Infrared laser versus ultrasonic in treatment of painful shoulder

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out on 60 patients with shoulders painful at rest, and with limitation of all ranges of movement. The patients were divided into three well balanced groups. Each group comprised 20 patients. The first group was a "placebo one". The second and third groups treated with ultrasonic [U.S.] and infrared [I.R.] laser therapy respectively. The severity of the pain and the range of active shoulder joint movements in flexion, abduction, external and internal rotations were done prior to the treatment, three and six months after treatment. Results of this study revealed that the average percentage of shoulder pain improvement after three and six months of teatment in the four shoulder joint movements is better with the use of I.R. laser therapy than U.S. As for the range of shoulder joint movements, it was observed that there was a highly significant improvement in the I.R. Laser group after three and six months of treatment but only after six months in the U.S. group. These finding lead us to conclude that pain relief and maximum functional recovery of shoulder joints are better achieved in patients with painful shoulders who were under I.R. laser therapy than patients under U.S. therapy. It is suggested that the "frozen shoulder" - i.e. pain free shoulder with severe limitation of all movement - is the end result of a neglected painful shoulder and it is essential that painful shoulders be treated as early as possible if normal function is to be restored