Effects of light-emitting diode therapy on hand stiffness and pain in non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug-refractory patients with tenosynovitis.

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of light-emitting diode therapy (LEDT) in the management of pain and stiffness in patients with refractory hand tenosynovitis to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Methods: A total of 12 patients were enrolled in the study and received LEDT twice a week for four weeks. Sociodemographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected, and the visual analog scale (VAS) pain and stiffness scores of each hand were assessed every two weeks. The thickness of the flexor tendon in the patients' hand was evaluated using ultrasonography. To investigate the molecular effects of LEDT, we measured the expression levels of type III collagen in tendon cells, with and without LEDT treatment.

Results: After undergoing LEDT, participants showed clinically significant improvements in VAS pain scores at weeks 2, 4, and 8 compared to their baseline, and in VAS stiffness scores at weeks 4 and 8. According to the ultrasonography results, there was a decreasing tendency in tendon thickness for each finger in week 8 compared to the baseline, but the difference was not statistically significant. No adverse events were reported. Additionally, our results indicated a significant increase in type III collagen levels in the LEDT group compared to the control group (1.48±0.18 vs. 0.99±0.02, p=0.031), indicating a potential molecular mechanism for the observed clinical improvements.

Conclusion: LEDT may provide a viable alternative to pharmacological treatments in the future, due to its simple and easy method of administration.