High-intensity laser therapy and stretching exercises for chronic non-specific neck pain: a feasibility study

Introduction Chronic nonspecific neck pain (CNNP) is a prevalent musculoskeletal disorder that negatively impacts quality of life. High-intensity laser therapy (HILT) has shown promise as a therapeutic resource for managing musculoskeletal pain. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, participant adherence, implementation, and safety of a HILT protocol to inform the design of a future randomised clinical trial. Methods This clinical trial included 21 patients with CNNP, who received two weekly sessions of HILT combined with stretching exercises over four weeks. Primary outcomes included resting pain intensity (RPI), movement pain intensity (MPI), pain pressure threshold (PPT), and neck disability (NDI). Secondary outcomes included cervical range of motion (CROM). Assessments were performed at baseline, post-treatment, and one-month follow-up. Statistical analysis included Shapiro–Wilk for normality, Friedman and Wilcoxon tests for repeated measures, and Cohen’s d for effect sizes. Results Significant improvements were observed in RPI (d = 1.7–1.8) and MPI (d = 1.2–1.4; both p < 0.01), with average pain reductions of 2.6 and 1.8 points (CI 95%:1.9,3.2), respectively, and an average increase in PPT of 1.9 lb (CI 95%:1.5,2.4) (p < 0.05, d = 0.5–1.7). Subgroup analysis showed greater improvements in men, particularly for MPI and PPT. Post-treatment, a mean reduction of 6.5 (CI 95%:5.8,7.2) points in NDI (d = 1.4–1.5, p < 0.01) was observed, with women showing a larger reduction. CROM improved significantly only for flexion and left-side bending (p < 0.05). Conclusions HILT was safe, feasible, and potentially effective in reducing pain and disability in individuals with CNNP. High adherence and absence of adverse events support clinical applicability. Further randomised trials are needed to confirm its efficacy and compare it with other treatments.