title: Immediate pain relief effect of low level laser therapy for sports injuries: Randomized, double-blind placebo clinical trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the immediate pain relief effect of low-level laser therapy on sports injuries in athletes and degree of pain relief by the therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Double-blind, randomized, comparative clinical study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 32 college athletes with motion pain at a defined site. Participants were randomized into two groups in which the tested or placebo laser therapy was administered to determine pain intensity from painful action before and after laser irradiation, using the Modified Numerical Rating Scale. The post-therapeutic Modified Numerical Rating Scale score was subtracted from the pre-therapeutic Modified Numerical Rating Scale score to determine pain intensity difference, and the rate of pain intensity difference to pre-therapeutic Modified Numerical Rating Scale was calculated as pain relief rate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Low-level laser therapy was effective in 75% of the laser group, whereas it was not effective in the placebo group, indicating a significant difference in favor of the laser group (p<0.001). Pain relief rate was significantly higher in the laser group than in the placebo group (36.94% vs. 8.20%, respectively, p<0.001), with the difference in pain relief rate being 28.74%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low-level laser therapy provided an immediate pain relief effect, reducing pain by 28.74%. It was effective for pain relief in 75% of participants.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Sports Science, Kyushu Kyoritsu University, Japan. Electronic address: awtn9831@gmail.com.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takenori
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physical Education, Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences, Japan; Graduate School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences, Japan; Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences Clinic, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ikuhiro
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physical Education, Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences, Japan; Graduate School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences, Japan.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Shogo
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health and Sciences, Tokyo Ariake University of Medical and Health Sciences, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hiroe
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Sports Science, Kyushu Kyoritsu University, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Junji
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Sports Science, Kyushu Kyoritsu University, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yasutaka
authors.affiliation: Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences Clinic, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hiroya
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Miki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D028022:Low-Level Light Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D059408:Pain Management / Q000379:methods*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Athletes; Motion pain; Pain relief rate; Physical therapies