BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Of the various physical interventions used to relieve the symptoms of osteoarthritis (OA), a common degenerative joint disease causing considerable pain and disability, low power laser therapy has been reported to be extremely successful in Russia and Eastern Europe. METHOD: Although the overall number of studies was small, this literature review and analysis highlights the relevant controlled clinical trials and related basic research in English-language publications. This review indicates that, despite their shortcomings, the six studies analysed did report post-treatment improvements in a variety of osteoarthritic problems, including pain, mobility, tenderness and function, with few adverse effects. Possible mechanisms documented for the observed results included peripheral nerve stimulation, resolution of inflammation, enhanced chondrocyte proliferation and increased matrix synthesis. CONCLUSION: Not all studies were affirmative and few detailed how reliable their measurements were. Clearly, much more work is needed in this area.

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