High-intensity laser therapy (HILT) along with exercise programs emerges as a beneficial therapeutic strategy for knee osteoarthritis (KOA) management, an analysis by the Department of Sports Medicine, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences.

KOA is considered as a prevalent joint disorder that leads to severe pain and functional disability. Developing a treatment plan which counters the problem effectively is very crucial. This study involves the comparison of the efficacy of different therapies that are used to treat knee osteoarthritis;  conventional physical therapy (CPT), exercise therapy (ET) and high-intensity laser therapy (HILT).

A total of 93 patients were involved and randomized into three classes named ET, HILT and CPT.  The visual analog scale (VAS), timed up and go test (TUG), 6-min walk test (6MWT), and knee flexion range of motion (FROM) were used to measure pain intensity and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) questionnaire was to measure knee functionality. The comparison of the amounts at the baseline, shortly after the therapy and after 12 weeks were made using statistical analyses.

The HILT group exhibited a considerable reduction in VAS scores and improved WOMAC scores both immediately after and 12 weeks of the treatment as compared to other groups. The CPT and HILT showed similar impacts on WOMAC, TUG, and 6MWT and better than ET group. After the follow-up, HILT showed significant better WOMAC stiffness subscale scores, and with exercise, therapy exerts a positive influence on knee osteoarthritis treatment. These findings reflect that the HILT is an essential approach than any other to manage KOA.