What are red light therapy’s main benefits?

    Last Updated: October 27, 2023

    Red light therapy can reduce pain in a variety of contexts, especially conditions involving joint pain, including knee osteoarthritis,[1] lower back pain,[2] and neck pain.[3] There is also preliminary evidence that red light therapy can reduce pain in fibromyalgia,[4] tendinopathy,[5] rheumatoid arthritis,[6] and headache,[7] as well as during hip surgery recovery.[8]

    Red light therapy has been shown to promote hair regrowth in people with hair loss due to androgenic alopecia, with effects seen in both men and women.[9][10] In these studies, the scalp is directly exposed to red light, usually in the 650 to 660 nm range.

    Red light therapy has been found to be beneficial for childhood myopia (nearsightedness), slowing its progression and even preventing its occurrence.[11][12][13] Red light therapy may also be helpful for other eye conditions (e.g., macular degeneration, cataracts), but research is still too limited to be certain of its effectiveness.[14][15][16]

    Preliminary evidence suggests red light therapy can improve cognitive function in people with dementia[17] and possibly in healthy people as well.[18]

    References

    1. ^Stausholm MB, Naterstad IF, Joensen J, Lopes-Martins RÁB, Sæbø H, Lund H, Fersum KV, Bjordal JMEfficacy of low-level laser therapy on pain and disability in knee osteoarthritis: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised placebo-controlled trials.BMJ Open.(2019-Oct-28)
    2. ^Huang Z, Ma J, Chen J, Shen B, Pei F, Kraus VBThe effectiveness of low-level laser therapy for nonspecific chronic low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Arthritis Res Ther.(2015-Dec-15)
    3. ^Chow RT, Johnson MI, Lopes-Martins RA, Bjordal JMEfficacy of low-level laser therapy in the management of neck pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised placebo or active-treatment controlled trials.Lancet.(2009-Dec-05)
    4. ^Yeh SW, Hong CH, Shih MC, Tam KW, Huang YH, Kuan YCLow-Level Laser Therapy for Fibromyalgia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Pain Physician.(2019-May)
    5. ^Tumilty S, Munn J, McDonough S, Hurley DA, Basford JR, Baxter GDLow level laser treatment of tendinopathy: a systematic review with meta-analysis.Photomed Laser Surg.(2010-Feb)
    6. ^Brosseau L, Robinson V, Wells G, Debie R, Gam A, Harman K, Morin M, Shea B, Tugwell PLow level laser therapy (Classes I, II and III) for treating rheumatoid arthritis.Cochrane Database Syst Rev.(2005-Oct-19)
    7. ^Gomes AO, Martimbianco ALC, Brugnera Junior A, Horliana ACRT, da Silva T, Santos EM, Fragoso YD, Fernandes KPS, Nammour S, Bussadori SKPhotobiomodulation for the Treatment of Primary Headache: Systematic Review of Randomized Clinical Trials.Life (Basel).(2022-Jan-11)
    8. ^Langella LG, Casalechi HL, Tomazoni SS, Johnson DS, Albertini R, Pallotta RC, Marcos RL, de Carvalho PTC, Leal-Junior ECPPhotobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) on acute pain and inflammation in patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty-a randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.Lasers Med Sci.(2018-Dec)
    9. ^Andjela Egger, Sydney R Resnik, Divya Aickara, Eric Maranda, Michael Kaiser, Tongyu C Wikramanayake, Joaquin J JimenezExamining the Safety and Efficacy of Low-Level Laser Therapy for Male and Female Pattern Hair Loss: A Review of the LiteratureSkin Appendage Disord.(2020 Sep)
    10. ^Lueangarun S, Visutjindaporn P, Parcharoen Y, Jamparuang P, Tempark TA Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials of United States Food and Drug Administration-Approved, Home-use, Low-Level Light/Laser Therapy Devices for Pattern Hair Loss: Device Design and Technology.J Clin Aesthet Dermatol.(2021-Nov)
    11. ^Wang F, Peng W, Jiang ZRepeated Low-Level Red Light Therapy for the Control of Myopia in Children: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Eye Contact Lens.(2023-Oct-01)
    12. ^He X, Wang J, Zhu Z, Xiang K, Zhang X, Zhang B, Chen J, Yang J, Du L, Niu C, Leng M, Huang J, Liu K, Zou H, He M, Xu XEffect of Repeated Low-level Red Light on Myopia Prevention Among Children in China With Premyopia: A Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA Netw Open.(2023-Apr-03)
    13. ^Tang J, Liao Y, Yan N, Dereje SB, Wang J, Luo Y, Wang Y, Zhou W, Wang X, Wang WEfficacy of Repeated Low-Level Red-Light Therapy for Slowing the Progression of Childhood Myopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Am J Ophthalmol.(2023-Apr-07)
    14. ^Ivandic BT, Ivandic TLow-level laser therapy improves vision in patients with age-related macular degeneration.Photomed Laser Surg.(2008-Jun)
    15. ^Olk RJ, Friberg TR, Stickney KL, Akduman L, Wong KL, Chen MC, Levy MH, Garcia CA, Morse LSTherapeutic benefits of infrared (810-nm) diode laser macular grid photocoagulation in prophylactic treatment of nonexudative age-related macular degeneration: two-year results of a randomized pilot study.Ophthalmology.(1999-Nov)
    16. ^Markowitz SN, Devenyi RG, Munk MR, Croissant CL, Tedford SE, Rückert R, Walker MG, Patino BE, Chen L, Nido M, Tedford CEA DOUBLE-MASKED, RANDOMIZED, SHAM-CONTROLLED, SINGLE-CENTER STUDY WITH PHOTOBIOMODULATION FOR THE TREATMENT OF DRY AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION.Retina.(2020-Aug)
    17. ^Luo G, Zhang J, Song Z, Wang Y, Wang X, Qu H, Wang F, Liu C, Gao FEffectiveness of non-pharmacological therapies on cognitive function in patients with dementia-A network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Front Aging Neurosci.(2023)
    18. ^Salehpour F, Majdi A, Pazhuhi M, Ghasemi F, Khademi M, Pashazadeh F, Hamblin MR, Cassano PTranscranial Photobiomodulation Improves Cognitive Performance in Young Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Photobiomodul Photomed Laser Surg.(2019-Oct)