The efficacy of "athermic"
lasers (HeNe lambda = 632.8 nm and IR diode lambda = 904 nm) in the treatment of
tendinopathies was investigated in a randomized double-blind study. On 10 consecutive days, 64 patients (32
therapy, 32 placebo) were treated for 15 minutes each with a switched-on or switched-off
laser under otherwise identical conditions. The extent of movement in involved joints (neutral 0 method) and rating on a
pain scale for resting
pain, movement
pain, and pressure
pain before treatment,
after treatment, and 2 weeks after conclusion of
therapy, as well as infrared thermography, served to check
therapy. After the end of
therapy, a significant reduction (P = less than 0.001) of 50% was shown for resting
pain as well as reductions of 30% for movement and 30% for pressure
pain. This result was identical in the therapy group and in the placebo group. There was also no indication of a different result of
therapy between the
therapy and placebo groups with regard to the thermographic control and the extent of movement. The breakdown of the data in terms of age, sex, and duration of disease did not provide any indications of different results for placebo or
therapy. It was striking that the patients who reported sensations during or after the treatment (irrespective of whether pleasant or unpleasant) had a greater reduction of
pain than the patients without sensations. This
laser therapy thus did not show any effect above and beyond that in the untreated group in our double-blind clinical study.