Table 1.
Eligibility criteria.
| Variables | Criteria |
|---|---|
| Population | Inclusion: -Vulvodynia population: studies involving women with vulvodynia or superficial dyspareunia. -Chronic primary musculoskeletal pain population: Eligible studies comprised (1) nonspecific chronic low back pain, (2) neck pain, or (3) myofascial pain and myofascial trigger point pain. |
| Exclusion: -Vulvodynia population: studies involving minor women, pregnant women, women who have undergone organ or bone marrow transplants, or women with other pelvic pain conditions, such as chronic pelvic pain different than vulvodynia, endometriosis, sexually transmitted infections, other vulvovaginal infections, cancer, dermatologic conditions, genitourinary syndrome of menopause (including vulvo-vaginal atrophy), or deep dyspareunia. -Chronic primary musculoskeletal pain population: studies involving participants with widespread musculoskeletal pain (e.g., fibromyalgia), systemic illness/inflammatory condition (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis), or headache. Excluded trials were those also examining patients with low back pain due to specific pathological entities including: (1) specific spinal pathology, (i.e., spondylosis, infection, tumor, osteoporosis, fracture including spondylolisthesis), structural deformity (including scoliotic deformities), inflammatory disorder, or (2) neurological encroachment (radicular or cauda-equina syndrome). * | |
| Intervention | Studies evaluating HILT therapy as the primary intervention were included. |
| Comparator | Studies including co-interventions were allowed if applied equally to both laser and control groups. |
| Outcomes | (1) Pain intensity (e.g., pain during intercourse), (2) Functional disability (e.g., sexual function), (3) Participant’s perceived improvement. We also looked at adverse events (worsening of pain, dropouts). |
| Timing | There were no restrictions based on the length of follow-up of outcomes. |
| Setting | There were no restrictions based on type of setting. |
| Design | Given the limited literature available on the effectiveness of laser treatment in women with vulvodynia, randomized controlled trials (RCTs), prospective and retrospective cohorts, case reports, and study protocols were included in the review. Only RCTs were included for the musculoskeletal population. |
| Language | There were no language restrictions. |
* Studies with participants presenting with a neuropathic/radicular component were included if they represented a small proportion of the sample.