Effects of Low-Level Laser Therapy and Interferential Current Therapy in the Treatment of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Objective: The aim of this study is to estimate and compare the effects of low-level laser therapy and interferential current therapy in patients with complex regional pain syndrome type I. Material and Methods: Prospective randomized clinical research, including 45 patients with post-traumatic unilateral complex regional pain syndrome type I, treated at the Clinical Center Nis from December 2004 to January 2007. Low-level laser therapy and kinesitherapy were applied in group A (n=20), whereas group B (n=25) was treated with interferential current and kinesitherapy. For assessment of the therapeutic effect, the following parameters were tested: pain intensity was determined by visual analog scale, figure-of-eight measurement was used to determine the circumference of the affected part of the extremity, and range of motion of the affected joint was measured by a standard goniometer. Results: Statistically significant differences were obtained for all tested parameters in both groups, but the difference was greater in group A compared to group B (p<0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study show that both physical procedures are effective in the treatment of complex regional pain syndrome type I, but the efficiency of laser therapy is statistically significantly higher compared to interferential current therapy.