Ann Rehabil Med.  2024 Feb;48(1):50-56. 10.5535/arm.23127.

Efficacy and Safety of High Density LED Irradiation Therapy for Patients With Hand Osteoarthritis: A Single-Center Clinical Study

• Kim K
• Kim SH
• Kim JH
• Yong SY
• Choi WW
• Kim SJ
• Kim HD
• Oh KJ
• Kang DR
• Hong S
• Hong J

• KMID: 2553161
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5535/arm.23127

Abstract

Objective
To assess the safety and effectiveness of high-density light-emitting diode (LED) irradiation therapy in patients with hand osteoarthritis (OA) and compare the pre- and post-intervention symptoms.
Methods
Twenty-three patients with hand OA underwent eight sessions of high-density LED irradiation therapy directed at the five most painful areas in the finger joints. Each session lasted for 18 minutes; and the sessions were conducted twice a week, for 4 weeks. We evaluated the degree of pain using the visual analogue scale, ring size, and passive range of motion (flexion+extension) for two most painful joints from the baseline to post-therapy (weeks 4 and 6).
Results
High-density LED irradiation therapy significantly reduced the pain posttreatment compared with that observed at the baseline (p<0.001). Although improvements were observed in ring size and joint range of motion at 4 and 6 weeks, they were not statistically significant (p>0.05). No adverse events were observed.
Conclusion
We examined the safety and effectiveness of high-density LED irradiation therapy in reducing pain and hand swelling and improving joint mobility in patients with hand OA. These results suggest that high-density LED irradiation therapy has the potential to be an important strategy for managing hand OA.

Keyword

Hand; Light-emitting diode; Osteoarthritis; Pain; Phototherapy

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1. High-density light-emitting diode (LED) irradiation therapy device (PT-100/iPHOTON; MI.One) used to hand osteoarthritis. A probe equipped with infrared LEDs of 850 and 940 nm wavelengths and can be applied to total of five joints at once.

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  Fig. 2. Changes in mean visual analogue scale (VAS; 0 mm=no pain, 100 mm=most severe pain) scores at baseline (week 0), after week 4 and 6 over time error bars indicate standard deviations, p-values were calculated by one-way within subjects ANOVA’s and Bonferroni corrected post hoc comparisons. ***p<0.0001.

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  Fig. 3. Changes in ring size at baseline (week 0), after week 4 and 6 over time error bars indicate standard deviations.

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  Fig. 4. Changes in joint passive range of motion (PROM, flexion+extension) baseline (week 0), after week 4 and 6 over time error bars indicate standard deviations.

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