Efficacy of Combined High-Intensity Laser Therapy and Collagenase Chemonucleolysis in Lumbar Disc Herniation Management: a Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial

作者：Peng Song, Chao Ma, Chenchen Xu, Yongjun Zhang, Yan Yuan · 发表于：Pain and Therapy · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1007/s40122-025-00756-0 · 被引用次数：4 · 研究领域：Laser Applications in Dentistry and Medicine、Spine and Intervertebral Disc Pathology、Tendon Structure and Treatment

INTRODUCTION: Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is a prevalent degenerative spinal disorder. While collagenase chemonucleolysis is effective in long-term LDH management, delayed symptom relief remains a limitation. Recent studies suggest that high-intensity laser therapy (HILT) may enhance tissue repair and pain modulation, providing a rationale for exploring its synergistic effects with collagenase therapy. This study aimed to investigate whether combining HILT with collagenase chemonucleolysis could accelerate early postoperative recovery in patients with lumbar disc herniation. METHODS: This single-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted at the Department of Pain Management, The First People's Hospital of Changzhou, between October 2023 and October 2024. This single-center, single-blind randomized controlled trial finally enrolled 60 eligible patients with lumbar disc herniation; participants were randomly assigned to the experimental (HILT + collagenase) or control (collagenase alone) group using a computer-generated randomization sequence with 1:1 allocation. Group assignments were concealed in sealed opaque envelopes until intervention initiation. All participants underwent collagenase chemonucleolysis, with the control group receiving standard postoperative care combined with sham laser therapy, while the experimental group received additional high-intensity laser irradiation alongside conventional treatment. The primary endpoints comprised visual analog scale (VAS)...