Laserterapia em afecçoes locomotoras: Revisão sistemática de estudos experimentais

Abstract

Introduction: Physiotherapy has long been contributing for the treatment of musculotendinous and osteoarticular lesions by using several electrothermal and phototherapy resources, such as low-level laser. Objective: The aim of this study was to identify, through a systematic review, the effect of low-level laser therapy on locomotor system diseases in rats, mainly the energy dose and wavelength applied, as well as the response to the treatment. Methods: Databases Medline, Lilacs, PEDro and SciELO were consulted from January 2005 to May 2013, using the terms “tendinopathy”, “laser therapy” “rats”, “tendon”, “muscle”, “bone”, “low-level laser therapy”, as well as “tendinopatia”, “laserterapia”, “ratos”, “tendao” “musculo”, “osso”and “laser de baixa potencia” Only experimental studies published in Portuguese and English and that induced lesion in tendons, muscles, bones and/or joints, treated with laser therapy, were included, combined or not with other treatments. Results: A total of 30 experimental studies were found in the databases consulted, out of which 15 (50%) were carried out on tendon, 10 (33.33%) on muscle, and five (16.66%) on bone and/or joint. The energy doses most frequently used were 3 J (26.66%) and 1J (16.66%), while the most frequent wavelengths were 904 nm (21.21%) and 830 nm (21.21%). Conclusion: The most expressive information obtained with this therapy was the decrease in inflammatory response (36.66%) in acute orthopaedic lesions.