Effectiveness of photobiomodulation therapy in the treatment of patients with an ankle sprain: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) is widely used in the treatment of patients with musculoskeletal and sports disorders with a lack of significance in patients with sprain ankle. This review investigated the effect of PBMT on pain, oedema, and function in patients with an ankle sprain. A systematic search of the databases (MEDLINE, PubMed, EBSCO, Web of Science, Wiley Online Library, Science Direct, Physiotherapy Evidence (PEDro), and the Cochrane Databases) was performed from inception to the end of 2023 to identify any clinical study investigating the effect of PBMT on ankle sprain. PBMT parameters and measured outcomes were extracted. The primary measured outcome was pain and function, and oedema were secondary measured outcomes. Methodological quality was assessed using the PEDro scale. The level of evidence was determined by the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system. A random effect meta-analysis with forest plot was used to calculate standardized mean difference (SMD) at a 95