[Laser therapy and magnetic field therapy as auxiliary treatment for neck pain]

Background. Neck pain has become a serious epidemiological and therapeutic problem. Among the most important reasons for this are sedentary lifestyles and low levels of physical activity. The goal of our study was to compare the effectiveness of low-energy laser radiation and low frequency magnetic field in the treatment of neck pain. Material and method. We examined 40 persons with neck pain, half of whom were treated by laser-therapy, and the rest by magnetic field therapy. Results. Laser therapy and magnetic field therapy were very effective in lowering pain intensity, the frequency of episodes, and the necessity for pharmacological co-treatment. Conclusions. Both methods appeared very effective. Because laser therapy acted faster, it should be recommended more often, particularly in acute cases.