[Effectiveness of laser therapy in Bechterew's disease]

Altogether 33 patients with Bekhterev's disease were given external irradiation of the spine and joints using He-Ne laser: 20 patients received laser therapy combined with indomethacin at a daily dose of 75-100 mg, 13 patients received laser therapy alone without indomethacin as a result of its intolerance. A course included 20 sessions of irradiation. Therapeutic efficacy was assessed by a number of clinicolaboratory indices. The most noticeable effect was observed in the combination of nonsteroid antiinflammatory drugs with laser therapy. The use of the latter as monotherapy was less effective, and its effect was comparable with that of indomethcin at a daily dose of 75 mg.