Long-term efficacy of low level laser therapy in women with fibromyalgia: A placebo-controlled study

Abstract

Aim:To investigate the efficacy of low level laser therapy (LLLT) in fibromyalgia patients. Materials and Methods:Thirty-four fibromyalgia patients were randomly assigned to LLLT (n=16) and placebo laser groups (n=16). Outcome measures included number of tender points (NTP), Fibromyalgia Impact Que stionnaire (FIQ), morning stiffness, global improvement as reported on a verbal scale (VSGI), and total myalgia score. Clinical evaluations were performed before, immediately after, and six months after the treatment. Results:In the LLLT group, significant improvement was observed in clinical parameters at the end of the treatment (p<0.01). On the other hand, significant improvements were observed only in the number of tender points and morning stiffness in the placebo group (p<0.05). In comparing the groups, significant improvements were detected in scores of FIQ, VSGI, and total myalgia in the active laser group (p<0.05). The clinical evaluations performed after six months demonstrated improvements in the clinical parameters only in the LLLT group (p<0.05). When the groups were compared with each other, significant improvements were found in the LLLT group (p<0.05). Conclusion:Our results suggest that LLLT has both short- and long-term effectiveness in the treatment of fibromyalgia.