High-frequency laser therapy: a new alternative to physiotherapy in the treatment of cervical disk hernia.

研究概要

One hundred fifty patients with cervical disk herniation were randomized to receive high-frequency laser therapy plus exercise (n=50), conventional physiotherapy (TENS, ultrasound, hotpack) plus exercise (n=50), or exercise therapy alone (n=50). The primary outcome was the Neck Disability Index (NDI). Secondary outcomes included range of motion (ROM), Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain, and the Short Form Health Survey-36 (SF-36). Outcomes were assessed before treatment, after 3 weeks of treatment, and at 1 and 3 months follow-up. Overall, the results of the study revealed significant improvements in all outcomes across all groups, with greater improvements observed in the physiotherapy and high-frequency laser groups compared to the exercise-only group. There was no significant difference between physiotherapy and laser therapy groups, suggesting that high-frequency laser therapy may be an effective alternative to conventional physiotherapy in the treatment of cervical disk herniation.