Terapia com LASER é eficaz contra dor cervical

Um estudo recente publicado em uma das maiores revistas de medicina (The Lancet) confirma através de uma metaanálise que a terapia com LASER melhora a dor cervical, a dor na nuca. Foram analisados 16 estudos que incluíram no total 820 pacientes. Tanto dor cervical aguda quanto crônica se mostraram melhores após o tratamento com a terapia com laser de baixa potência. Os efeitos colaterais da terapia com LASER são semelhantes aos níveis achados com o grupo placebo, ou seja, mínimos. A terapia com LASER é eficaz  para dor cervical aguda e crônica e sem efeitos colaterais significantes. Como pacientes com cefaleias, dores de cabeça, enxaqueca apresentam frequentemente dor cervical associada, é bem possível que o terapia com LASER seja também eficaz para o tratamento da enxaqueca.

Este artigo foi comentado pelo Dr Mario Peres, médico neurologista, pós-doutorado naThomas Jefferson University na área das cefaleias. Ligue  para 11 3285-5726 para marcar consulta e saber mais  sobre o tratamento com LASER.

Veja o resumo do artigo em inglês:

Efficacy of low-level laser therapy in the management of neck pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised placebo or active-treatment controlled trials

Roberta T Chow MBBS, Mark I Johnson PhD,  Rodrigo AB Lopes-Martins PhD, Jan M Bjordal

The Lancet, Volume 374, Issue 9705, Pages 1897 – 1908, 5 December 2009

Background. Neck pain is a common and costly condition for which pharmacological management has limited evidence of efficacy and side-effects. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is a relatively uncommon, non-invasive treatment for neck pain, in which non-thermal laser irradiation is applied to sites of pain. We did a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials to assess the efficacy of LLLT in neck pain.

Methods. We searched computerised databases comparing efficacy of LLLT using any wavelength with placebo or with active control in acute or chronic neck pain. Effect size for the primary outcome, pain intensity, was defined as a pooled estimate of mean difference in change in mm on 100 mm visual analogue scale.

Findings. We identified 16 randomised controlled trials including a total of 820 patients. In acute neck pain, results of two trials showed a relative risk (RR) of 1·69 (95% CI 1·22—2·33) for pain improvement of LLLT versus placebo. Five trials of chronic neck pain reporting categorical data showed an RR for pain improvement of 4·05 (2·74—5·98) of LLLT. Patients in 11 trials reporting changes in visual analogue scale had pain intensity reduced by 19·86 mm (10·04—29·68). Seven trials provided follow-up data for 1—22 weeks after completion of treatment, with short-term pain relief persisting in the medium term with a reduction of 22·07 mm (17·42—26·72). Side-effects from LLLT were mild and not different from those of placebo.

Interpretation. We show that LLLT reduces pain immediately after treatment in acute neck pain and up to 22 weeks after completion of treatment in patients with chronic neck pain.