Supervised exercise therapy versus laser-guided exercise therapy on postural control in subjects with non-specific chronic low back pain: a randomized controlled clinical trial.
Alejandro Caña-Pino, María D Apolo-Arenas, Pablo Carmona Del Barco and 2 others
PMID 36745155WHAT IT FOUND
Both supervised and laser-guided exercise with pain education improved postural control.
Laser-guided exercise showed greater improvements in energy required to restore balance, but no control group means natural recovery cannot be ruled out.
Key findings
01Both groups showed significant within-group improvements in center of pressure displacement after treatment and at 3-month follow-up.
02The laser-guided group showed significant improvements in energy required to restore balance (ESD), while the supervised group did not.
03Between-group analysis showed the laser-guided group had greater improvement in ESD over time, but no significant difference in center of pressure displacement.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
No control group that did not receive an intervention, so natural history of chronic low back pain cannot be ruled out as a cause of improvement. Results cannot be extrapolated to adults with specific causes of low back pain or to those with neurological symptoms. Follow-up was limited to 3 months, so long-term effects are unknown. Postural control outcomes are measured via laboratory devices and may not translate directly to clinical functional settings.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that laser-guided exercise is superior to supervised exercise for all postural outcomes. While the laser group improved more in energy required to restore balance, there was no significant difference between groups in center of pressure displacement, and the lack of a control group means both interventions might simply reflect general exercise benefits or natural recovery.