Background: Lumbar spine disorders are common conditions in pilots of various aircraft with etiology related to sub-optimal ergonomics, exposure to G-forces, the weight of the head gear and exposure to extensive vibrations. Current treatments include physiotherapy and chiropractic manipulations. Low-level laser irradiation (LLLI) is a non-ionizing, non-thermal irradiation within the visible to near infrared range of the light spectrum. LLLI has been used widely for alleviation of pain in inflammatory processes and acceleration of wound healing. A variety of clinical studies show that LLLT in the near infrared range may be useful in the treatment of back pain.~Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of Light Therapy for treatment of back pain in pilots.~Study design: Prospective, randomized, controlled double blind. Volunteers will receive biweekly physiotherapy treatment for 3 weeks. In addition to the physiotherapy treatment, half the volunteers will receive light therapy and half sham irradiation. Study evaluations will include physical examination by an orthopedic surgeon, subjective pain level by visual analogue scale, validated low back functional questionnaires, a generic functional questionnaire, and patient satisfaction scores. Volunteers will be invited for evaluations at 1 and 3 months after the final treatment.
Back pain is a common complaint among pilots. Current treatments include physiotherapy and chiropractic manipulations. Low-level laser irradiation (LLLI) in the visible to near-infrared range was shown to reduce neck and low back pain.~The purpose of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of Light Therapy for treatment of back pain in pilots.