Comparison of the clinical effectiveness of Class IV Laser therapy and therapeutic ultrasound in patients with chronic neck pain: a randomized controlled trial

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INTRODUCTION: Chronic neck pain (CNP) is a common musculoskeletal problem that affects a large proportion of the population and lasts longer than three months. It has a high cost in terms of life, disability, and healthcare. Several modalities have effectively provided immediate and long-term relief for CNP; however, the comparative clinical effectiveness of these modalities is limited. OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to determine the clinical effectiveness of Class IV Laser therapy and Therapeutic Ultrasound (TUS) in patients with CNP. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Forty-four patients with CNP of both genders were recruited from an age range of 20–45 years from the Department of Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy of Maharishi Markandeshwar Institute of Physiotherapy, MM(DU), Ambala, India. They were divided into two groups at random: the LASER group A (n = 22) and the TUS group B (n = 22). The intervention duration was 2 weeks with 6 treatment sessions. Pre- and post-treatment outcome measures were assessed with the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Algometer, Goniometer, and Neck Disability Index (NDI) questionnaires at baseline and after 2 weeks of intervention. The LASER group received a target dose of 10 joules per cm2 at a power of 10 watts, with a continuous dosage frequency. The TUS group underwent a continuous mode ultrasound (3 MHz, 1 W/cm2) for 6 minutes. The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to assess the normality of the data. For parametric and non-parametric data analysis within the group, the paired t-test and Wilcoxon signed rank were used. The independent t-test and Mann-U Whitney test were used for the group comparison of parametric and non-parametric data, respectively. RESULTS: In both groups, there was a significant improvement in all the outcome measures (p<0.001). There was a statistically significant difference between the two interventions in VAS, Pain Pressure Threshold (PPT), and NDI (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Class IV Laser therapy is clinically more effective than therapeutic ultrasound in treating patients with chronic neck pain.