Effect of High Intensity Laser on Hemiplegic Shoulder Dysfunction

Hemiplegic shoulder pain (HSP) is a common and disabling complication following a stroke, and it may affect the quality of life. It often occurs following two to three months of stroke. Upper limb impairment is seen in 90% of patients affected by stroke.

Numerous causes have been implicated in developing HSP in stroke. This includes muscle flaccidity around the shoulder joint, shoulder subluxation, shoulder-hand syndrome, increased muscle tone, impingement syndrome, frozen shoulder, brachial plexus injury, and the thalamic syndrome.

Muscle paresis, abnormal muscle tone and loss of proprioception following stroke may render the shoulder complex unstable and therefore prone to misalignment.

In recent years, high-intensity laser therapy (HILT) has been considered as a treatment option for shoulder pain.

HILT increases microcirculation and tissue regeneration and lowers edema, inflammation, and pain with its photomechanical, thermal, electrical, and bio stimulating effects in deep tissues that cannot be reached with LILT.

It has some advantages over LILT, i.e., having higher power, greater tissue penetration capacity to deep tissues, the short emission time, and long rest periods preventing heat accumulation.

In recent studies, effectiveness of HILT has been shown in the treatment of subacromial impingement syndrome, rotator cuff tendinopathy, and frozen shoulder.