Effect of Class IV HILTon Pain and Inflammation Among Individuals with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomised Placebo Controlled Trial

Abstract

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a chronic condition involving the entire joint by the gradual breakdown of cartilage and persistent pain, inflammation significantly contributes to joint dysfunction. Class IV High-Intensity Laser Therapy (HILT) utilizes focused light energy to reduce inflammation and stimulate cellular repair. An exploration is required on therapeutics to alleviate the above problems.

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of Class IV HILT on pain and inflammation in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Methods: This study implemented a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial design. 70 participants aged 40–55 with KOA were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n = 35) or the control group (n = 35). The experimental group received Class IV HILT (10 W, 300 J & 5 W, 3000 J), hot pack, exercises, and knee brace. The control group received a placebo treatment while undergoing the same adjunct therapies. Pain and inflammation were evaluated using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) and C- reactive protein (CRP) levels, measured at baseline and after 10 weeks.

Results: Wilcoxon signed-rank test and the Mann–Whitney U test were used for analysis of pain (NPRS score). Student t-test was utilized for CRP levels. There was a significant decrease in NPRS score (mean1.54±0.92), (p=0.0001) and CRP levels (mean 3.83 ± 0.96), (p=0.0001) in the experimental group.

Conclusion:Class IV LASER treatment has been found satisfactory in mitigating pain and inflammation, making it a better choice of treatment method for KOA.