Short term beneficial effects of low level laser therapy for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Question To assess the effectiveness of low level laser therapy (LLLT) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Data sources MEDLINE, EMBASE and The Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (CENTRAL) up to June 2005. Reference lists from relevant articles were scanned. Relevant studies were also traced by contacting experts. Study selection Randomised controlled trials of patients with RA which compared LLLT with other treatments or placebo laser therapy. Data extraction Methodological quality was assessed independently by two reviewers according to predefined criteria (Jadad scale), which included the appropriateness of randomisation, appropriateness of blinding, and description of dropouts and withdrawals. Results Six trials with a total of 222 patients were included. Five trials were placebo-controlled, while one trial used the opposite limb as a control. The median Short term beneficial effects of low level laser therapy for patients with rheumatoid arthritis