RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF DIODE LASER THERAPY FOR PAIN ATTENUATION IN 3635 PATIENTS: DETAILED ANALYSIS BY QUESTIONNAIRE

Abstract

In a 46-month term, 3635 patients presented for pain attenuation with a gallium aluminium arsenide diode laser (830 nm. 60 mW, continuous wave. exposure time and number of sessions varied patient by patient). The mean age of the patients was 53.8 years. Analysis. of subjective treatment assessment over the whole patient population showed an overall efficiency rate of 82.8%. A more detailed analysis of physiological and psychological effccts of laser therapy. both oral and by multi-part written questionnaire was administered to 1300 patients. all of whom required a minimum of 10 treatment sessions, The reply rate was 57.8%. or 752 patients. with a mean age of 57.2. The overall effective pain removal was assessed at 76%, with the treatment effect after a single irradiation lasting from nearly 9 h (16.5% of questionnaire respondents) to over 3 days (83,5%), From the questionnaire data it could be seen that the most efficient psychological improvements following laser therapy were in the areas of general well-being (67.6%). increased physical energy (60.2%) and improved steep (56.4%). Although this was not a controlled double blind study. the size of the population gives credence to the physiological and psychological effectiveness of the diode laser in pain therapy, even for the chronic type of pain.