Acute low back pain with radiculopathy: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics and Rehabilitation
• Pain Management
• Physical Therapy Modalities

Background:

• Acute low back pain (LBP) with radiculopathy presents significant pain and disability.
• Inflammation plays a key pathogenic role in LBP with radiculopathy.
• Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) exhibits notable anti-inflammatory effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the clinical efficacy of LLLT as an adjunct treatment for acute LBP with radiculopathy.
• To compare the effects of LLLT combined with medication versus medication alone.

Main Methods:

• A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 546 patients.
• Three groups: nimesulide + active LLLT, nimesulide alone, and nimesulide + placebo LLLT.
• LLLT parameters: 904 nm wavelength, 5000 Hz frequency, 100 mW power, 20 mW/cm² power density, 3 J/cm² dose per treatment.

Main Results:

• All measured outcomes (pain intensity, lumbar movement, disability, quality of life) showed statistically significant improvements (p < 0.001).
• Group A (nimesulide + active LLLT) demonstrated significantly greater improvements than Group B (nimesulide alone) and Group C (nimesulide + placebo LLLT) (p < 0.0005).
• Group C showed better results than Group B (p < 0.0005).

Conclusions:

• LLLT as an additional therapy offers superior improvement for acute LBP with radiculopathy.
• The combination of LLLT and nimesulide is more effective than nimesulide alone or with placebo LLLT.