Home Medicine Evaluation of photobiomodulation for modulating peripheral inflammation via the lumbosacral medullary region
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Evaluation of photobiomodulation for modulating peripheral inflammation via the lumbosacral medullary region

  • Geovanna Rayssa Travessini , Bianca Villanova , Bruna Fernanda Rempel de Alcantara , Mariana Ghidini Campiol Rosse , Morgana Neves , Taciane Stein da Silva Leal , Lucinéia de Fátima Chasko Ribeiro and Gladson Ricardo Flor Bertolini ORCID logo EMAIL logo
Published/Copyright: October 23, 2025
Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine
From the journal Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine Volume 22 Issue 4

Abstract

Objectives

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether PBM application at the nerve root emergence region could mitigate the deleterious effects of peripheral inflammation on the knee joint in Wistar rats.

Methods

Eighteen Wistar rats were divided into three groups: Control (intra-articular saline injection only), Arthritis (experimental arthritis model without treatment), and PBM + Arthritis (arthritis model treated with PBM – 660 nm, 20 J/cm2). Treatment began 24 h after intra-articular arthritis induction and continued for three consecutive days. Animals in the arthritis groups were sensitized with two injections of Mycobacterium butyricum (CFA), while the control group received saline solution. The nociceptive threshold was assessed using a digital analgesimeter, and joint edema was measured with a caliper. After euthanasia, the right knee joints were collected, sectioned at 7 μm, and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Histomorphometric and histomorphological analyses of the synovial membrane and articular cartilage of the femur and tibia were performed.

Results

A reduction in nociceptive threshold and an increase in joint diameter were observed in the injured and treated groups. However, the PBM + Arthritis group showed pro-repair morphological characteristics in the joint tissue.

Conclusions

PBM treatment applied distant from the injured knee promoted improvements in joint morphology; however, it did not significantly affect edema or nociception.

Keywords: pain measurement; neurogenic inflammation; physical therapy modalities
Corresponding author: Gladson Ricardo Flor Bertolini, PhD, Physical Therapy, Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná, Universitaria St. 2069, Cascavel, Paraná 85819-110, Brazil, E-mail:

  1. Research ethics: The study was approved by the Ethics Committee on Animal Use of the Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná (Unioeste).

  2. Informed consent: Not applicable.

  3. Author contributions: Conceptualization – GRT, BV, BFRA, MGR, MN, TSSL, LFCR, GRFB; methodology – GRT, BV, BFRA, MGR, MN, TSSL, LFCR, GRFB; formal analysis – GRFB; investigation – GRT, BV, BFRA, MGR, MN, TSSL, LFCR, GRFB; resources – LFCR, GRFB; writing – original draft – GRT; writing – review & editing – BV, BFRA, MGR, MN, TSSL, LFCR, GRFB; visualization – TSSL, LFCR; supervision – GRFB; project administration – GRFB; funding acquisition – LFCR, GRFB.

  4. Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: Use of the program DeepL to help translate the article into English.

  5. Conflict of interest: The authors state no conflict of interest.

  6. Research funding: Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná.

  7. Data availability: The data is held by the authors and can be made available if necessary.

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Received: 2021-08-31
Accepted: 2025-06-26
Published Online: 2025-10-23

© 2025 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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https://doi.org/10.1515/jcim-2021-0398
Keywords for this article
pain measurement; neurogenic inflammation; physical therapy modalities

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Reviews
  3. Efficacy of mangosteen as local drug delivery for improving periodontal health in adults with periodontitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
  4. Catechins in cancer therapy: integrating traditional and complementary approaches
  5. Phytochemical innovations in oral cancer therapy: targeting oncogenic pathways with natural compounds
  6. Opinion Paper
  7. Naturopathy and the Ottawa Charter: a synergistic model for community health promotion in rural India
  8. Research Articles
  9. Investigating the therapeutic potential of medical leech and leech saliva extract in flap survival: an in vivo study using rats
  10. Alstonia boonei stem bark aqueous extract ameliorates elevated parasitemia levels, normalises blood glucose, modulates inflammatory biomarkers and enhances antioxidant status in Plasmodium berghei-infected/diabetic mice
  11. Nutritional, antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory and toxicity assessments of an herbal formulation using in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo approaches
  12. Molecular docking, molecular dynamic simulation, and ADME analysis of Moringa oleifera phytochemicals targeting NS5 protein: towards the development of novel anti-dengue therapeutics
  13. Impact of licorice supplementation on cardiac biomarkers and histomorphological changes in rats
  14. Effects of minas frescal cheese enriched with Lactobacillus acidophilus La-05 on bone health in a preclinical model of chronic kidney disease
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