A Double Blind Crossover Trial of low Level Laser Therapy in the Treatment of Postherpetic Neuralgia

Abstract

Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) can be an extremely painful condition which in many cases proves resistant to all the accepted forms of treatment. It is frequently most severe in the elderly and may persist for years with no predictable course. This trial was designed as a double blind assessment of the efficacy of low level laser therapy (LLLT) with an 830 nm diode laser in the relief of the pain of PHN with patients acting as their own controls. Admission to the trial was limited to patients with established PHN of at least six months duration and who had shown little or no response to conventional methods of treatment. Measurements of pain intensity and distribution were noted over a period of eight treatments in two groups of patients each of which received four consecutive laser treatments. The results demonstrate a significant reduction in both PHN pain intensity and distribution following a course of LLLT. © 2004, International Phototherapy Association. All rights reserved.