“Anodyne Therapy” for Diabetic Neuropathy — No Benefit

Monochromatic infrared energy to treat patients with diabetic neuropathy (marketed as “Anodyne Therapy” by one company) has been touted as effective. Photoenergy-emitting pads, attached to a power unit, are placed on the lower limbs of a patient with neuropathy. On its website, the manufacturer states that its Anodyne Therapy system is “proven by research”; however, results from several small, short-term, published trials have been mixed.

In this double-blind study, researchers randomized 69 patients with diabetic neuropathy to receive either active Anodyne Therapy or sham treatments (using pads that emitted heat but no infrared energy). For 90 days, patients treated themselves at home for 40 minutes daily. Both active and sham groups improv…