Photobiomodulation Method in the Treatment of Myofascial Pain Syndrome: Narrative Overview

Abstract

Myofascial pain is one of the most common variants of chronic musculoskeletal pain, which significantly reduces the patients' life quality, prevents active kinesitherapy and is difficult to treat. A promising method of therapy for myofascial pain syndrome (MFBS) is the photobiomodulation method (FBM), which uses non-ionizing light sources (lasers, LEDs) and radiation in the visible, infrared and near-infrared spectral ranges for therapeutic purposes. The review briefly discusses the general understanding of FBM and the results of studies on the effectiveness of FBM in MFBS, it discusses possible mechanisms of the therapeutic effect of low-intensity optical radiation and the need to choose the optimal exposure parameters. Efficacy, non-invasiveness and safety enable to use FBM in elderly patients.