Randomized Controlled TrialTreatment: Physical ModalitiesClinical TrialsClinical RelevanceDOI
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Patient-friendly summary

If you read nothing else

High-intensity laser therapy (HILT) helps reduce pain and disability for people with chronic neck pain in the trapezius muscle.

Bottom line

This treatment seems promising and might be worth discussing with your provider for chronic neck pain.

Moderate evidence

Ask your provider

  • What are the potential benefits and risks of HILT for my condition?
  • How many HILT sessions will I need and how long will each session last?
  • What can I expect during and after HILT treatment?

Try this week

  • Ask your provider about HILT as a possible treatment for chronic neck pain.
  • Inquire if you are a candidate for HILT and what the treatment process involves.
  • Consider incorporating exercises to manage your neck pain under professional guidance.

How well it works

7.0 / 10

The study showed significant improvements in pain, disability, and quality of life measures with HILT treatment.

Moderate evidence

VAS 0–10

2.75.9

Pain reduced from 5.9 to 2.7

Full research — for clinicians and curious readers

Study Summary

Background

Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) of the trapezius muscle is a major cause of neck pain, affecting up to 54% of the population. It's characterized by deep muscle pain, restricted movement, and the presence of trigger points - tight, tender spots in muscle that can cause pain locally or in other areas. Traditional treatments include exercise, medications, heat therapy, and injections, but researchers continue to explore new options. High-intensity laser therapy (HILT) uses a pulsed laser that can penetrate deeper into tissues than traditional low-level lasers, potentially offering better pain relief.

However, its effectiveness specifically for neck trigger points hadn't been well studied.

What They Did

Researchers studied 76 women aged 20-60 with chronic trapezius muscle trigger points, randomly dividing them into two groups. The treatment group received real high-intensity laser therapy plus exercises, while the control group got fake (sham) laser plus the same exercises. The laser treatment involved three phases: broad scanning of the trapezius muscles, focused treatment on specific trigger points, and another round of scanning, delivering a total of 1,060 joules of energy per session. Both groups received 15 treatment sessions over 3 weeks, followed by supervised exercises including stretching, strengthening, and range-of-motion activities.

Pain levels, neck movement, disability, and quality of life were measured before treatment, after 4 weeks, and after 12 weeks.

What They Found

Both groups improved significantly, but the real laser group showed much better results. For pain at rest, the laser group's pain scores dropped from 5.9 to 2.6 on a 10-point scale, while the sham group only improved from 5.7 to 4.1. Similar superior improvements were seen for movement pain and night pain. Neck disability scores improved 38% in the laser group versus only 20% in the sham group.

Quality of life measures also showed greater improvements in the laser group across multiple areas including physical function, pain levels, and social activities. These improvements were maintained at the 12-week follow-up. No side effects were reported in either group.

What This Means

This study provides strong evidence that high-intensity laser therapy is an effective treatment for chronic neck trigger points when combined with exercise. The laser treatment appears to work by delivering focused energy to trigger points, potentially improving blood flow and muscle metabolism while reducing inflammation. For patients with chronic neck pain from trigger points, this offers a non-invasive treatment option that's painless and doesn't require medications or injections. Clinicians can consider HILT as part of a comprehensive treatment plan that includes exercise therapy.

The combination appears more effective than exercise alone, suggesting the treatments work synergistically.

72/100
Evidence StrengthStrong
Study Quality
Sample Size
Replication
55%
Pain Reduction (HILT)
28%
Pain Reduction (Sham)
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
38%
Disability Improvement (HILT)
Enrolled

76

Randomized
n=38

HILT + Exercise

High-intensity laser + exercises, 15 sessions over 3 weeks

n=37

Sham + Exercise

Sham laser + exercises, 15 sessions over 3 weeks

Results Comparison

Pain at Rest (VAS 0-10)

points
HILT Group2.6 points
Sham Group4.1 points

Neck Disability Index

points
HILT Group20.3 points
Sham Group26.1 points

Key Findings

HILT group showed 55% greater pain reduction at rest compared to sham groupHigh

Pain scores dropped from 5.9 to 2.6 in HILT group vs 5.7 to 4.1 in sham group

Neck disability improved 38% in HILT group vs 20% in sham groupHigh

Neck Disability Index scores showed significantly greater improvement with real laser

Quality of life improvements were superior in multiple domains with HILTHigh

Physical functioning, role limitations, bodily pain, and social functioning all improved more

Benefits were maintained at 12-week follow-upMedium

Improvements seen at 4 weeks were sustained through 12 weeks in both groups

No side effects were reported in either treatment groupMedium

HILT appears to be a safe, non-invasive treatment option

Exercise alone provided significant but limited benefitsMedium

Sham group still improved, confirming exercise is beneficial for trigger points

Study Methodology
Study Design
Double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial
Sample Size
76
Duration
3 weeks treatment with 12 weeks follow-up
Population
Women aged 20-60 with chronic trapezius myofascial pain syndrome
Outcome Measures
VAS pain scores · Cervical range of motion · Neck Disability Index · SF-36 quality of life

Strengths

  • Double-blind, placebo-controlled design minimizes bias
  • Used validated outcome measures (VAS, NDI, SF-36)
  • Adequate sample size for detecting treatment differences
  • 12-week follow-up shows sustained benefits

Limitations

  • Only included female patients, limiting generalizability
  • Relatively short exercise duration (3 weeks only)
  • Different physicians conducted pre- and post-assessments
  • No long-term follow-up beyond 12 weeks

Key Takeaways for Patients

What This Means for You

  1. 01High-intensity laser therapy can significantly reduce neck pain from trigger points when combined with exercise
  2. 02The treatment is painless and has no reported side effects
  3. 03Benefits appear within 4 weeks and last for at least 3 months after treatment
  4. 04Exercise alone helps but adding laser therapy provides much better results
  5. 05This may be a good option if you want to avoid medications or injections for neck trigger points

Read the Full Paper

Access the complete peer-reviewed study from Lasers in Medical Science

View Full Study

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