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. 2025 May-Jun;33(3):e70043.
doi: 10.1111/wrr.70043.

Effectiveness of Photobiomodulation and Exercise-Based Rehabilitation on Pain and Functional Recovery in Patients With Rotator Cuff Pathology

G Arun Maiya  1 , Anupama Harihar  1 , Grace Maria Joseph  1 , Esha Arora  2 , Praveen Arany  3 , Rene Jean Bensadoun  4 , Nicolette Nadene Houreld  5 , Liisa Laakso  6   7
Affiliations

Effectiveness of Photobiomodulation and Exercise-Based Rehabilitation on Pain and Functional Recovery in Patients With Rotator Cuff Pathology

G Arun Maiya et al. Wound Repair Regen. 2025 May-Jun.

Abstract

Rotator cuff (RC) pathology encompasses a wide range of conditions, which include bursitis, tendinitis, tendinosis, partial thickness tears and full-thickness tears. To treat painful musculoskeletal problems, low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has been employed as a non-pharmacological alternative. Photobiomodulation (PBM), which uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and other photo-emitting devices, is a minimally invasive approach used to treat a wide range of conditions. The purpose of this pre-post study design is to evaluate the effectiveness of PBM and exercise-based rehabilitation on pain and functional recovery in patients with RC pathology. Twenty of the thirty-seven patients who were tested for shoulder disorders and found to have RC pathology were included in the study. The patients' pain levels were measured using the Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) both at baseline and 6 weeks later. The mean ± standard deviation of NPRS was calculated, data was checked for normal distribution, and the Wilcoxon rank test was conducted to compare the values. Our study showed a statistically significant reduction in pain scores from baseline (7.33 ± 0.79) to 6 weeks (2.50 ± 0.69), p < 0.001 of PBM and exercise-based rehabilitation. The knowledge about the evidence regarding the effectiveness of PBM, along with exercise-based rehabilitation, is critical.

Keywords: exercise rehabilitation; laser; photobiomodulation; rotator cuff pathology.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Application of photobiomodulation therapy using probe laser equipment.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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