Alleviation of dyspnea sensation by phototherapy in healthy adults

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Because both dyspnea and pain have common features from a clinical and physiologic point of view, we hypothesized that stellate ganglion irradiation by using a linear polarized near-infrared ray device, which is often used for pain management, might be applicable for dyspnea relief. To evaluate the use of stellate ganglion irradiation as a novel noninvasive treatment for dyspnea, we investigated the influence of stellate ganglion irradiation on dyspnea. METHODS: Perceptions of dyspnea were examined with or without stellate ganglion irradiation in 28 healthy adults. The sensation of breathing difficulty was induced by a two-way non-rebreathing valves with linear inspiratory resistance (R) of 0, 10, 20, and 30 cm H2O/L/s. Dyspnea was evaluated with the modified Borg scale to determine subjects’ discomfort level. Stellate ganglion irradiation was performed by intermittent irradiation near the bilateral stellate ganglion by using a linear polarized near-infrared ray device. RESULTS: There were significant changes from baseline at R = 10 cm H2O/L/s (P =.007), R = 20 cm H2O/L/s (P =.005), and R = 30 cm H2O/L/s (P =.009). For each resistive load, the mean dyspnea sensation score was lower with stellate ganglion irradiation compared with sham irradiation, with significant differences (P =.003 at R = 0cmH2O/L/s; P