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Laser Therapy for Patients With Nonspecific Neck Pain

NCT07262697 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 60

Last updated 2025-12-04

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Background and Purpose: Neck pain is widespread and stands as the sixth most common cause of disability globally. While laser therapy has been used for many years to treat non-specific neck pain (NNP), there is still a shortage of research directly comparing different laser modalities. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the therapeutic effectiveness of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and high intensity laser therapy (HILT) in managing NNP.

Methods: sixty patients diagnosed with NNP were equally randomized into three groups. HILT group received 10 weeks of HILT, LLLT group received 10 weeks of LLLT and a control group that received a home program. Outcome measures were evaluated at baseline and after the intervention period and included pain intensity, neck disability, active cervical range of motion (ROM), and quality of life.

Conditions

  • Neck Pain
  • Non Specific Neck Pain

Interventions

OTHER

HILT

The first phase consisted of rapid manual scanning, delivering a total energy of 1000 J/cm². During the second phase, HILT was applied to eight trigger points, with four applications per point, continuing until pain reduction reached approximately 70-80%; a total of 200 J was delivered in this phase. The final phase was performed with slow manual scanning with the same parameters as the initial phase. The complete HILT procedure lasted around 30 minutes, with a total energy dose of approximately 2050 J (19).

OTHER

LLLT

The laser probe was positioned directly on specific points along the cervical spine while the participant's head remained in a neutral position. Each point was treated for 2 minutes. A total of eight points were marked bilaterally over the trapezius and sternocleidomastoid muscles, covering an area of 24 cm². The total treatment duration was 18 minutes, with an energy dose of 2 J/cm² applied to each point (20).

OTHER

CONTROL

The home program involved stretching exercises for levator scapulae and upper trapezius, strengthening exercises for neck extensors, and scapular stabilizer exercises. Each exercise was executed with a 5-second hold and 10 repetitions per set, for a total of three sets repeated three times per week for 10 weeks.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
60 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2023-03-01
Primary Completion
2024-03-01
Completion
2024-04-01

Countries

  • Saudi Arabia

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07262697 on ClinicalTrials.gov