Effects of Combined High-Intensity Laser Therapy, Guided Imagery, and Music on Quality of Life and General Health in Patients With Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial Publisher



Goli A ; Sharbafchi MR ; Moayednia A ; Kouchakzadeh M ; Riahi R ; Taji M
Source: International Journal of Body, Mind and Culture Published:2025

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of combining High-Intensity Laser Therapy (HILT), a non-symbolic physical treatment, with various symbolic/behavioral interventions, including Guided Imagery (GI), rooted in the biosemiotics model of healing. Methods and Materials: This randomized clinical trial included 83 patients with CMSP (aged 18-70 years) who were divided into five treatment groups: Laser Therapy alone (LT), LT + Guided Imagery (GI), LT + GI + Health Education (HE), LT + Music (M), and LT + M + HE. All groups received 6 HILT sessions. QoL (SF-12) and general health (GHQ-12) were measured at baseline, post-intervention, and one-month follow-up. Statistical analysis included repeated measures ANOVA. Findings: Intragroup analyses showed that the PCS improved significantly (p<0.001) only in the combined intervention groups (LT+GI, LT+GI+HE, and LT+MT). GHQ-12 scores (lower scores indicating better general health) showed significant decreases in the MD component across nearly all groups. The LT+GI group demonstrated statistically superior gains in PMH compared to several other arms (p<0.05). Conversely, the LT+MT group showed the most consistent and significant reduction in the overall GHQ-12 total score during the follow-up phase (p<0.001). Conclusion: Structured intervention programs substantially enhance the quality of life and overall health in individuals with CMSP. The findings demonstrate that integrating symbolic and non-symbolic interventions can be effective for maximizing physical and psychological gains, particularly in physical health and positive mental health. © 2025 the authors.