Effect of high-intensity laser therapy versus shockwave therapy on selected outcome measures in osteoporotic long-term hemiparetic patients: a randomized control trial

Background This study aimed to compare the effects of high-intensity laser therapy (HILT) and extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) in treating consequences of osteoporosis in hemiparetic patients. Methods A randomized controlled trial was conducted on hemiplegic patients with osteoporosis. They were randomly classified into three equal groups (n = 40 in each group). The control group received medication and traditional physiotherapy programs for stroke patients. The high-intensity laser (HIL) group received the same intervention as the control group in addition to high-intensity laser therapy. The shock wave (SW) group received the same intervention as the control group in addition to shock wave therapy. The three groups received an intervention that lasted 3 sessions/week for 12 weeks). All groups were assessed before and after therapy for the degree of pain, fall risk, and quality of life. Results A statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) was found concerning VAS, which had a significant difference in favor of HILT and ESWT groups compared to the control group; however, no significant difference was determined between HIL and SW groups. Regarding the overall stability index, SFBBS, and QUALEFFO-41, there was a significant difference in favor of HIL and SW groups compared to the control group, and a significant difference was found in HIL when compared to SW. Conclusion The current study indicates that the combined traditional physical therapy and HILT and ESWT have clinical significance in improving osteoporotic long-term hemiparetic patients with more favor to HILT. Trial registration: The study was registered as a clinical trial at ClinicalTrial.gov ID (NCT05616611). Keywords: Hemiplegia, High-intensity laser therapy, Osteoporosis, Shock wave therapy