OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy of low-intensity laser radiation in rehabilitation treatment of patients undergoing radical treatment for head and neck tumors.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study included 134 patients (39 (29.1%) men, 95 (70, 9%) women), aged from 23 to 78 years old, with an average age of 54.24±12.7 years. Three groups were formed: Group 1 — 45 patients who received the traditional complex of rehabilitation treatment, which includes physical exercise, massage, and drug therapy, without using low-intensity laser radiation; Group 2 — 45 patients who received the traditional complex of rehabilitation treatment in combination with low-intensity laser radiation; Group 3 — 44 patients who underwent only a few low-intensity laser irradiation courses as a rehabilitation treatment. The impact on the tissues of the shoulder joint and cervico-supraclavicular region was carried out by radiation with a wavelength of 660 nm and 970 nm using a matrix radiation source. The course of treatment was 10 treatment sessions lasting 10 minutes. During the first year after radical treatment, the course of laser therapy was repeated every 3 months. In the course of the study, indicators of the patient’s subjective assessment of changes occurring with them were studied, depending on the method of rehabilitation used, as well as the restoration of range of motion in the shoulder joint on the side of the operation and the function of soft tissues in the shoulder joint on the radical treatment side.

RESULTS

Against the background of the treatment, an improvement in the condition of patients was recorded in the form of a decrease in the severity of motor and sensory disorders.

CONCLUSION

Complex rehabilitation treatment with the obligatory use of low-intensity laser radiation provides an improvement in the function of the peripheral nervous system and blood circulation, which, in turn, allows not only to restore the function of these organs, but also to generally improve the quality of life of patients.