Use of low intensity laser treatment in neuropathic pain refractory to clinical treatment in amputation stumps

Eduardo Santamaria Carvalhal Ribas, Wellingson Silva Paiva, Natali Cordeiro Pinto, Lin Tchia Yeng, Massako Okada, Erich Talamoni Fonoff, Maria Cristina Chavantes, Manoel Jacobsen Teixeira

Pain Center, Department of Neurology, Hospital das Clínicas School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract: Debilitating stump pain following amputation surgery is a major problem when it affects the patient's quality of life, often making the patient totally dependent on others for their day-to-day care. Attempts have been made to treat those patients through pharmacological, psychological, and physical therapies, but in many cases these fail to relieve the pain. This article focuses on three patients with chronic, intense, and debilitating stump pain who were previously treated with pain medications, but with little success. These patients underwent nine sessions of low-intensity laser therapy (LILT) to the stump – this is a new treatment that has been used to treat other pain disorders. All patients reported a decrease in the intensity of their pain and increased ability to perform daily living activities during a 4-month follow-up.

Keywords: pain, laser therapy, amputation stumps