Photobiomodulation for Chronic Lower Back Pain After Spinal Surgery

This study is looking at whether a special brace with laser diodes can help reduce chronic lower back pain after spinal fusion or decompression surgery. After these surgeries, some people experience ongoing pain and inflammation. While many treatments exist, this study explores using high-power laser lights in a brace to decrease pain and inflammation. You would wear either a Laser Diode Brace, which has therapeutic red light, or a Sham Laser Diode Brace, which looks the same but has no therapeutic ability and acts as a placebo. Researchers will compare pain levels and how well people can do daily activities after using the brace. To join, you need to be between 18 and 75 years old, have had minimally invasive spinal fusion or decompression surgery in your lower back, and have had chronic lower back pain for over 3 months with a pain level above 4. The study aims to enroll 80 participants.

Study design
This is an interventional study comparing a Laser Diode Brace to a Sham Laser Diode Brace (placebo). It plans to enroll 80 participants.
What's involved
You would complete questionnaires about your pain and daily activities before surgery and again 3 months after starting photobiomodulation therapy.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Your self-reported pain and function will be assessed 3 months after starting photobiomodulation therapy.

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NCT06282770

Photobiomodulation for Lower Back Pain Post Spinal Fusion and Decompression Surgery

Recruiting
NAAges 18–75InterventionalTreatment
University of California, Los Angeles
~80 participants
Updated 2026-01-13 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Laser Diode BraceSham Laser Diode Brace

At a glance

Recruiting sites
2 of 2 listed sites are recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Self-reported patient outcome questionnaires after photobiomodulation therapy - VAS
Measured over 3 months
+1 more outcome measured
Spinal Fusion
Chronic Lower Back Pain
2 sites across 1 states
California2
  • Sara K Chung, PA · STUDY_DIRECTOR · University of California, Los Angeles
  • Sandra M Holley, PhD · STUDY_DIRECTOR · University of California, Los Angeles
  • Sichen Li, PhD · STUDY_DIRECTOR · University of California, Los Angeles
  • Adreanne Rivera, BS · STUDY_DIRECTOR · University of California, Los Angeles

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Subject will have undergone minimally invasive spinal fusion surgery or spinal decompression surgery in their lower back L1-S1.
Have low back pain of \>3 months and a pain threshold of \> 4 (as described by the the subject), age \> 18 years, and English speaking to eliminate possible miscommunication and consequent human error regarding belt use.
Subject must have had surgery at minimum to 1 year prior to start of study and no more than 5 years prior to start to study

Exclusion

Patients with tumors
Current infection
Drug misuse history
Skin conditions preclude the use of laser belt
Severe spondylolisthesis, spondylolysis, spinal stenosis, ankylosing spondylitis
Previous low back surgery exceeding 5 years to initial start date.
  • Self-reported patient outcome questionnaires after photobiomodulation therapy - VAS3 months

    Subjects will fill out two questionnaires related to their pain and quality of life before and after surgery with laser diode brace photobiomodulation therapy. The first survey is the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), which asks subjects to state how good or bad their current health state is on a scale of 0-100, 1 being the worst imaginable health state and 100 being the best imaginable health state. There are two additional questions that ask subjects to provide a rate their current back and leg pain on a scale of 0-10, with 0 being no pain and 10 being worst imaginable pain.

  • Self-reported patient outcome questionnaires after photobiomodulation therapy - ODI3 months

    The second survey is the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), which is designed to provide information on how the subject's pain is affecting their everyday life. There are 10 sections on the survey each graded on a scale from 0-5 with 5 being the most impaired. The total score scales from 0-50, where 0-10 denotes minimal disability and 40-50 denotes that the pain impinges on all aspects of their daily lives.