Red Light Therapy for Arthritis: Knees, Hands, Hips, Spine and RA
Red light therapy for arthritis has its best support in knee osteoarthritis, where pooled placebo-controlled trials found less pain with near-infrared light given at adequate doses. For rheumatoid arthritis in the hands, the research points to short-term relief of morning stiffness and pain. Below: the evidence joint by joint, red versus near-infrared, trial doses and timing, when to see a doctor first, and how to use a home panel.
Key takeaways
- In a 2019 review of 22 placebo-controlled trials with 1,063 people with knee osteoarthritis, light at recommended doses lowered pain by 18.7 mm on a 100 mm scale more than placebo. BMJ Open, 2019
- The recommended knee doses in that review were at least 4 J per spot at 785 to 860 nm, or at least 1 J per spot at 904 nm. BMJ Open, 2019
- A 2003 review of 11 trials with 565 patients with knee, jaw and spinal facet joint disorders found 29.8 mm less pain than placebo when light was aimed at the joint capsule. Bjordal, 2003
- In a Cochrane review of 5 rheumatoid arthritis trials with 222 people, mostly on the hands, laser light shortened morning stiffness by 27.5 minutes compared with placebo. Cochrane, 2005
- Lab tests found that more than 90% of near-infrared laser energy is absorbed in the first 10 mm of tissue, so shallow joints such as the fingers and knee are easier to reach than the hip. Kaub and Schmitz, 2022
Does red light therapy help arthritis?
Research suggests it can ease arthritis pain, with the strongest evidence in knee osteoarthritis. Most trials used near-infrared laser light aimed at the joint, and the results depended on the dose.
In lab studies, this light can raise cell energy and lower inflammatory signals in joint tissue. Zhang and Qu, 2023 Human trials measured pain, stiffness and function.
| Arthritis type | Main evidence | Result (vs placebo where tested) |
|---|---|---|
| Knee osteoarthritis | 22 trials, 1,063 people (2019) | 18.7 mm less pain at recommended doses |
| Chronic joint disorders, including spinal facet joints | 11 trials, 565 patients (2003) | 29.8 mm less pain |
| Rheumatoid arthritis, mostly hands | 5 trials, 222 people (2005) | 1.1 points less pain out of 10, 27.5 minutes less morning stiffness |
| Finger osteoarthritis | 23 people, LED, no control group (2024) | Pain down 38.17 mm by week 4 |
| Hip osteoarthritis | Dose tables and knee trials | Closest evidence comes from other joints |
Nearly all of these trials used clinic lasers on points. In a 2024 network meta-analysis, 12 of the 13 knee trials used lasers. Fan, 2024 Our guide to red light therapy for pain and inflammation explains how clinic lasers and home LED devices compare.
What does red light do for knee osteoarthritis?
Pooled trials found less knee pain and better function than placebo at recommended doses. The effect kept growing after the course ended, peaking at 31.9 mm 2 to 4 weeks later.
In the 2019 review, pain at recommended doses was 18.7 mm lower than placebo at the end of treatment, and 23.2 mm lower 2 to 12 weeks later. Disability scores also improved. No trial reported side effects. BMJ Open, 2019
The 2024 network meta-analysis pooled 13 trials with 673 people and found less pain than sham light. Light at 904 to 905 nm ranked highest, though not significantly ahead of 785 to 850 nm. Fan, 2024 The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons gives a limited-strength recommendation that laser treatment "may be used to improve pain and function" in knee osteoarthritis. AAOS, 2021
Our guide to red light therapy for knee pain covers the individual knee trials.
Can red light therapy help rheumatoid arthritis?
It may give short-term relief of hand stiffness and pain alongside medical care. It does not replace the disease-modifying treatment a specialist prescribes.
The NHS says rheumatoid arthritis "usually affects the hands, feet and wrists", and early treatment reduces the risk of joint damage. NHS
The Cochrane review pooled 5 placebo-controlled trials with 222 patients, usually treated 2 to 3 times a week for 4 weeks. Cochrane, 2005
- Pain: 1.1 points lower than placebo on a 10-point scale.
- Morning stiffness: 27.5 minutes shorter.
- Finger flexibility: fingertip-to-palm distance improved by 1.3 cm.
- Swelling and grip: no difference from placebo.
The reviewers described the benefit as short-term. A 2024 meta-analysis of 22 studies found better grip strength and less morning stiffness with laser than placebo, while pain scores did not differ. Salajegheh, 2024 The authors suggest light may work as an add-on to usual care.
Does red light help arthritis in the fingers and hands?
Finger joints sit close to the skin, and a 2024 LED study on finger osteoarthritis found a large drop in pain. It had no control group, so the result is encouraging rather than settled.
The study treated 23 people aged 40 to 80 with 850 and 940 nm infrared LEDs on their 5 most painful finger joints. Sessions lasted 18 minutes, twice a week for 4 weeks. Pain started at 72.78 mm on a 100 mm scale. It fell by 38.17 mm by week 4 and by 41.22 mm by week 6. Ring size and range of motion did not change, and there were no side effects. Kim, 2024
The WALT dose table for clinic lasers gives a finger joint 4 J over 1 to 2 points, among the smallest doses in the table. WALT, 2010 Our guide to red light therapy for hands and feet covers the wrist and feet as well.
Can red light reach an arthritic hip?
The hip sits deeper under muscle than the knee or fingers, so less light reaches the joint itself. The closest evidence comes from knee trials, dose tables and a small study after hip replacement.
In tissue tests with near-infrared lasers, about 3.6 to 9.3% of the light remained at 10 mm. At 20 mm, 0.3 to 1.7% remained. Kaub and Schmitz, 2022
WALT gives the hip 12 J over 2 to 4 points, with at least 6 J per point. That is the highest per-point minimum of any joint in the table. WALT, 2010
In a triple-blind trial of 18 people after total hip replacement, one session of combined 905 nm laser with 875 nm and 640 nm LEDs lowered pain compared with placebo. Blood levels of the inflammatory markers TNF-α and IL-8 also fell. Langella, 2018
Does red light therapy help arthritis in the neck and spine?
Neck osteoarthritis and the small facet joints of the spine have placebo-controlled support. Most of it comes from older laser trials.
In a trial of 60 people with X-ray confirmed neck osteoarthritis, the laser group improved in pain, muscle spasm, neck movement and function, while the placebo group did not. Ozdemir, 2001 The 2003 review that found 29.8 mm less pain included trials on the zygapophyseal (facet) joints, where the vertebrae link at the back of the spine. Bjordal, 2003
Inflammatory back arthritis has less support so far: in a 2013 trial of 37 people with ankylosing spondylitis, the laser group improved, but not significantly more than the placebo group. Aydın, 2013
See also red light therapy for back pain and red light therapy for the neck.
Is red or near-infrared light better for joint pain?
Near-infrared carries most of the joint evidence. The recommended knee doses were set at 785 to 860 nm and at 904 nm.
In tissue tests, 800 nm and 905 nm light penetrated about equally, and 970 nm penetrated least. Kaub and Schmitz, 2022 Visible red has a place too. The Cochrane rheumatoid arthritis review found no significant difference by wavelength, with some evidence that shorter wavelengths did better. Cochrane, 2005
A practical split for red light therapy for joint pain: near-infrared leads for knees, hips and spine, and red can join it for shallow joints such as fingers and wrists.
Does red light therapy work better with exercise for arthritis?
Exercise comes first for osteoarthritis, and light fits best as an addition to it. In one knee trial, people who had both did better than those who had either one alone.
That trial randomised 111 people to exercise, laser or both, for 12 sessions. The combined group did best: Kholvadia, 2019
- Symptom score: 24 points better on the WOMAC arthritis questionnaire.
- Swelling: knee circumference down 3.5 cm.
- Strength: 4 more sit-to-stand repetitions.
UK guidance names therapeutic exercise and weight management as the core treatments for osteoarthritis. NICE, 2022 The NHS says "exercise is one of the most important treatments for people with osteoarthritis". NHS
Can red light therapy rebuild cartilage in arthritic joints?
Cartilage protection has been seen in animal and cell studies, not in people. Human trials measured pain, stiffness and function.
A 2023 review lists cartilage benefits in rats and rabbits at 632 and 810 nm, and in cell studies. None of the human knee trials it tabled used cartilage structure as an outcome. Zhang and Ji, 2023 In people, the measured benefit is symptom relief.
What schedules did arthritis trials use, and how soon does it help?
Most courses ran 2 to 5 sessions a week for 2 to 8 weeks. Knee pain relief peaked 2 to 4 weeks after the course ended, so judge the result at three to four weeks rather than after one session.
| Joint | Light | Dose or minutes | Sessions per week | Weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knee, pooled trials | 785 to 860 nm, or 904 nm laser | At least 4 J per spot (median 6 J), or at least 1 J at 904 nm | Varied | Mean 3.5 |
| Knee, 2023 trial | 808 and 660 nm | 15 minutes | 3 | 8 (24 sessions) |
| Fingers, 2024 | 850 and 940 nm LED | 18 minutes | 2 | 4 |
| Hands, rheumatoid arthritis | Various lasers | Various | 2 to 3 | 4 |
| Hip, WALT table | 780 to 860 nm laser | 12 J over 2 to 4 points | Daily, or every other day | 2, or 3 to 4 |
| Neck, WALT table | 780 to 860 nm laser | 16 J over 4 to 12 points | Daily, or every other day | 2, or 3 to 4 |
The 2023 knee trial row comes from a table of 21 knee trials. Zhang and Ji, 2023
Dose explains why some older reviews saw little effect on knee arthritis. In the 2019 review, trials below the recommended dose lowered pain by 6.3 mm at the end of treatment, against 18.7 mm at recommended doses. BMJ Open, 2019 More is not always better, as our article on how much red light therapy is too much explains.
Relief held at week 6 in the finger study. In rheumatoid arthritis, the benefit was short-term.
Trial lasers were held on the skin over set points, and joules per point do not convert directly into what a broad panel delivers.
Should you use red light during a flare or on a hot, swollen joint?
No, see a doctor first. A hot, red or swollen joint, or one that comes with fever, can mean infection or inflammatory arthritis, and a rheumatoid arthritis flare is a reason to call your specialist.
Also get these checked first:
- Stiffness and swelling: morning stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes, or swelling in several joints, needs assessment for inflammatory arthritis.
- Mechanical signs: a joint that locks, gives way, cannot take weight or looks misshapen.
- Nerve signs: arm numbness with neck pain, leg symptoms with back pain, or any change in bladder or bowel control.
- Joint replacements and implants: ask your surgeon first, and wait until the wound has fully closed.
- Medicines: ask a pharmacist whether any medicine you take carries a sun-sensitivity warning.
Do not use the panel over broken skin, with photosensitising medication, in pregnancy, with epilepsy, or with a thyroid condition or thyroid medication. It is not for Fitzpatrick skin types V or VI.
How do you use a Kivorla panel on arthritic joints?
Face the joint to the panel on bare skin, wear the goggles, and keep sessions regular for three to four weeks before judging. Use the controls to keep the dose close to the range the trials studied.
The 9-Spectrum Red Light Therapy Panel carries 480, 590, 630, 660, 670, 810, 830, 850 and 1060 nm, each dimmable from 1 to 100%. Its 810, 830 and 850 nm channels sit inside the 785 to 860 nm knee trial band. At 6 inches it puts out at least 1,567 W/m², with near-infrared at least 1,200 W/m². At 640 x 230 mm, it hangs on a door or wall with the included door hook, pulley, hanging cables and screws, or stands upright on the floor.
- Knee: 6 inches, inner then outer side of the kneecap, one knee at a time.
- Hands: about 6 inches, palms first, then backs.
- Hip: stand side-on with the hip at panel centre, 6 inches for the joint or 12 inches for hip and buttock.
- Neck and upper back: hang the panel at the right height on a door or wall, 12 inches for a broad area.
- Lower back: centre the panel at hip height, 6 to 12 inches away.
Our joint routine is 10 to 15 minutes per area at about 6 inches, three to five times a week, for at least three to four weeks. Run near-infrared high and red lower, with blue off. To stay near the studied range, use three controls:
- Dim each wavelength: turn channels down from 100%.
- Set a shorter timer: it starts at 1 minute and runs to 30, and the panel stops at 5 minutes if no time is set.
- Step back: move to 12 inches.
Keep the same settings for 3 to 4 weeks, and log a daily pain score out of 10 and your minutes of morning stiffness. Leave at least 6 hours between 30-minute sessions. The surface stays at or below 40°C. Goggles and a controller are included.
Standard shipping to the US, UK and Germany is free. Read the precautions before ordering. Under our return and refund policy, returns are accepted within 30 days: an unopened device with its seals intact is refunded less a 10% restocking fee, and an opened device that is undamaged and complete is refunded less 20%.
Kivorla devices are general wellness devices, not medical devices, and are not intended to treat arthritis. Keep taking prescribed arthritis medicine, and see a doctor for a hot or swollen joint or a rheumatoid arthritis flare.