Photobiomodulation therapy reduces acute pain and inflammation in mice.

Photobiomodulation (PBM) is a therapy suggested for the treatment of pain and inflammation. Different mechanisms have been proposed to explain the analgesic and inflammatory effects of photobiomodulation, but there are still gaps on the mechanisms underlying. The objective was to investigate the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect of red LED, as well as to investigate the possible mechanism of action in acute nociception models. Radiation was applied with red LED (660 nm, 215 mW, 84.64 mW/cm2, 2.531 J/cm2 (30s); 5.07 J/cm2 (60s) 7.61 J/cm2 (90s) and 10.15 J/cm2 (120 s)). The red LED applied 60 s before the experiments, promoted reduction of the nociceptive neurogenic (1st phase) and inflammatory pain (2nd phase) induced by intraplantar (i.pl.) injection of formalin. This effect duration in the second phase was 180 min after pretreatment of the LED. Red LED also reduced nociception induced by intraperitoneal injection of acetic acid. Furthermore, red LED prevented nociception induced by i.pl. injection of cinnamaldehyde, capsaicin, menthol and acidified saline. It was demonstrate the involvement of glutamatergic system with the reduction the nociception induced by glutamate. The red LED was able to prevent nociception induced by intracellular signaling cascades activators, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), bradykinin, forskolin and prostaglandin. In addition, red LED, respectively, from 30 to 90s demonstrated an antiedematogenic effect on ear edema and reduction the migration of inflammatory cells induced by single application of croton oil. Thus, the new findings in this study support some underlying mechanism by which red LED phototherapy reduces acute pain. However, need further clarification regarding analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect of the photobiomodulation in preclinical studies.

Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) on acute pain and inflammation in patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty-a randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

When conservative treatments fail, hip osteoarthritis (OA), a chronic degenerative disease characterized by cartilage wear, progressive joint deformity, and loss of function, can result in the need for a total hip arthroplasty (THA). Surgical procedures induced tissue trauma and incite an immune response. Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMt) using low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and/or light-emitting diode therapy (LEDT) has proven effective in tissue repair by modulating the inflammatory process and promoting pain relief. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the immediate effect of PBMt on inflammation and pain of patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty. The study consisted of 18 post-surgical hip arthroplasty patients divided into two groups (n = 9 each) placebo and active PBMt who received one of the treatments in a period from 8 to 12 h following THA surgery. PBMt (active or placebo) was applied using a device consisting of nine diodes (one super-pulsed laser of 905 nm, four infrared LEDs of 875 nm, and four red LEDs 640 nm, 40.3 J per point) applied to 5 points along the incision. Visual analog scale (VAS) and blood samples for analysis of the levels of the cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8 were recorded before and after PBMt application. The values for the visual analog scale as well as those in the analysis of TNF-α and IL-8 serum levels decreased in the active PBMt group compared to placebo-control group (p < 0.05). No decrease was observed for IL-6 levels. We conclude that PBMt is effective in decreasing pain intensity and post-surgery inflammation in patients receiving total hip arthroplasty.

[Effectiveness of conventional diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine in the treatment of pain from bone metastases]. / Efficacia della radiodiagnostica convenzionale e della medicina nucleare nel trattamento del dolore osseo da metastasi.

Bone is one of the most common metastasis sites from solid tumors. Bone pain due to metastatic neoplastic growth is due to tumor infiltration and expansion of bone membranes. Treatment of acute and chronic pain represents one of the greatest problems in clinical oncology, requiring a multidisciplinary approach. This review focuses on the effectiveness of conventional diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine for the detection, management and treatment of pain from bone metastasis.