Efficacy and Safety of High Density LED Irradiation Therapy for Patients With Hand Osteoarthritis: A Single-Center Clinical Study

Abstract

Objective To assess the safety and effectiveness of high-density light-emitting diode (LED) irradiation therapy in patients with hand osteoarthritis (OA) and compare the pre- and post-intervention symptoms. Methods Twenty-three patients with hand OA underwent eight sessions of high-density LED irradiation therapy directed at the five most painful areas in the finger joints. Each session lasted for 18 minutes; and the sessions were conducted twice a week, for 4 weeks. We evaluated the degree of pain using the visual analogue scale, ring size, and passive range of motion (flexion+extension) for two most painful joints from the baseline to post-therapy (weeks 4 and 6). Results High-density LED irradiation therapy significantly reduced the pain posttreatment compared with that observed at the baseline (p0.05). No adverse events were observed. Conclusion We examined the safety and effectiveness of high-density LED irradiation therapy in reducing pain and hand swelling and improving joint mobility in patients with hand OA. These results suggest that high-density LED irradiation therapy has the potential to be an important strategy for managing hand OA.

Keywords

• hand
• osteoarthritis
• pain
• phototherapy