Bridges, Hilliard and Chui Publish Systematic Review on the Effects of Light Therapy on Osteoarthritis

Physical Therapy core faculty members Dr. Michael Bridges, Dr. Jeremy Hilliard, and Dr. Kevin Chui recently published an article in Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation titled “The effects of light therapy on osteoarthritis and its sequelae in aging and older adults: A systematic narrative review.”  They completed this review over the last academic year with assistance of third-year student, Dr. Katie Rock '16, DPT ‘19. The team reviewed the evidence examining various types of light therapies (e.g., low-level laser therapy and high-intensity laser therapy) when used alone or in combination with other types of modalities. This review focused on aging and older adults with osteoarthritis of the knee, hip, or hand. Their review also summarized the physics of light therapy and its theoretical rationale for treatment. The authors concluded that there is some evidence that light therapy may provide statistically significant improvements in pain, function, and quality of life. 

Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation, (TGR) is a peer-reviewed quarterly publication that presents clinical, basic, and applied research, as well as theoretical information, consolidated into a clinically relevant form. The publication is a leading resource for the healthcare professional practicing in the area of geriatric rehabilitation. TGR is indexed in the following databases: Abstracts in Social Gerontology, Academic OneFile, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, Cumulative Index to Nursing Administration and Health Literature, EBSCO A-Z, EMBASE, Ex Libris, HINARI, JournalGuide, ProQuest, Scopus, Social Sciences Citation Index, TDNet, and Web of Science. 

Reference:
Bridges MK, Hilliard JE, Chui K. "The effects of light therapy on osteoarthritis and its sequelae in aging and older adults: A systematic narrative review." Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation. 2020;36 (1), 11-37.