Response of Aerobic Capacity to Low Level Laser Therapy in Burned Patients
Condition: Burns
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Severe burns can decrease pulmonary function and impair aerobic capacity persisting for long
      times post injury. Low level laser therapy is a new modality used to improve aerobic
      capacity, enhance exercise performance, increase time until fatigue when used prior to
      aerobic exercises. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of pre- exercise low level laser
      therapy on aerobic capacity in burned patients.
    

Detailed description: 
      Low level laser therapy has a beneficial therapeutic effect on promoting aerobic capacity,
      improving maximum oxygen consumption and increasing treadmill time when preceding aerobic
      exercise training.This study was conducted to determine the effects of pre- exercise low
      level laser therapy on aerobic capacity in burned patients. Low level laser therapy was
      applied to the study group for 12 weeks before aerobic exercises, three sessions / week,
      while control group received 12 weeks of aerobic exercises, three times weekly. Patients in
      both groups were received the traditional physical therapy program as a routine treatment.
      Aerobic capacity was assessed by measuring maximum oxygen consumption and time to exhaustion
      at baseline and after twelve weeks of interventions for both groups.
    

Intervention name(s): Low level laser therapy; Aerobic exercises; Traditional physical therapy program
Intervention type(s): Device; Other; Other
Intervention description(s): Low level laser therapy was applied immediately before each aerobic exercise training session by using a multidiode cluster (with four diode spots; Polaris2, manufactured by Astar ABR, Poland) )on 12 sites on the lower limb (6 on quadriceps ( 2 centrally on rectus femoris and vastus intermedius,2 laterally on vastus lateralis, and two medially on vastus medialis), 4 on hamstrings and 2 on gastrocnemius) with the following parameters: 808 nm, continous output, 200 mW each diode (total of 800 mW) power output, 24 J energy on each site (6 J for each spot) , 40 seconds at each site (8 minutes of total treatment time in lower limb) and 288 J total energy delivered per lower limb, 48 irradiation points per lower limb ,3 sessions weekly for 12 weeks.; Aerobic exercise program consisted of walking on the treadmill at a rate of 3 sessions/week for 12 weeks, with each session lasting for 40 minutes in the form of warming up for 5 minutes at intensity of <50% of the previously determined VO2max of each participant, 30 minutes of treadmill exercises at intensity of (70-85%) of the previously determined VO2max of each participant then 5 minutes cooling down at intensity of<50% of the previously determined VO2max of each participant.; Patients were received traditional physical therapy program in the form of (stretching and strengthening exercises for all affected areas, diaphragmatic breathing exercises and activities of daily living).
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Investigator)
Primary purpose: Treatment