Sinergic Effect of Therapeutic Ultrasound and Low-Level Laser Therapy in the Treatment of Hands and Knees Ostheoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that affects predominantly hands and knees of the elderly population, being characterized by chronic pain and limitation of joint movements. Therapeutic approaches to ease the pain, as low-intensity pulsed ultrasound and photobiomodulation (low-level laser therapy) have been broadly used as a complement to drug treatment of osteoarthritis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the synergic effect of LIPUS associated to LLLT on osteoarthritis of hands and knees. For this, 69 patients, being 48 affected by knee osteoarthritis and 21 affected by hand osteoarthritis were selected for the study. Patients were evaluated by the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) for knee osteoarthritis and by Australian Canadian Osteoarthritis Hand (AUSCAN), for hands osteoarthritis. All patients filled out the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain questionnaire, which showed statistical improvement of hands (p<0.001) and knees (p<0.001) when comparing before and after treatment. Functional evaluation by AUSCAN showed improvement of hands functionality (p<0.002). Results showed that the synergic therapy of LIPUS and LLLT were efficient in the treatment of hands and knees osteoarthritis, providing a new approach of a non-pharmacological and non-invasive treatment that contributes to better quality of life for the patients with this chronic and degenerative pathology.