Study of Low Level Laser Therapy to Treat Low Back Pain

A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Randomized Evaluation of the Effect of the Erchonia ML Scanner (MLS) on Low Back Pain Clinical Study

The purpose of this study is to determine whether the Erchonia® ML Scanner (MLS) is effective in the treatment of acute minor episodic chronic low back pain of musculoskeletal origin.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Low Back Pain
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Erchonia MLS; Device: Placebo Laser

Detailed Description

Back pain is a common musculoskeletal disorder affecting 80% of people at some point in their lives. It is the second most common neurological ailment in the United States, second only to headache, and it is the most common cause of job-related disability and a leading contributor to missed work. Around $50 billion is spent in the U.S. each year to treat low back pain. Men and women are equally affected, with the most common age affected being between 30 and 50 years.

Most low back pain stems from benign musculoskeletal problems, referred to as non-specific low back pain, which is the etiology being evaluated in this study. It is caused by lumbar sprain or strain a stretch injury to the ligaments, tendons, and/or muscles of the low back.

Current mainstream treatment approaches for low back pain due to lumbar sprain strain focus on reducing pain and inflammation, including rest; oral and topical over-the-counter and prescription medications; local heat applications; massage and exercise. Alternative treatment options include acupuncture; chiropractic manipulation; biofeedback; traction; transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS); and ultrasound. Surgical procedures are also a treatment option for low back pain, and although the outcomes are often poor and do not last, back surgery remains the 3rd most common form of surgery in the United States, with about 300,000 back surgeries performed annually.

Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) communicates information to the receptors on the membrane of the cell and mitochondrion (the enzymatic engine of the cell). This energetic information reaches the cell's DNA, which directly controls cell function. When the cells receive better information, they work better, as do the tissues they comprise, like bones, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, etc. In this way, LLLT promotes the healing and regeneration of damaged tissues, having both local effects on tissue function and also systemic effects carried throughout the body by the blood and acupuncture meridians. The key basic physiological effects of low level laser light include increased cell membrane polarization and permeability; Adenosine-5-triphosphate (ATP) production and respiratory chain activity; enzyme activity; collagen and epithelial production; capillary formation; macrophage (immune) activity; analgesic effects due to elevated endorphin production, electrolytic nerve blockage, and improved blood and lymph flow; anti-inflammatory effect due to improved circulation and accelerated tissue regeneration; and increased production of antioxidants. Of additional benefit is that light energy from low level lasers will only be absorbed by cells and tissues that are not functioning normally and has no effect on healthy cells.

Therefore, low level laser therapy has the potential benefit of providing an effective means of reducing low back pain that is simple, quick, non-invasive and side-effect free.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 62
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Arizona
    • Chandler, Arizona, United States, 86226
      • South Mountain Chiropractic Center
    • Scottsdale, Arizona, United States, 85260
      • Mark B. Burdorf DC

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Primary pain is in the lower back
• Low back pain is of musculoskeletal origin stemming from benign musculoskeletal problems wherein the etiology is lumbar sprain or strain
• Diagnosis based on review of patient history, physical examination, medication use history and review of prior medical records
• Low back pain is episodic chronic, having occurred and recurred over regular or irregular intervals of time over at least the last 3 months
• Degree of Pain rating on the visual analog scale (VAS) is 40 or greater
• Subject is willing and able to refrain from taking non study medications and herbal supplements for the relief of pain or inflammation including muscle relaxants throughout study participation
• Subject is willing and able to refrain from non study procedure therapies for the management of low back pain throughout study participation
• Primary language is English

Exclusion Criteria:

• Low back pain is undiagnosed or has been diagnosed as being other than of benign musculoskeletal origin wherein the etiology is lumbar sprain or strain
• Low back pain has been diagnosed or cannot be satisfactorily ruled out as being in whole or in part due to one or more of the following origins - mechanical, inflammatory, neoplastic, metabolic origin, psychosomatic
• Tension myositis syndrome
• Known herniated disc injury
• Osteoporosis with compression fractures
• Congenital deformity of spine
• Current active chronic pain disease
• Cancer or cancer treatment in the past 6 months
• Use of the following analgesics within 7 days of study onset - paracetamol, acetominophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), compound analgesics, topical analgesics
• Use of the following muscle relaxants within the prior 30 days of study onset - cyclobenzaprine, diazepam, meprobamate
• Use of the following muscle relaxants within 7 days of study onset - carisoprodol, Metaxalone
• Use of the following antidepressants within 30 days of study onset if consumption has commenced within that 30 day period - duloxetine, amitriptyline, imipramine, clomipramine, nortriptyline, desipramine, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
• Systemic corticosteroid therapy or narcotics taken within 30 days (inhaled and topical corticosteroids okay) of study onset
• Local or epidural injection of corticosteroids within 3 months of study onset
• Botulinum toxin injection for chronic low back pain within 4 months of study onset
• Active infection, wound, other external trauma to the treatment area
• Surgery to the lower back or spine in the past 12 months
• Medical, physical or other contraindications for, or sensitivity to, light therapy
• Pregnant, breast feeding or planning pregnancy prior to study end
• Serious mental health illness such as dementia or schizophrenia or psychiatric hospitalization in past 2 years
• Developmental disability or cognitive impairment that precludes adequate comprehension of consent form or the ability to record study measurements
• Participation in other research in the past 30 days

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Erchonia MLS; The Erchonia® MLS contains 10 independent diodes, each emitting 17 milliwatts (mW), 635 nanometers (nm) of red laser light.	Device: Erchonia MLS; The Erchonia® MLS contains 10 independent diodes, each emitting 17 milliwatts (mW), 635 nanometers (nm) of red laser light. The Erchonia MLS is applied to the lower back and hips area for 15 minutes per treatment administration, 6 times across 3 weeks, 2 times per week.
Placebo Comparator: Placebo Laser; The Placebo Laser has the same appearance as the Erchonia MLS but does not emit any therapeutic light.	Device: Placebo Laser; The Placebo Laser has the same appearance and administration application as the Erchonia MLS but does not emit any therapeutic light.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Difference in the Proportion of Primary Outcome Successes Between Treatment Groups	Primary outcome success for an individual subject was defined as a 30% or greater change (decrease) in VAS pain score at 4 months post-procedure relative to baseline. The VAS is a straight line scale that is marked on one end with a '0' for 'no pain' and at the other end with '100' for 'worse pain imaginable.' A higher score indicates a greater level of pain, and a lower score indicates a lower level of pain. A negative (-) percent change in VAS rating indicates a decrease in pain level and is positive for individual subject success. A positive (+) percent change indicates an increase in pain level and is negative for individual subject success. Overall study success was defined as a 35% or greater difference in the proportion of individual primary outcome successes in each treatment group, in favor of the active treatment group.	4 Months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Low Back Pain Visual Analog Scale (VAS) Score	The VAS is a straight line scale that is marked on one end with a '0' for 'no pain' and at the other end with '100' for 'worse pain imaginable.' A higher score on the VAS indicates a greater level of pain, and a lower score indicates a lower level of pain.A decrease in the VAS pain rating indicates a reduction in low back pain and is positive for study success. An increase in the VAS pain rating indicates a worsening of low back pain and is negative for study success. The mean change in low back pain score recorded on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) from baseline to 4 months post-procedure was calculated for each treatment group.	Baseline and 4 Months
Satisfaction With Study Outcome	At study endpoint, the subject was asked to rate how satisfied he or she was with any overall change in low back pain attained following the procedure administration phase with the Erchonia MLS Laser, using the following five-point scale: Very Satisfied Somewhat Satisfied Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied Not Very Satisfied Not at All Satisfied Results are reported as the number of subjects who reported being 'Very Satisfied' or 'Somewhat Satisfied' with the study outcome.	4 Months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Erchonia Corporation
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Trevor Berry, DC; Principal Investigator: Mark B Burdorf, DC, DACNB

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: September 1, 2012
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 1, 2014
• Study Completion (Actual): September 1, 2014

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 17, 2013
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 18, 2013
• First Posted (Estimate): April 19, 2013

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): February 2, 2016
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 31, 2015
• Last Verified: November 1, 2015

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Back Pain; Low Back Pain
• Other Study ID Numbers: EC_LBP_01