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Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

This case report describes the long-term effect of the high-intensity laser therapy (HILT) in a patient with chronic shoulder pain refractory in comparison to other treatments.

CASE DESCRIPTION:

Ten sessions of HILT were applied in a thirty-one-year-old woman diagnosed with subacromial syndrome. Assessment was carried out through different tests: Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI), Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) and pressure pain threshold (PPT). All measurements were taken at four different points: at the end of the 10 sessions, after one month, three months after the intervention and nine months after the initial intervention.

RESULTS:

There was a clinically significant improvement in NPRS (decrease of 5 points), PPT (increase of 1.5 kg/cm ${}^{2}$ ) and SPADI (decrease of 24 points) one month after the intervention. After three months, the increase of NPRS and SPADI required a 5-session intervention to support the clinical improvement. Six months after these booster sessions an increase in PPT and a decrease in NPRS and SPADI were observed.

CONCLUSION:

Results indicate the suitability of developing new research lines which will optimize the use of HILT.

Keywords

Shoulder pain shoulder impingement syndrome high intensity laser therapy high power laser therapy

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Long-term effect of high-intensity laser therapy for persistent shoulder pain: A case report