Thesis (Ph.D.) - Cairo University - National Institute of Laser Enhanced Sciences (NILES) - Department of Laser Appliction im Medical and Biological

High intensity laser therapy (HILT) is used in different medical fields due to its therapeutic effects on pain relief and laser bio-stimulation for Musculoskeletal disorders. Objectives: The present study compared the efficacy of therapeutic effect of HILT and therapeutic ultrasound in pain reduction and functional improvement in chronic lateral epicondylitis of the elbow. Patients and methods: 45 patients are randomly selected and divided into three groups 15 patients for every group. The first group treated by HILT and ultrasonic, the second group treated by HILT only, and the third group treated by ultrasonic.The outcome measures of this quantitative study are hand grip strength by dynamometry, pain measurement by visual analogue scale (VAS) and disability by disorder of arm, shoulder arm and hand (DASH) analysis. HILT and ultrasound group is using scanner emitting high intensity laser with wave length of 915 nanometer (nm) plus 808 (nm) and power 3.2 watt (w) and energy density (5 joul/cm2) and ultrasound (1.5 watt/cm2 for 5 minutes). The HILT group is treated by high power laser and 3rd group treated only by ultrasonic (US). Results: The results showed that there is significant changes among the results of VAS of the three groups after treatment; (p<0.05). There is also significant changes in DASH after treatment among the three groups (p<0.05), but the results of dynamometry among the three group after treatment are not significant (p>0.05). The use of HILT and ultrasonic together is better than each one alone

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