Riassunto dello studio

Eighteen patients with chronic non-specific low back pain were randomized to receive a single session of photobiomodulation therapy (n=9) or sham therapy (n=9) for the modulation of inflammatory markers and relief of pain. The primary outcome of interest was prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) levels. Secondary outcomes of interest included tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a), interleukin (IL)-6 levels, and pain scores on a Pain Numeric Rating Scale (PNRS). Moreover, outcomes were assessed 15 minutes after the completion of treatment. Results revealed statistically significantly lower PGE2 levels in the active group compared to the sham group (p=0.04). No statistical significant differences between groups or improvement from baseline in both groups were observed for TNF-a levels nor IL-6 levels (p>0.05 for all). While pain scores were statistically significantly improved from baseline in both groups (p<0.05 for both groups), no statistical significant differences in NPRS pain scores were observed between groups (p>0.05).