Effect of low level laser therapy in the management of diabetic neuropathic pain: A systematic review and meta analysis

Introduction and Aim: One of the major complications of diabetes is Neuropathy which is related to micro & macrovascular structures. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has a great contribution in treating neuropathic pain where application parameters are still a controversy. The study reviews the literature regarding LLLT in treating neuropathic pain. The objective of the study was to conduct a systematic survey on the effect of low-level laser therapy in treating neuropathy pain. Materials and Methods: Data was extracted from Scopus, Embase, Medline via Pubmed, Cochrane, Google Scholar and from the list of bibliographical references of articles between 2000 to 2016. The search was done according to PRISMA. Results: 252 studies were made of which 6 studies met with the criteria for inclusion. In this 5 were human studies and 1 was a rodent study, and the results were presented in three tables. Table I: The characteristics of lasers and outcome measures of the incorporated studies. Table II: All the types of lasers were grouped according to their build and design. Table III. Synopsis and procedural quality are based on PEDro classification scale. Conclusion: LLLT has a prominent role in treating neuropathic pain. Further studies are required for establishing parameters in the treatment of neuropathic pain.