Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Orthop. Jun 18, 2026; 17(6): 119961
Published online Jun 18, 2026. doi: 10.5312/wjo.v17.i6.119961
Published online Jun 18, 2026. doi: 10.5312/wjo.v17.i6.119961
Effectiveness of low-intensity laser on pain in patients with supraspinatus tendinopathy: A triple-blind randomized controlled trial
Isaac Rodríguez Fragua, David Briz Benito, Catalina Loaiciga Espeleta, Roberto González Raja, Jorge Velázquez Saornil, UPSALUD Group, Fisioterapia, Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca, Salamanca 37002, Spain
Carlos Romero-Morales, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Villaviciosa de Odón; Madrid 28023, Spain
Zacarías Sánchez Milá, NEUMUSK Group, Department of Physiotherapy, Universidad Católica de Ávila, Ávila 05005, Spain
Lucía Rodríguez Martín, Fisioterapia, Clínica Vallesur, Ávila 05002, Spain
María del Rosario Ferreira-Sánchez, Fisioterapia, Universidad Católica de Ávila, Ávila 05005, Spain
Co-corresponding authors: Zacarías Sánchez Milá and Jorge Velázquez Saornil.
Author contributions: Rodríguez Fragua I and Romero-Morales C wrote the document in its initial format and the final draft; Rodríguez Fragua I and Briz Benito D analyzed the data and designed the figures; Velázquez Saornil J, Loaiciga Espeleta C, Briz Benito D and Rodríguez Martín L conceptualized and designed the research; Sánchez Milá Z, Ferreira-Sánchez MDR, González Raja R, and Rodríguez Martín L executed the study and collected most of the data; Rodríguez Fragua I, Rodríguez Martín L, and González Raja R assessed the laser techniques and were responsible for maintaining and checking the blindings at all times; Loaiciga Espeleta C, administred treatments and carried out the interventions as described in the study design; Romero-Morales C, Sánchez Milá Z, and Velázquez Saornil J provided expertise in the study design and components of the article; all authors contributed to drafting the article and revised the manuscript for important intellectual content; and all authors had access to the study data and reviewed and approved the final manuscript. Two corresponding authors are proposed because they share the primary responsibility for the study in complementary areas. Velázquez Saornil J has led the methodological design, trial registration, statistical analysis and data management, while Sánchez Milá Z has been the clinical principal investigator, responsible for recruitment, participant follow-up and intervention safety. Both guarantee access to data, response to editorial and reader consultations, and the scientific integrity of the work, so they are considered co-responsible for the manuscript.
Institutional review board statement: Approved by the Ethics Committee of the University Hospital of Móstoles with registration code CEI 2024/021.
Clinical trial registration statement: Clinical trial registration on the clinicaltrial.gov website with number NCT07261449.
Informed consent statement: The informed consent was obtained from all participants before data collection began.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest to disclose.
CONSORT 2010 statement: The authors have read the CONSORT 2010 statement, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CONSORT 2010 statement.
Data sharing statement: The data are available upon request from the corresponding author.
Corresponding author: Jorge Velázquez Saornil, PhD, Fisioterapia, Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca, C/Compañía, 5, Salamanca 37002, Spain. jvelazquezsa@upsa.es
Received: February 11, 2026
Revised: March 6, 2026
Accepted: March 24, 2026
Published online: June 18, 2026
Processing time: 126 Days and 16.9 Hours
Revised: March 6, 2026
Accepted: March 24, 2026
Published online: June 18, 2026
Processing time: 126 Days and 16.9 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: This triple-blind randomized controlled trial demonstrates that therapeutic laser therapy produces meaningful and lasting benefits in patients with supraspinatus tendinopathy by reducing shoulder pain and enhancing joint mobility. The intervention also leads to relevant gains in rotator cuff muscle strength and overall shoulder function, facilitating better performance in daily and overhead activities. These improvements are not explained by placebo responses alone, supporting therapeutic laser as an effective, evidence-based option within a multimodal rehabilitation approach for this common shoulder disorder.