The benefits of low-intensity laser therapy associated with home exercises in elderly knee osteoarthritis

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a musculoskeletal disease with predominance in the elderly population. Laser therapy has been one of the safe and non-invasive methods for treating OA. OBJECTIVE: To observe the influence on pain, stiffness and function in the elderly before and after the application of home exercise laser therapy. METHODS: Ten elderly patients with knee OA who underwent 12 laser therapy sessions 3 times a week. The Chattanooga Class 3B Low Power Laser was used, with a total energy of 36J (divided into 6 points - 6J per point) according to the dosage of the World Association of Laser Therapy (WALT). We used the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain; Western Ontario Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and Lequesne Index for pain, stiffness and functionality. Home exercises were explained and demonstrated by the evaluator and instructed to perform 3 times a week during 12 sessions. RESULTS: We observed that after laser therapy and home exercises, there was no improvement in VAS but there was significant improvement in the general WOMAC (p = 0.01) and function (p = 0.001), while the others were not significant (p> 0, 5), when compared to the t-test, when compared to the Pearson correlation, there was an improvement in the WOMAC and LEQUESNE questionnaires. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that after applying home exercise laser therapy, there was no significant improvement in pain through VAS, which may be a subjective response with difficulty for patients to understand, but there was a significant improvement in the patient's functional evolution measured by the questionnaires. WOMAC and LEQUESNE in patients with knee OA.