human
***TASK*** the task is to summarize an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***INPUT*** the input is a biomedical literature 
    ***OUTPUT*** the output is the summary of an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***DOCUMENTATION*** 
    ***EXAMPLES*** 
    Input: & NA ; Forty‐nine patients suffering from lateral humeral epicondylalgia were enrolled in a double‐blind study to observe the effects of Ga‐As laser applied to acupuncture points . The Mid 1500 IRRADIA laser machine was used , wavelength : 904 nm , mean power output : 12 mW , peak value : 8.3 W ; frequency : 70 Hz ( pulse train ) . Localization of points : LI 10 , 11 , 12 , Lu 5 and SJ 5 . Each point was treated for 30 sec result ing in a dose of treatment of 0.36 J/point . The patients were treated 2–3 times weekly with 10 treatments in all . Follow‐ups were done after 3 months and 1 year . No significant differences were observed between the laser and the placebo group in relation to the subjective or objective outcome after 10 treatments or at the follow‐ups OBJECTIVE We aim ed to evaluate the effectiveness of laser therapy in myofascial pain syndrome treatment . BACKGROUND DATA Myofascial pain syndrome is a disease that is characterized by hypersensitive points called trigger points found in one or more muscles and /or connective tissues . It can cause pain , muscle spasm , sensitivity , stiffness , weakness , limitation of range of motion and rarely autonomic dysfunction . Physical therapy modalities and exercise are used in the treatment of this frequently encountered disease . METHODS The placebo controlled , prospect i ve , long-term follow up study was planned with 60 patients who had trigger points in their upper trapezius muscles . The patients were divided into three groups r and omly . Stretching exercises were taught to each group and they were asked to exercise at home . Treatment duration was 4 weeks . Placebo laser was applied to group 1 , dry needling to group 2 and laser to group 3 . He-Ne laser was applied to three trigger points in the upper trapezius muscles on both sides with 632.8 nm . The patients were assessed at before , post-treatment , and 6 months after-treatment for pain , cervical range of motion and functional status . RESULTS We observed a significant decrease in pain at rest , at activity , and increase in pain threshold in the laser group compared to other groups . Improvement according to Nottingham Health Profile gave the superiority of the laser treatment . However , those differences among the groups were not observed at 6-month follow up . CONCLUSIONS Laser therapy could be useful as a treatment modality in myofascial pain syndrome because of its noninvasiveness , ease , and short-term application Low energy lasers are widely used to treat a variety of musculoskeletal conditions including fibromyalgia , despite the lack of scientific evidence to support its efficacy . A r and omised , single-blind , placebo-controlled study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of low-energy laser therapy in 40 female patients with fibromyalgia . Patients with fibromyalgia were r and omly allocated to active ( Ga-As ) laser or placebo laser treatment daily for two weeks except weekends . Both the laser and placebo laser groups were evaluated for the improvement in pain , number of tender points , skinfold tenderness , stiffness , sleep disturbance , fatigue , and muscular spasm . In both groups , significant improvements were achieved in all parameters ( p<0.05 ) except sleep disturbance , fatigue and skinfold tenderness in the placebo laser group ( p>0.05 ) . It was found that there was no significant difference between the two groups with respect to all parameters before therapy whereas a significant difference was observed in parameters as pain , muscle spasm , morning stiffness and tender point numbers in favour of laser group after therapy ( p<0.05 ) . None of the participants reported any side effects . Our study suggests that laser therapy is effective on pain , muscle spasm , morning stiffness , and total tender point number in fibromyalgia and suggests that this therapy method is a safe and effective way of treatment in the cases with fibromyalgia Objective Headache affects the quality of life for many people throughout the world . Tension headache is among the commonest forms . Acupuncture is the most widely practised non-medicinal treatment for headaches . The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of laser acupuncture in this type of headache . Methods Fifty patients with chronic tension-type headache were r and omly allocated to treatment or placebo groups . Patients in the treatment group received low energy laser acupuncture to LU7 , LI4 , GB14 , and GB20 bilaterally . Points were irradiated for 43 seconds , and the intensity was 1.3J ( ~13J/cm2 ) . Ten sessions were given , three per week . The placebo group was treated in a similar way except that the output power of the equipment was set to zero . The outcome variables were headache intensity ( VAS ) , duration of attacks , and number of days with a headache per month , by daily diary , assessed monthly to three months after treatment . Results There were significant differences between groups ( P<0.001 ) in changes from baseline in months one , two and three , in median score for headache intensity ( treatment group -5 , -3 and -2 , placebo group -1 , 0 and 0 ) , median duration of attacks ( treatment group -6 , -4 and -4 , placebo group -1 , 0 and 0 hours ) , and median number of days with headache per month ( treatment group -15 , -10 and -8 , placebo group -2 , 0 and 0 ) . Conclusion This study suggests that laser acupuncture may be an effective treatment for chronic tension-type headache , but the results should be confirmed in larger and more rigorous trials Therapeutic benefits of low-output helium-neon laser therapy have not been established , but laser therapy has been suggested as an effective means of treating many acute and chronic musculoskeletal pain syndromes . Although not released for general clinical use by the FA , the helium-neon laser has been promoted to physical therapists and athletic trainers as potentially useful for the treatment of pain syndromes . In particular , it has been proposed that it may be more effective than conventional measures such as medication and conventional physical therapy in the treatment of myofascial pain syndromes ( fibrositis , fibromyalgia ) . The citations in the literature include only case reports . Sixty-two patients were treated by using acupuncture points .  Two sessions of five treatments were given six weeks apart . A crossover double-blind technique was used in the treatments . The clinical responses were assessed using portions of the McGill Pain Question naire . No statistical difference between the treatment and the placebo groups could be determined Low-energy laser therapy has been applied in several rheumatoid and soft tissue disorders with varying rates of success . The objective of our study was to investigate the effect of laser therapy on cervical myofascial pain syndrome with a placebo-controlled double-blind prospect i ve study model . It was performed with a total of 53 patients ( 35 females and 18 males ) with cervical myofascial pain syndrome . In group 1 ( n=23 ) , GaAs laser treatment was applied over three trigger points bilaterally and also one point in the taut b and s in trapezius muscle bilaterally with a frequency of 1000 Hz for 2 min over each point once a day for 10 days during a period of 2 weeks . In group 2 ( n=25 ) , the same treatment protocol was given , but the laser instrument was switched off during applications . All patients in both groups were instructed to perform daily isometric exercises and stretching just short of pain for 2 weeks at home . Evaluations were performed just before treatment ( week 0 ) , immediately after ( week 2 ) , and 12 weeks later ( week 14 ) . Evaluation parameters included pain , algometric measurements , and cervical lateral flexion . Statistical analysis was done on data collected from three evaluation stages . The results were evaluated in 48 patients ( 32 females , 16 males ) . Week 2 and week 14 results showed significant improvement in all parameters for both groups . However , comparison of the percentage changes both immediately and 12 weeks after treatment did not show a significant difference relative to pretreatment values . In conclusion , the results of our study have not shown the superiority of GaAs laser therapy over placebo in the treatment of cervical myofascial pain syndrome , but we suggest that further studies on this topic be done using different laser types and dosages in larger patient population BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The efficacy of low level laser therapy ( LLLT ) in myofascial pain syndrome ( MPS ) seems controversial . Our aim was to clarify the effect of LLLT in MPS by using algometry and thermography . STUDY DESIGN / MATERIAL S AND METHODS Sixty-two patients with MPS having an active trigger point in the neck or upper back region were r and omly divided into two equal groups according to therapy applied ( group 1 : LLLT + stretching exercises , group 2 : stretching exercises alone ) . The outcome measures were pain measured with visual analogue scale ( VAS ) , algometry on the trigger point , algometric difference , thermographic difference , and thermal asymmetry . Comparison was made within and between the groups pre- and post-therapeutically and 3 weeks after therapy . RESULTS Mean pain values decreased more significantly in group 1 from baseline to 3 weeks follow up ( 7.54 - 3.06 ) while these values were 7.03 - 5.19 in group 2 ( P < 0.05 ) . Group comparisons revealed significant favorable differences in group 1 patients in terms of all other parameters at the first and the second evaluation post therapeutically ( P < 0.05 ) . CONCLUSIONS LLLT seemed to be beneficial for pain in MPS by using algometry and thermography BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES A prospect i ve , double-blind , r and omized , and controlled trial was conducted in patients with chronic myofascial pain syndrome ( MPS ) in the neck to evaluate the effects of infrared low level 904 nm Gallium-Arsenide ( Ga-As ) laser therapy ( LLLT ) on clinical and quality of life ( QoL ) . STUDY DESIGN / PATIENTS AND METHODS The study group consisted of 60 MPS patients . Patients were r and omly assigned to two treatment groups : Group I ( actual laser ; 30 patients ) and Group II ( placebo laser ; 30 patients ) . LLLT continued daily for 2 weeks except weekends . Follow-up measures were evaluated at baseline , 2 , 3 , and 12 weeks . All patients were evaluated with respect to pain at rest , pain at movement , number of trigger points ( TP ) , the Neck Pain and Disability Visual Analog Scale ( NPAD ) , Beck depression Inventory ( BDI ) , and the Nottingham Health Profile ( NHP ) . RESULTS In active laser group , statistically significant improvements were detected in all outcome measures compared with baseline ( P < 0.01 ) while in the placebo laser group , significant improvements were detected in only pain score at rest at the 1 week later of the end of treatment . The score for self-assessed improvement of pain was significantly different between the active and placebo laser groups ( 63 vs. 19 % ) ( P < 0.01 ) . CONCLUSION This study revealed that short-period application of LLLT is effective in pain relief and in the improvement of functional ability and QoL in patients with MPS The purpose of this r and omized , double-blind study was to determine the effect of a helium-neon ( He-Ne ) laser on latency of peripheral sensory nerve .  Forty healthy subjects with no history of right upper extremity pathological conditions were assigned to either a Laser or a Placebo Group . Six 1-cm2 blocks along a 12-cm segment of the subjects ' right superficial radial nerve received 20-second applications of either the He-Ne laser or a placebo . We assessed differences between pretest and posttest latencies with t tests for correlated and independent sample s. The Laser Group showed a statistically significant increase in latency that corresponded to a decrease in sensory nerve conduction velocity . Short- duration He-Ne laser application significantly increased the distal latency of the superficial radial nerve . This finding provides information about the mechanism of the reported pain-relieving effect of the He-Ne laser This study was carried out to explore the pain-alleviating effect of Ga-As + He-Ne laser ( gallium-arsenide + helium-neon ) in lateral epicondylalgia . A Space Mid Laser Mix 5-up laser was used . The probe consisted of five Ga-As emitters and one He-Ne emitter in the center . The parameters for Ga-As were wavelength , 904 nm ; average output power , 4mW , peak power , 10W ; pulse frequency , 3800Hz ; pulse duration , 180nsec ; divergence , 70mrad . The He-Ne parameters were wavelength , 632.8 nm ; continuous ; power output , 5mW , divergence 60mrad . A pen laser ( Ga-As ) was also included in the equipment . Two machines were available ; one of them had no output in the Ga-As diodes , and the He-Ne emitter was replaced with a red light emitter .  Fifty-eight patients were consecutively assigned to two groups for laser or placebo . The probe was applied perpendicularly over the painful area for eight minutes , and then the pen probe was applied to two acupuncture points , LI 11 and LI 12 , for two minutes per point . The treatments were given three to four times weekly , ten treatments in all . Follow-ups were done after 3 , 6 , and 12 months . The treatment procedure was performed exactly according to the manufacturer 's manual for this diagnosis . No other therapeutic measures were used , and medication use was proscribed during the treatments and the follow-up period . The statistical analysis showed no significant differences in subjective or objective outcome between the laser and placebo treatments after the treatment period . However , the objective outcome indicated a difference in favor of the placebo treatment ( p less than .06 ) . ( ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 
    Output:
    
agent
***TASK*** the task is to summarize an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***INPUT*** the input is a biomedical literature 
    ***OUTPUT*** the output is the summary of an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***DOCUMENTATION*** 
    ***EXAMPLES*** 
    Input: & NA ; Forty‐nine patients suffering from lateral humeral epicondylalgia were enrolled in a double‐blind study to observe the effects of Ga‐As laser applied to acupuncture points . The Mid 1500 IRRADIA laser machine was used , wavelength : 904 nm , mean power output : 12 mW , peak value : 8.3 W ; frequency : 70 Hz ( pulse train ) . Localization of points : LI 10 , 11 , 12 , Lu 5 and SJ 5 . Each point was treated for 30 sec result ing in a dose of treatment of 0.36 J/point . The patients were treated 2–3 times weekly with 10 treatments in all . Follow‐ups were done after 3 months and 1 year . No significant differences were observed between the laser and the placebo group in relation to the subjective or objective outcome after 10 treatments or at the follow‐ups OBJECTIVE We aim ed to evaluate the effectiveness of laser therapy in myofascial pain syndrome treatment . BACKGROUND DATA Myofascial pain syndrome is a disease that is characterized by hypersensitive points called trigger points found in one or more muscles and /or connective tissues . It can cause pain , muscle spasm , sensitivity , stiffness , weakness , limitation of range of motion and rarely autonomic dysfunction . Physical therapy modalities and exercise are used in the treatment of this frequently encountered disease . METHODS The placebo controlled , prospect i ve , long-term follow up study was planned with 60 patients who had trigger points in their upper trapezius muscles . The patients were divided into three groups r and omly . Stretching exercises were taught to each group and they were asked to exercise at home . Treatment duration was 4 weeks . Placebo laser was applied to group 1 , dry needling to group 2 and laser to group 3 . He-Ne laser was applied to three trigger points in the upper trapezius muscles on both sides with 632.8 nm . The patients were assessed at before , post-treatment , and 6 months after-treatment for pain , cervical range of motion and functional status . RESULTS We observed a significant decrease in pain at rest , at activity , and increase in pain threshold in the laser group compared to other groups . Improvement according to Nottingham Health Profile gave the superiority of the laser treatment . However , those differences among the groups were not observed at 6-month follow up . CONCLUSIONS Laser therapy could be useful as a treatment modality in myofascial pain syndrome because of its noninvasiveness , ease , and short-term application Low energy lasers are widely used to treat a variety of musculoskeletal conditions including fibromyalgia , despite the lack of scientific evidence to support its efficacy . A r and omised , single-blind , placebo-controlled study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of low-energy laser therapy in 40 female patients with fibromyalgia . Patients with fibromyalgia were r and omly allocated to active ( Ga-As ) laser or placebo laser treatment daily for two weeks except weekends . Both the laser and placebo laser groups were evaluated for the improvement in pain , number of tender points , skinfold tenderness , stiffness , sleep disturbance , fatigue , and muscular spasm . In both groups , significant improvements were achieved in all parameters ( p<0.05 ) except sleep disturbance , fatigue and skinfold tenderness in the placebo laser group ( p>0.05 ) . It was found that there was no significant difference between the two groups with respect to all parameters before therapy whereas a significant difference was observed in parameters as pain , muscle spasm , morning stiffness and tender point numbers in favour of laser group after therapy ( p<0.05 ) . None of the participants reported any side effects . Our study suggests that laser therapy is effective on pain , muscle spasm , morning stiffness , and total tender point number in fibromyalgia and suggests that this therapy method is a safe and effective way of treatment in the cases with fibromyalgia Objective Headache affects the quality of life for many people throughout the world . Tension headache is among the commonest forms . Acupuncture is the most widely practised non-medicinal treatment for headaches . The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of laser acupuncture in this type of headache . Methods Fifty patients with chronic tension-type headache were r and omly allocated to treatment or placebo groups . Patients in the treatment group received low energy laser acupuncture to LU7 , LI4 , GB14 , and GB20 bilaterally . Points were irradiated for 43 seconds , and the intensity was 1.3J ( ~13J/cm2 ) . Ten sessions were given , three per week . The placebo group was treated in a similar way except that the output power of the equipment was set to zero . The outcome variables were headache intensity ( VAS ) , duration of attacks , and number of days with a headache per month , by daily diary , assessed monthly to three months after treatment . Results There were significant differences between groups ( P<0.001 ) in changes from baseline in months one , two and three , in median score for headache intensity ( treatment group -5 , -3 and -2 , placebo group -1 , 0 and 0 ) , median duration of attacks ( treatment group -6 , -4 and -4 , placebo group -1 , 0 and 0 hours ) , and median number of days with headache per month ( treatment group -15 , -10 and -8 , placebo group -2 , 0 and 0 ) . Conclusion This study suggests that laser acupuncture may be an effective treatment for chronic tension-type headache , but the results should be confirmed in larger and more rigorous trials Therapeutic benefits of low-output helium-neon laser therapy have not been established , but laser therapy has been suggested as an effective means of treating many acute and chronic musculoskeletal pain syndromes . Although not released for general clinical use by the FA , the helium-neon laser has been promoted to physical therapists and athletic trainers as potentially useful for the treatment of pain syndromes . In particular , it has been proposed that it may be more effective than conventional measures such as medication and conventional physical therapy in the treatment of myofascial pain syndromes ( fibrositis , fibromyalgia ) . The citations in the literature include only case reports . Sixty-two patients were treated by using acupuncture points .  Two sessions of five treatments were given six weeks apart . A crossover double-blind technique was used in the treatments . The clinical responses were assessed using portions of the McGill Pain Question naire . No statistical difference between the treatment and the placebo groups could be determined Low-energy laser therapy has been applied in several rheumatoid and soft tissue disorders with varying rates of success . The objective of our study was to investigate the effect of laser therapy on cervical myofascial pain syndrome with a placebo-controlled double-blind prospect i ve study model . It was performed with a total of 53 patients ( 35 females and 18 males ) with cervical myofascial pain syndrome . In group 1 ( n=23 ) , GaAs laser treatment was applied over three trigger points bilaterally and also one point in the taut b and s in trapezius muscle bilaterally with a frequency of 1000 Hz for 2 min over each point once a day for 10 days during a period of 2 weeks . In group 2 ( n=25 ) , the same treatment protocol was given , but the laser instrument was switched off during applications . All patients in both groups were instructed to perform daily isometric exercises and stretching just short of pain for 2 weeks at home . Evaluations were performed just before treatment ( week 0 ) , immediately after ( week 2 ) , and 12 weeks later ( week 14 ) . Evaluation parameters included pain , algometric measurements , and cervical lateral flexion . Statistical analysis was done on data collected from three evaluation stages . The results were evaluated in 48 patients ( 32 females , 16 males ) . Week 2 and week 14 results showed significant improvement in all parameters for both groups . However , comparison of the percentage changes both immediately and 12 weeks after treatment did not show a significant difference relative to pretreatment values . In conclusion , the results of our study have not shown the superiority of GaAs laser therapy over placebo in the treatment of cervical myofascial pain syndrome , but we suggest that further studies on this topic be done using different laser types and dosages in larger patient population BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The efficacy of low level laser therapy ( LLLT ) in myofascial pain syndrome ( MPS ) seems controversial . Our aim was to clarify the effect of LLLT in MPS by using algometry and thermography . STUDY DESIGN / MATERIAL S AND METHODS Sixty-two patients with MPS having an active trigger point in the neck or upper back region were r and omly divided into two equal groups according to therapy applied ( group 1 : LLLT + stretching exercises , group 2 : stretching exercises alone ) . The outcome measures were pain measured with visual analogue scale ( VAS ) , algometry on the trigger point , algometric difference , thermographic difference , and thermal asymmetry . Comparison was made within and between the groups pre- and post-therapeutically and 3 weeks after therapy . RESULTS Mean pain values decreased more significantly in group 1 from baseline to 3 weeks follow up ( 7.54 - 3.06 ) while these values were 7.03 - 5.19 in group 2 ( P < 0.05 ) . Group comparisons revealed significant favorable differences in group 1 patients in terms of all other parameters at the first and the second evaluation post therapeutically ( P < 0.05 ) . CONCLUSIONS LLLT seemed to be beneficial for pain in MPS by using algometry and thermography BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES A prospect i ve , double-blind , r and omized , and controlled trial was conducted in patients with chronic myofascial pain syndrome ( MPS ) in the neck to evaluate the effects of infrared low level 904 nm Gallium-Arsenide ( Ga-As ) laser therapy ( LLLT ) on clinical and quality of life ( QoL ) . STUDY DESIGN / PATIENTS AND METHODS The study group consisted of 60 MPS patients . Patients were r and omly assigned to two treatment groups : Group I ( actual laser ; 30 patients ) and Group II ( placebo laser ; 30 patients ) . LLLT continued daily for 2 weeks except weekends . Follow-up measures were evaluated at baseline , 2 , 3 , and 12 weeks . All patients were evaluated with respect to pain at rest , pain at movement , number of trigger points ( TP ) , the Neck Pain and Disability Visual Analog Scale ( NPAD ) , Beck depression Inventory ( BDI ) , and the Nottingham Health Profile ( NHP ) . RESULTS In active laser group , statistically significant improvements were detected in all outcome measures compared with baseline ( P < 0.01 ) while in the placebo laser group , significant improvements were detected in only pain score at rest at the 1 week later of the end of treatment . The score for self-assessed improvement of pain was significantly different between the active and placebo laser groups ( 63 vs. 19 % ) ( P < 0.01 ) . CONCLUSION This study revealed that short-period application of LLLT is effective in pain relief and in the improvement of functional ability and QoL in patients with MPS The purpose of this r and omized , double-blind study was to determine the effect of a helium-neon ( He-Ne ) laser on latency of peripheral sensory nerve .  Forty healthy subjects with no history of right upper extremity pathological conditions were assigned to either a Laser or a Placebo Group . Six 1-cm2 blocks along a 12-cm segment of the subjects ' right superficial radial nerve received 20-second applications of either the He-Ne laser or a placebo . We assessed differences between pretest and posttest latencies with t tests for correlated and independent sample s. The Laser Group showed a statistically significant increase in latency that corresponded to a decrease in sensory nerve conduction velocity . Short- duration He-Ne laser application significantly increased the distal latency of the superficial radial nerve . This finding provides information about the mechanism of the reported pain-relieving effect of the He-Ne laser This study was carried out to explore the pain-alleviating effect of Ga-As + He-Ne laser ( gallium-arsenide + helium-neon ) in lateral epicondylalgia . A Space Mid Laser Mix 5-up laser was used . The probe consisted of five Ga-As emitters and one He-Ne emitter in the center . The parameters for Ga-As were wavelength , 904 nm ; average output power , 4mW , peak power , 10W ; pulse frequency , 3800Hz ; pulse duration , 180nsec ; divergence , 70mrad . The He-Ne parameters were wavelength , 632.8 nm ; continuous ; power output , 5mW , divergence 60mrad . A pen laser ( Ga-As ) was also included in the equipment . Two machines were available ; one of them had no output in the Ga-As diodes , and the He-Ne emitter was replaced with a red light emitter .  Fifty-eight patients were consecutively assigned to two groups for laser or placebo . The probe was applied perpendicularly over the painful area for eight minutes , and then the pen probe was applied to two acupuncture points , LI 11 and LI 12 , for two minutes per point . The treatments were given three to four times weekly , ten treatments in all . Follow-ups were done after 3 , 6 , and 12 months . The treatment procedure was performed exactly according to the manufacturer 's manual for this diagnosis . No other therapeutic measures were used , and medication use was proscribed during the treatments and the follow-up period . The statistical analysis showed no significant differences in subjective or objective outcome between the laser and placebo treatments after the treatment period . However , the objective outcome indicated a difference in favor of the placebo treatment ( p less than .06 ) . ( ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 
    Output:
    