Endometriosis is a long-term condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows elsewhere in the body. For many women, one of its most significant symptoms is pelvic pain.
Research has explored a number of approaches to managing endometriosis-related pain, including the potential role of high-intensity laser therapy.
What did the study investigate?
A 2018 randomised controlled trial by Thabet and Alshehri investigated pulsed high-intensity laser therapy in 40 women aged between 24 and 32 with mild-to-moderate endometriosis.
The women were divided into two groups. Both continued with their usual hormonal treatment, but one group also received pulsed high-intensity laser therapy three times a week for eight weeks. The other received sham laser treatment.
The researchers assessed pain, adhesions and quality of life before and after treatment.
What did they find?
The researchers reported significant improvements in the group receiving high-intensity laser therapy compared with the sham treatment group, including improvements in pain and quality of life.
These are interesting findings, but some caution is important.
This was a small study involving only 40 women, and laser therapy was used alongside conventional hormonal treatment rather than as a replacement for medical care.
Further research involving larger groups of patients is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn about the role of high-intensity laser therapy in managing endometriosis.
Could laser therapy help with pelvic pain?
At The Form Practice we use K-Laser therapy, a form of high-intensity therapeutic laser, for a range of musculoskeletal conditions.
Endometriosis itself is a medical condition and should be assessed and managed by an appropriate healthcare professional. Laser therapy should not be considered a cure for endometriosis or a replacement for gynaecological care.
However, research into the use of high-intensity laser for pain continues to develop, and studies such as this are of interest when considering the wider potential applications of therapeutic laser.
If you would like to know more about K-Laser therapy at The Form Practice in Hardwick, Cambridge, please contact us or speak to one of our practitioners.
Research
Thabet AAE, Alshehri MA. Effect of Pulsed High-Intensity Laser Therapy on Pain, Adhesions, and Quality of Life in Women Having Endometriosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Photomedicine and Laser Surgery. 2018;36(7):363–369.