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Efficacy of high and low level laser therapy in the treatment of Bell's palsy: A randomized double blind placebo-controlled trial

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Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate and compare the effects of high intensity laser therapy (HILT) and low level laser therapy (LLLT) on the treatment of patients with Bell’s palsy. Forty-eight patients participated in and completed this study. The mean age was 43 ± 9.8 years. They were randomly assigned into three groups: HILT group, LLLT group, and exercise group. All patients were treated with facial massage and exercises, but the HILT and LLLT groups received the respective laser therapy. The grade of facial recovery was assessed by the facial disability scale (FDI) and the House–Brackmann scale (HBS). Evaluation was carried out 3 and 6 weeks after treatment for all patients. Laser treatments included eight points on the affected side of the face three times a week for 6 successive weeks. FDI and HBS were used to assess the grade of recovery. The scores of both FDI and HBS were taken before as well as 3 and 6 weeks after treatment. The Friedman test and Wilcoxon signed ranks test were used to compare the FDI and HBS scores within each group. The result showed that both HILT and LLLT significantly improved the recovery of patients with Bell's palsy. Moreover, HILT was the most effective treatment modality compared to LLLT and massage with exercises. Thus, both HILT and LLLT are effective physical therapy modalities for the recovery of patients with Bell's palsy, with HILT showing a slightly greater improvement than LLLT.

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Acknowledgments

The authors express their appreciation to all subjects who participated in this study with all content and cooperation, and give special thanks to their colleagues at the Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Applied Medical Science, Umm AL-Qura University, Saudi Arabia. They also thank Dr. Hesham Gad Alrab, assistant professor, Faculty of Education, Mansura University, Egypt, for technical support and statistical analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Basic Science, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, 7 Ahmed Elziat Street from Eltahrir Street, Cairo, Egypt

    Mohamed Salaheldien Mohamed Alayat

  2. Faculty of applied Medical Science, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia

    Ahmed Mohamed Elsodany

  3. Department of Physical Therapy For Neuromuscular Disorders And Its Surgeries, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt

    Amir Abdel Raouf El Fiky

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  1. Mohamed Salaheldien Mohamed Alayat
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  2. Ahmed Mohamed Elsodany
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Correspondence to Mohamed Salaheldien Mohamed Alayat.

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Alayat, M.S.M., Elsodany, A.M. & El Fiky, A.A.R. Efficacy of high and low level laser therapy in the treatment of Bell's palsy: A randomized double blind placebo-controlled trial. Lasers Med Sci 29, 335–342 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-013-1352-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-013-1352-z

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