Evaluation of the effects of photobiomodulation (808 nm) on pain and quality of life of diabetic neuropathy patients

Diabetic neuropathy (DN) is one of the main complications of diabetes mellitus (DM), responsible for a high morbimortality rate and burdening public health resources. Photobiomodulation has proven to be effective in relieving pain, reducing the inflammation, and improving vascularization. We report an evaluation of the effectiveness of photobiomodulation for the relief of pain and to improve the quality of life in patients with diabetic neuropathy. A total of 30 diabetic volunteers with DN were randomly divided into three groups: control, photobiomodulation (PBM), and placebo (P-PBM). Those in Group control were instructed to take diabetic neuropathy medication for 30 days. The PBM group received laser photobiomodulation treatment with the following protocol: three sessions per week for 30 days, totaling 12 applications (wavelength, 808 nm; energy density, 12 J/cm²). in the of following nerves: tibial medial plantar, own plantar digital, common plantar digital, superficial fibular, deep fibular, sciatic, saphenous, and common fibular. Patients in the P-PBM Group were submitted to the PBM protocol, but with the device switched off. Before and after applying the therapeutic protocols, all volunteers were subjected to pain evaluations. The results showed a statistically significant difference between the groups (p < 0.05). The PBM group confirmed an analgesic effect directly related to the use of the photobiomodulation, whilst the patients in group control and P-PBM, did not present significant results. The study demonstrated that laser photobiomodulation is effective in significantly reducing pain and improving the quality of life of patients with diabetic neuropathy.