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Rheumatoid ArthritisNCT00632710

Assessment of the Effectiveness of Low-Level Laser Therapy on the Hands of Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis

A study testing phototherapy in people with Rheumatoid Arthritis, run by Federal University of São Paulo at 1 site in Brazil.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The purpose of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of low-level laser therapy on the reduction in pain and improvement in function in the hands of patients with rheumatoid arthritis Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Rheumatoid Arthritis
What is being tested?
phototherapy
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
82 participants
Where
1 siteBrazil
Study dates
Jul 2004to Dec 2005
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • patients with RA
  • inflammatory condition of at least two hand joints among the wrists, proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint and metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint
  • visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain between 3 and 8 cm during activities of daily living
  • and being of either gender

Who cannot join

  • skin lesions at the application site
  • other illnesses affecting the hands; physiotherapy for the hands in the previous three months
  • joint injections in the previous three months
  • change in disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs in the previous three months
  • and change in corticosteroids in the previous month.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Brazil1 site
  • Federal University of Sao Paulo

    São Paulo, São Paulo, 04023-900

Other trials in Brazil

About this study

Official title: Assessment of the Effectiveness of Low-Level Laser Therapy on the Hands of Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis: a Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Trial

The purpose of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of low-level laser therapy on the reduction in pain and improvement in function in the hands of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Read the detailed description

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology that basically compromises the joints in a generalized, symmetrical, additive and usually progressive manner. This clinical condition includes pain and altered functionality. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has been studied since the 1970s with regard to its therapeutic effects. The literature suggests that it offers analgesic as well as anti-inflammatory benefits.

A number of studies carried out in the laboratory and on animals have shown that LLLT contributes toward the treatment of inflammatory joint disease. However, studies on humans with RA have yielded controversial results. A large part of the authors researched state that further randomized double-blind controlled studies should be carried out to prove the effectiveness of LLLT on RA. Thus, the aim of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of LLLT on the reduction in pain and improvement in function in the hands of patients with RA.

Being tested
phototherapy, phototherapy placebo
Keywords
rheumatoid arthritis, hands, randomized controlled, low level laser
Medical subject headings
Arthritis, Rheumatoid

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • phototherapyOther

    Also called soft laser therapy

    The laser used was low-level Aluminum Gallium Arsenide (AlGaAs)diodo laser, at a wavelength of 785 nm (infrared), dose of 3 J/cm2, mean power of 70 mW, 3 sec. per point, laser beam of 0,06cm2, BIOSET brand - Indústria de Tecnologia Eletrônica Ltda -Rio Claro, Brazil.

  • phototherapy placeboOther

    Also called soft laser placebo therapy

    disconnected laser (same device - experimental group)

Study groups in NCT00632710
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
bExperimentallaser
Receives: Other: phototherapy
aPlacebo comparatorlaser placebo
Receives: Other: phototherapy placebo

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. pain

    Measured: 2 months

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. function

    Measured: 2 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted11 Mar 2008 (estimated)
  2. Study startJul 2004
  3. Primary completionDec 2005
  4. Study completionDec 2005

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Triple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
82 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00632710
Sponsor's protocol ID
0829/04
Other IDs
FAPESP 2004/09374-1, CNPQ grant
Status last verified
Mar 2008
First submitted
7 Feb 2008
Last updated
11 Mar 2008
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing phototherapy in people with Rheumatoid Arthritis, run by Federal University of São Paulo at 1 site in Brazil.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 11 Mar 2008. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Brazil. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

pain (time frame: 2 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 11 Mar 2008.

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