Red Light Therapy for Bursitis: Hip, Shoulder, Knee and Elbow
Red light therapy for bursitis draws on the closest evidence available: shoulder impingement and tendon trials, where near-infrared light added to exercise eased pain more than exercise or sham light alone. Those trials fit because, at the shoulder and outer hip, the bursa and nearby tendons tend to be sore together. Below: the trials, each joint, red flags, ice, injections, settings and panel set-up.
Key takeaways
- A 2026 meta-analysis of 10 trials in shoulder impingement found pain 0.89 points lower on a 10-point scale when light was added to exercise. Photochem Photobiol, 2026
- In a 2023 randomised trial of 60 people with shoulder impingement, 850 nm light plus home exercise lowered activity pain from 8.2 to 5.2 at 1 month, against 7.5 to 6.3 with home exercise alone. Sen, 2023
- A 2021 meta-analysis of 17 tendon trials with 835 people found that near-infrared light plus exercise lowered pain 1.06 points more than sham light plus exercise. Tripodi, 2021
- In an ultrasound study of 75 people with outer hip pain, only 8 had an enlarged bursa, while the main finding was gluteal tendon change. Grimaldi and Fearon, 2015
- The NHS says bursitis "should go away in a few weeks" with rest, ice and pain relief. NHS
Does red light therapy for bursitis help?
The closest evidence says it may ease pain and improve movement when added to exercise, based on shoulder impingement trials and reviews of tendon pain. These trials used near-infrared lasers on the skin over the sore points, over 2 to 8 weeks.
Bursae are "fluid-filled sacs (bursa) that cushion the joints", and bursitis is most common in the shoulders, hips, elbows or knees. NHS The trials enrolled people with shoulder impingement and tendon pain, and the shoulder bursa sits inside the impingement label.
| Study | Who | Light | What was found |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photochem Photobiol, 2026 | 10 trials, shoulder impingement | Light plus exercise | Pain 0.89 points lower on 10; range of motion better |
| Sen, 2023 | 60 people, shoulder impingement | 850 nm laser plus home exercise | Less activity pain and better shoulder scores than exercise alone at 1 month |
| Haslerud, 2015 | 17 trials, shoulder tendon pain | Laser alone or with exercise | Pain 16.00 mm lower than placebo on a 100 mm scale when added to exercise |
| Tripodi, 2021 | 17 trials, 835 people, tendon pain | Near-infrared plus exercise | Pain 1.06 points lower on 10 than sham plus exercise |
In most of these trials, light was added to an exercise programme rather than used in place of it. Our guide to red light therapy for tendonitis covers the tendon reviews in more depth.
Why is red light therapy for hip bursitis mostly backed by tendon research?
Most outer hip pain labelled bursitis involves the gluteal tendons, so tendon trials are the closest evidence for red light therapy for hip bursitis. Its medical name, greater trochanteric pain syndrome, reflects that shift.
A 2025 review describes gluteal tendon change as the main driver, with trochanteric bursitis "often misdiagnosed" in its place. Donati, 2025
- Where it hurts: the point of the hip, sometimes down the outer thigh, worse lying on that side, rising from a chair or on stairs. AAOS OrthoInfo
- Standard care: a 2025 review calls nonoperative care "the cornerstone of treatment", with exercise at its centre. Gill, 2025
- Dose guidance: the World Association for Laser Therapy lists the bony point of the hip as a tendon target, at 8 J over 2 to 4 points. WALT, 2010
Our guide to red light therapy for hip pain covers hip bursitis, tissue depth, side sleeping and outer hip set-up in full.
Does red light help shoulder bursitis and impingement?
The shoulder has the most trials of any bursa site, and they point to less pain and better movement when light is added to exercise. Subacromial bursitis is part of shoulder impingement, so these trials are the closest match.
AAOS explains that the top of the shoulder blade can "rub against (or impinge on) the tendon and the bursa below". AAOS OrthoInfo The pain "is typically at its worst at night."
- Sen, 2023: 850 nm light on 5 points around the shoulder, 5 times a week for 3 weeks, with home exercise and cold packs. At 1 month, the light group had less activity pain and better shoulder scores than exercise alone. Sen, 2023
- Haslerud, 2015: across 17 trials, light added to exercise lowered pain 16.00 mm more than placebo on a 100 mm scale, and dose mattered. Haslerud, 2015
- Saleh, 2025: in 42 people, 904 nm light plus exercise, 3 times a week for 3 weeks, improved shoulder scores, movement and sleep more than exercise alone. Saleh, 2025
- Kelle, 2014: in a non-randomised trial of 135 people, both light and steroid injections eased pain more than sham light for up to 6 months. Kelle and Kozanoglu, 2014
For the rotator cuff and set-up at shoulder height, see red light therapy for shoulder pain.
Can red light help knee bursitis or elbow bursitis?
The closest evidence for the knee comes from osteoarthritis trials, and for the elbow from outer elbow tendon trials. Both bursae sit just under the skin, so light reaches them easily, but a skin break here can let infection in, so infection must be ruled out first.
Bursitis at the front of the kneecap, often called housemaid's knee, is "often caused by pressure from constant kneeling." AAOS OrthoInfo Elbow bursitis sits "at the boney tip of the elbow", often after a knock or months of leaning on hard surfaces. AAOS OrthoInfo
- Standard care: stop kneeling or leaning on the joint, use pads, ice, raise the limb and take anti-inflammatory tablets if advised. Drainage and a steroid injection are options if swelling lasts.
- Infection route: a bite, scrape or puncture over the knee or elbow can let bacteria in. AAOS says infected knee bursitis "must be treated more urgently" and starts with antibiotics.
Our article on red light therapy for knee pain covers the knee trials in full.
Should you use red light on a hot, red, swollen bursa?
No: a hot, red, swollen bursa, or bursitis with a fever, needs a doctor first, because it can mean infection. Light belongs only after a doctor has ruled infection out.
The NHS says to see a GP if you have "a high temperature, or you feel hot, cold or shivery". NHS Cleveland Clinic lists redness, warmth, fever and chills as signs of an infected bursa. Cleveland Clinic
- Swelling and colour: Mayo Clinic advises care for "A lot of swelling, redness, bruising or a rash in the affected area." Mayo Clinic
- Movement and pain: a joint you cannot move, or very severe, sharp or shooting pain.
- No progress: no better, or worse, after 1 to 2 weeks of self-care.
- Hip and shoulder: urgent help for a hot, swollen joint with a high temperature, pain after a fall, a leg that cannot bear weight or an arm you cannot move. NHS hip pain
A drained or infected bursa, or grazed skin over the knee or elbow, counts as broken skin. Our precautions rule out light over broken skin or open wounds.
Ice or red light for bursitis: which comes first?
Ice comes first in the early sore days, as part of the NHS self-care steps. Light suits the weeks after, once the bursa has been diagnosed and is settling.
The NHS advises an ice pack in a tea towel for "around 10 minutes at a time", every few hours, plus rest, paracetamol or ibuprofen and extra cushions around the joint in bed. NHS Cleveland Clinic suggests about 15 minutes at a time. In the 2023 shoulder trial, everyone used cold packs, and the light group added light on top.
No source sets a waiting time between ice and light. A sensible routine is ice for the first few days, then light at a different time of day, once skin is back to its normal temperature.
Can you use red light after a steroid injection or while taking ibuprofen?
After an injection, keep light off the needle site until it has fully closed, and ask the doctor who gave the injection when to start. With ibuprofen or other medicines, check with your pharmacist first.
Steroid injections are a standard option for bursitis that is not infected, and AAOS notes "It is important to limit the number of injections." AAOS OrthoInfo No source sets a gap between an injection and light, so the doctor's agreement is the guide.
Ibuprofen and naproxen are first-line in the official guides, and antibiotics are used for infected bursitis. Some of these appear on lists of medicines that can make skin more sensitive to light. Our precautions rule out use with photosensitising medication, so anyone taking a medicine should check with their pharmacist or doctor before using the device.
Red or near-infrared: which suits a deep or shallow bursa?
Near-infrared should lead for the hip and shoulder, where the bursa and tendons sit under muscle and bone. For the kneecap and elbow tip, just under the skin, red and near-infrared together are a reasonable mix.
Every trial in the 2021 tendon review used near-infrared, and the shoulder trials used 850, 890 and 904 nm. Near-infrared reaches deeper than red, so it does more of the work at the outer hip and shoulder.
What settings did the bursitis-related light trials use?
The shoulder trials used near-infrared lasers on 3 to 5 points around the joint, 3 to 5 times a week for 2 to 8 weeks. Most added light to exercise.
| Study | Light | Dose and time | Sessions a week | Weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sen 2023, shoulder impingement | 850 nm laser, continuous | 3 J/cm² per point, 1 minute on each of 5 points | 5 | 3 (15 sessions) |
| Abrisham 2011, shoulder tendon pain | Pulsed infrared laser | Points at the front, back and side of the shoulder | About 5 | 2 (10 sessions) |
| Alfredo 2021, shoulder impingement | Laser, with or without exercise | Not given in the summary | 3 | 8 |
| Saleh 2025, shoulder impingement | 904 nm laser plus exercise | Not given in the summary | 3 | 3 |
| Tripodi 2021, 17 tendon trials | Near-infrared | 0.5 to 5 J/cm² | Varied | 2 to 4 |
| WALT 2010, hip and shoulder tendons | 780 to 860 nm laser | 8 J over 2 to 4 points (hip) or 2 to 3 points (shoulder) | Daily, or every other day | 2, or 3 to 4 |
The 2011 trial was double-blind and placebo-controlled, with 80 people. Abrisham, 2011 The 2021 trial had 120 people. Alfredo, 2021 WALT also advises lowering the dose by 30% once inflammation is under control.
No bursitis trial used an LED panel; what carries over is the pattern of near-infrared, several sessions a week, added to exercise.
How long until bursitis eases, and when might light help?
Most bursitis settles in a few weeks with rest and self-care, and the light trials ran for 2 to 8 weeks. Judge a light routine at three to four weeks, alongside your exercises.
Cleveland Clinic says "Most people heal within a few weeks." Cleveland Clinic Outer hip pain can last longer: the 2025 hip review reports symptoms still present in at least 36% of people at 1 year. Donati, 2025 The NHS says full shoulder recovery can take 6 months or longer. NHS shoulder pain
Log pain out of 10 each morning and after activity. For timing in general, see how long red light therapy takes to work.
How do you use a Kivorla panel on the hip, shoulder, knee or elbow?
Place the sore joint side-on to the panel at about 6 inches, goggles on and eyes closed, and run the near-infrared channels high for 10 to 15 minutes per area. Repeat three to five times a week, and judge it at three to four weeks.
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%. It hangs on a door or wall with the included door hook, pulley, hanging cables and screws, or stands upright on the floor. The mask covers the face only, so it does not reach any bursa.
- Hip: panel at hip height; stand side-on so the bony point of the outer hip faces it. For the hip and buttock together, step back to 12 inches.
- Shoulder: panel at shoulder height; sit side-on, then turn for the back. For the shoulder and upper back together, use 12 inches.
- Knee: panel low or on the floor, front of the kneecap facing it. Do not kneel to get closer.
- Elbow: elbow bent so its tip faces the light, forearm resting on a cushion rather than leaning on the elbow.
- Channels: 810, 830, 850 and 1060 nm high; 630, 660 and 670 nm lower, or higher for the knee and elbow; 480 and 590 nm at their lowest.
- Skin and eyes: bare, intact skin; never aim the panel at the face. Warm is fine, hot means stop.
To stay nearer the small trial doses, or for a gentler start, set the timer from 1 minute, dim each channel or step back from 6 to 12 inches. If no time is set, the panel stops at 5 minutes. Leave at least 6 hours between 30-minute sessions. The surface stays at or below 40°C. With a hip or knee implant near the area, ask your surgeon first. The joint pain guide compares positions for every joint.
Do not use the panel if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or preparing for pregnancy, have epilepsy or light-triggered seizures, have a thyroid condition or take thyroid medication, take photosensitising medication, have had sunburn on your body in the past 2 weeks, or have Fitzpatrick skin type V or VI. 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 bursitis. See a doctor first for a hot, red or swollen joint, a fever, or bursitis that has not improved after 1 to 2 weeks.