SynthesisRheumatology international2013
Is low-level laser therapy in relieving neck pain effective? Systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Rheumatology international, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 39 citations in OpenAlex.
- Efficacy of low-level laser therapy on pain, disability, pressure pain threshold, and range of motion in patients with myofascial neck pain syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Lasers in medical science · 2022Pooled it
- Association of photobiomodulation therapy and therapeutic exercises in relation to pain intensity and neck disability in individuals with chronic neck pain: a systematic review of randomized trials.Lasers in medical science · 2022Pooled it
- Low-level laser therapy for carpal tunnel syndrome.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2017Pooled it
- Effect of high-intensity laser therapy in the management of myofascial pain syndrome of the trapezius: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.Lasers in medical science · 2015Trial
- Article
- A randomized, blinded study of photobiomodulation in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease showed no preventive effect.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Efficacy of Low-Level Laser Therapy for the Treatment of Nonspecific Chronic Neck Pain: Low-Level Laser Therapy vs. Sham Laser.Journal of lasers in medical sciences · 2022Article
- Assessment of the responsiveness of four scales in geriatric patients with chronic neck pain.Rheumatology international · 2021Article
- Use of electroanalgesia and laser therapies as alternatives to opioids for acute and chronic pain management.F1000Research · 2017Review
- Effective treatment options for musculoskeletal pain in primary care: A systematic overview of current evidence.PloS one · 2017Review
- In vitro exposure to very low-level laser modifies expression level of extracellular matrix protein RNAs and mitochondria dynamics in mouse embryonic fibroblasts.BMC complementary and alternative medicine · 2015Article
- Methodological shortcomings make conclusion highly sensitive to relevant changes in review protocol.Rheumatology international · 2014Article
- Role of rehabilitation medicine and physical agents in the treatment of cancer-associated pain.Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology · 2014Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The aim of this study is to determine the efficacy of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in reducing acute and chronic neck pain as measured by the visual analog scale (VAS). A systematic search of nine electronic databases was conducted to identify original articles. For study selection, two reviewers independently assessed titles, abstracts, and full text for eligibility. Methodological quality was assessed using the Detsky scale. Data were analyzed using random-effects model in the presence of heterogeneity and fixed-effect model in its absence. Heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran's Q statistic and quantifying I (2). Risk ratios (RR) with 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were reported. Eight randomized controlled trials involving 443 patients met the strict inclusion criteria. Inter-rater reliability for study selection was 92.8 % (95 % CIs 80.9-100 %) and for methodological quality assessment was 83.9 % (95 % CIs 19.4-96.8 %). Five trials included patients with cervical myofascial pain syndrome (CMPS), and three trials included different patient populations. A meta-analysis of five CMPS trials revealed a mean improvement of VAS score of 10.54 with LLLT (95 % CI 0.37-20.71; Heterogeneity I (2 )= 65 %, P = 0.02). This systematic review provides inconclusive evidence because of significant between-study heterogeneity and potential risk of bias. The benefit seen in the use of LLLT, although statistically significant, does not constitute the threshold of minimally important clinical difference.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.