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Australian scientists have said that chronic neck pain can be reduced by a new laser treatment.
According to the scientists from the Brain and Mind Research Institute of University of Sydney, low-level laser therapy (LLLT), a non-invasive, cold form of laser treatment, can aid people suffering from chronic neck pain.
The team headed by Roberta Chow performed an outline of 16 randomised trials that put this increasingly popular procedure to the test.
"LLLT compares favourably with other drugs and other remedies for effectiveness and its side-effects are mild," Chow said.
"Between 10 to 24 per cent of people suffer from chronic neck pain, inflicting a cost running into hundreds of millions of dollars and highlighting the need for simple but effective treatment".
The Lancet reported that during the tests, over 800 patients were divided into two groups that received either the therapy or a dummy treatment. In 16 trials, patients given LLLT were around four times more likely to have reduced pain compared with a placebo.
The LLLT patients reported decrease in chronic pain by about 20 points on a scale of 100 points and the lessening of pain continued for up to 22 weeks.
