# Low-Level Laser Therapy for Thumb Carpometacarpal Joint Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

## TL;DR

This study tested low-level laser therapy for thumb joint osteoarthritis but found no significant improvement over standard treatment.

## Contribution

A randomized controlled trial evaluating LLLT for thumb carpometacarpal joint osteoarthritis in a clinical setting.

## Key findings

- LLLT combined with conservative treatment did not significantly reduce pain compared to conservative treatment alone.
- Functional improvements in patients receiving LLLT were not statistically significant.
- Most participants were in their fifties, with no baseline differences between groups.

## Abstract

Background and aim

Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is considered a promising non-invasive treatment option for osteoarthritis (OA). The current study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of LLLT on patients with OA of the first carpometacarpal joint (CMC1) of the thumb.

Methods

An open-level, prospective, randomized controlled trial was conducted in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, for one year. Initially, 120 patients were approached for the study. Among them, 112 eligible patients were randomly divided into two groups: the intervention group received LLLT in addition to conservative treatment, while the control group received conservative treatment alone for four weeks. Pain and functional capability (motor) improvement were assessed on a weekly follow-up basis by using various parameters such as the visual analogue scale (VAS), Ritchie articular index (tenderness scale), grip strength, key pinch strength, Dreiser functional index, and CMC1 palmer abduction. Eventually, 90 patients completed the follow-ups and were included in the analysis.

Results

The majority of patients diagnosed with CMC1 joint OA were in their fifties. At baseline, patients of both intervention and control groups were indifferent in terms of demography, pain intensity, motor responses, and duration of suffering. After four weeks of treatment, results indicated an overall improvement in both groups. However, the reduction of pain and increase in functional capability were not found statistically significant (p-value: ≥0.5).

Conclusion

LLLT with conventional treatment was not found significantly more effective enough than conventional treatment alone, but more well-designed clinical trials with larger sample sizes are needed to reach a definitive conclusion.