A Systematic Review on Low-Level Laser Therapy in the Management of Shoulder Impingement Syndrome

Abstract

Background: Conservative therapy is currently the elective treatment for shoulder impingement syndrome according to the scientific literature. The success of conservative therapy is due to physiotherapy and the application of its methods. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate low-level laser therapy, a physiotherapeutic method for pain reduction and increasing the range of motion. Methods: This systematic review was conducted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The screening of the literature was carried out on the Cochrane, PEDro, PubMed/Medline, and Scopus databases up until December 2021. All studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and five articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in this study. The risk of bias was evaluated with PEDro and Jadad scales. Results: In this study, we reviewed five RCTs that compared low-level laser therapy with other physiotherapy treatments to reduce pain and improve range of motion in patients with shoulder impingement syndrome. Conclusions: Low-level laser therapy for shoulder impingement syndrome requires further investigation in future studies.