Evaluating Light Therapy for Treatment of Overuse Anterior Knee Pain
Condition: Anterior Knee Pain Syndrome
MeSH terms: Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      During basic training, 15% of military recruits develop knee pain, which hinders their chance
      to complete training. Current therapeutic options have had variable levels of success. Light
      therapy was shown to reduce pain in chronic inflammatory related knee pathology. The current
      clinical study is designed to evaluate light therapy, as an adjunct to conservative
      physiotherapy for treatment of acute overuse KP in combat soldiers.
    

Detailed description: 
      During basic training, 15% of military recruits develop knee pain on the background of
      overuse, which hinders their chance to complete training, and leads to high dropout rate with
      the accompanying cost to the system. When KP is due to overuse, the time to complete
      resolution is typically 2-3 months, but symptoms may last for years. Current therapeutic
      options have had variable levels of success. Finding an alternative non-drug, non-invasive
      therapeutic modality that is easily incorporated in a field setting and may shorten the
      resolution of pain may lead to earlier return to duty thereby reducing the associated cost to
      the system and to the individual soldier.

      Low-level laser irradiation (LLLI) is non-ionizing and non-thermal, and is within the visible
      to near-infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum. LLLI has been used widely for
      alleviation of pain, reduction of inflammation, and acceleration of wound healing.
      Pre-clinical and clinical studies have shown that LLLI reduces pain in chronic inflammatory
      related knee pathology. However, little is known about the effect of LLLI on acute knee
      pathology that account for 25-40% of all knee problems in athletes.

      The current study is a prospective, randomized, controlled double blind clinical study
      designed to evaluate light therapy, as an adjunct to conservative physiotherapy for treatment
      of acute overuse KP in combat soldiers.

      The treatment protocol includes conservative physiotherapy and in addition, biweekly sessions
      of light therapy or sham irradiation for 4 weeks. Two follow up visits will take place at 1
      week and 3 months after the last treatment.

      Study evaluations will include physical examination, physical activity tests, subjective pain
      level by visual analogue scale, improvement and satisfaction scores, and functional
      questionnaires.
    

Intervention name(s): THOR Laser LX2 System; Sham Therapy
Intervention type(s): Device; Device
Intervention description(s): Treatment session will take up to 25 minutes and will include stimulation of local lymph nodes and soft tissue, de-activation of trigger points, and eliciting analgesia.; The therapeutic light will be turned off but the system will produce similar noises and mild heat.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Triple (Participant, Care Provider, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment