Terapia de fotobiomodulação combinada com campo magnético estático em pacientes com dor crônica inespecífica no pescoço e/ou ombros: um estudo randomizado, triplo-cego e controlado por placebo

Abstract

Neck and shoulders pain is a musculoskeletal disorder that affects a considerable number of individuals, causing absence from work and impairments in their daily activities. Physiotherapy has different types of treatment for neck pain, aiming to provide pain relief and restore structural and functional properties. Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) has been used to treat patients with chronic neck and/or shoulder pain. However, it is unknown whether the concomitant use of PBMT and static magnetic field (PBMT-sMF) also has positive effects in these patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of PBMT-sMF versus placebo on pain intensity, range of motion (ROM) and treatment satisfaction in patients with chronic nonspecific neck and/or shoulder pain. A randomized clinical trial was performed, with evaluators, therapists and blinded patients. Seventy-two patients with nonspecific neck and/or shoulder pain were randomized to PBMT-sMF (n=36) or placebo (n=36). Patients received therapy at six different points in three zones in the neck and shoulder region. Patients were treated twice a week for 3 weeks. The primary outcome measure was pain intensity, measured 15 minutes after the last treatment session, plus measurement at 24, 48, 72 hours and 7 days after the last treatment. Secondary outcomes were ROM, patient treatment satisfaction, and adverse effects. PBMT-sMF was able to reduce pain intensity at all times tested compared to placebo (p < 0.05). There was no difference between groups in secondary outcomes (p > 0.05). Our results suggest that PBMT-sMF is better than placebo for reducing pain in patients with chronic nonspecific neck and/or shoulder pain in the short term.