Low level LASER therapy in the treatment of pressure ulcers in spinal cord handicapped veterans

Pressure ulcers are the result of immobility and continuous pressure on an area of body. Aside from imposing further restriction of movements and thus creating a vicious circle in the healing process, these ulcers are of significant importance in decreasing the life quality and adding to the treatment costs of these patients. There are currently 1800 spinal cord handicapped war veterans in Iran and according to the 1998 figures, 21% of them are suffering from at least one ulcer at pressure sites. In this study we compared the outcome of treatment of pressure ulcers with (Gallium- Aluminum-Arsenide) & (Gallium-Aluminum-Indium-Phosphate)-Diode LASERS, both made by Azor-2k TM, on Contact, Continuous Emission mode at an every other day dose of 4-6 J/cm2 for 3 weeks plus conventional treatments of pressure ulcers, with that of conventional treatment alone in 2 groups of veterans with spinal cord paralysis who reside in Tehran, the capital of Iran. The study was a triple blind clinical trial conducted on 16 veterans who were randomly divided into case and control groups. The diameter of the ulcers was measured and staged by one person who was unaware of the subjects’ case-control status. Digital photographs of the ulcers were initially taken and a combination of conventional treatment (wet dressing, irrigation) with low-level LASER and conventional treatment alone was allocated to the case and control groups respectively. After 3 weeks the subjects were evaluated again. The result demonstrated a statistically significant enhancement of the healing process by combination of low-level LASER with conventional treatments of pressure ulcers.