Low-Power Laser as a Leading Therapy in Facial Allodynia: Case Report
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21270/archi.v13i7.6422Keywords:
Allodynia, Facial Pain, Laser TherapyAbstract
Allodynia is pain evoked by an innocuous stimulus and can be caused by injuries to the transmission system or damage to the modulation system, such as bruises after facial trauma, which can act with a mass effect compressing nerve endings. Low-power laser therapy or photobiomodulation (PBM) is a non-invasive method recommended for pain and tissue regeneration due to its biomodulating effect. This case report describes the role of laser therapy in the treatment of allodynia. A 30-year-old woman reported exacerbated pain in the right infraorbital and zygomatic region without improvement 13 days after a motorcycle accident. Physical examination revealed a hematoma in the right infraorbital and zygomatic region, and subconjunctival hemorrhage in the right eye, without clinical and radiographic signs of facial bone fractures. Intraoral hematoma drainage was performed, with antibiotics and analgesics prescribed, keeping the drain for 3 days. At the follow-up for drain removal and reevaluation, the patient reported little pain improvement. Upon further examination, the entire region innervated by the infraorbital nerve was noted to be in a state of allodynia, with any light touch causing intense pain. Low-power laser therapy was initiated using infrared light (808 nm, 100 mW, 28 seconds, and 2.8 J per point), along with the prescription of a B-complex vitamin supplement. After two sessions of laser therapy, the patient reported significant clinical improvement, with a reduction in the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) from 10 to 6. She showed progressive improvement over the sessions, with complete resolution of pain after 1 month. Therefore, photobiomodulation proved to be an effective therapy in resolving facial allodynia and should be applied in daily clinical practice.
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