Turkish Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2003 , Vol 49 , Num 6

Parsiyel Supraspinatus Tendon Rüptürü Olan Subakromiyal Sıkışma Sendromlu Hastalarda Düşük Doz Lazer Tedavisinin Etkinliği

Funda Taşcıoğlu 1 ,İlknur Dalkıran 2 ,Cengiz Öner 3
1 Osmangazi Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Fiziksel Tıp ve Rehabilitasyon Anabilim Dalı, Eskişehir
2 Osmangazi Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Fiziksel Tıp ve Rehabilitasyon Anabilim Dalı, Eskişehir
3 Osmangazi Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Fiziksel Tıp ve Rehabilitasyon Ana Bilim Dalı, Eskişehir

The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of low-level laser in the treatment of subacromial impingement syndrome in patients with  partial rupture of the supraspinatus tendon. Fifty seven patients (48 females, 9 males) were randomly divided into two groups. A physical therapy program consisting of hotpack, ultrasound, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, and exercise was applied to the first group consisting of 29 patients (mean age 53.88 years, mean disease duration 6.78 months). Twenty eight patients in the second group (mean age 55.07 years, mean disease duration 5.83 months) received the same physical therapy program and additional low-level  laser treatment. Both treatments were applied for a period of 15 days. The clinical evaluations were performed at baseline, at the end of the treatment, and at 6th month. Pain intensity at rest, on activation, and at night was evaluated by visual analogue scale. For the functional assessment of the shoulder, Constant scale was used. Both groups showed statistically significant differences as compared to baseline for all parameters at the end of the treatment and at 6th month (p<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between the treatment groups (p>0.05). These results suggested that low-level laser has no additional benefit in conjunct to other physical therapy modalities in the treatment of subacromial impingement syndrome in patients with partial rupture of the supraspinatus tendon. 

Keywords : Low-energy laser, partial rupture of the supraspinatus tendon, physical therapy, subacromial impingement syndrome