recovery from chronic Achilles tendinopathy when added to an EE regimen. For the LLLT group, the results at 4 weeks were similar to the placebo LLLT group results after 12 weeks.
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Admin2 · May 3, 2008

Related threads:
Other achilles tendon threads
Alfredson’s "prescription" for achilles tendinopathy
Low level laser therapy

NewsBot · Nov 5, 2013

Analysis of the effect of phototherapy in model with traumatic Achilles tendon injury in rats
Heliodora Leão Casalechi et al
Lasers in Medical Science; November 2013

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of low-intensity laser (LILT) infrared (830 nm) therapy in tendon inflammation, tendinitis induced by mechanical trauma in rat Achilles tendon. For this, we used 65 young male Wistar rats, weighing ±300 g divided into different groups: C = control (n = 5) and experimental (n = 10/group), with two different times of sacrifice such as treated with L = laser, D = treated with diclofenac, and T = untreated injured. The tendon inflammation was induced by controlled contusion in the medial region of the Achilles tendon of the animals. The treated groups received some kind of intervention every 24 h, all groups were sacrificed on the 7th or 14th day after the trauma. The tendons were dissected, extracted, and sent for analysis. Histological analysis of the L group showed a decrease in the number of inflammatory cells in relation to other groups in both periods studied. The comparative results between the number of inflammatory cells in the control and treated groups at 7 and 14 days showed statistically significant differences. Qualitative analysis findings obtained by the picrosirius red technique under polarized light showed that in 7 days, the T group presented collagen types I and III in the same proportion; group D presented a predominance of type III fibers, while in group L, type I collagen predominated. The 14-day group D showed collagen types I and III in the same proportion, while in group L, there was a predominance of type I fibers. Biomechanical analysis showed that 7-day groups L and C showed similar stiffness and increased breaking strength. The 14-day groups L and C showed greater rupturing strength as well as increased stiffness angle. Group D showed a decrease of maximum traction strength and degree of rigidity. It was concluded that treatment with LIL in the parameters used and the times studied reduces migration of inflammatory cells and improves the quality of repair while reducing the functional limitations.
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NewsBot · Aug 3, 2014

Low-level laser therapy in IL-1β, COX-2, and PGE2 modulation in partially injured Achilles tendon
Julio Fernandes de Jesus, Diva Denelle Spadacci-Morena, Nayra Deise dos Anjos Rabelo, Carlos Eduardo Pinfildi, Thiago Yukio Fukuda, Helio Plapler
Lasers in Medical Science; July 2014

This study evaluated IL-1β, COX-2, and PGE2 modulation in partially injured Achilles tendons treated with low-level laser therapy (LLLT). Sixty-five male Wistar rats were used. Sixty were submitted to a direct injury on Achilles tendon and then distributed into six groups: LASER 1 (a single LLLT application), LASER 3 (three LLLT applications), and LASER 7 (seven LLLT applications) and Sham 1, 3, and 7 (the same injury but LLLT applications were simulated). The five remaining animals were allocated at control group (no procedure performed). LLLT (780 nm) was applied with 70 mW of mean power and 17.5 J/cm2 of fluency for 10 s, once a day. The tendons were surgically removed and assessed immunohistochemically for IL-1β, COX-2, and PGE2. In comparisons with control (IL-1β: 100.5 ± 92.5 / COX-2: 180.1 ± 97.1 / PGE2: 187.8 ± 128.8) IL-1β exhibited (mean ± SD) near-normal level (p > 0.05) at LASER 3 (142.0 ± 162.4). COX-2 and PGE2 exhibited near-normal levels (p > 0.05) at LASER 3 (COX-2: 176.9 ± 75.4 / PGE2: 297.2 ± 259.6) and LASER 7 (COX-2: 259.2 ± 190.4 / PGE2: 587.1 ± 409.7). LLLT decreased Achilles tendon’s inflammatory process.
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