Red Light Therapy for Hip Pain: Bursitis, Arthritis and After Surgery

Red light therapy for hip pain has its most direct support after hip replacement, where a small placebo-controlled trial found that red and near-infrared light lowered pain within hours of surgery. For hip arthritis and hip bursitis, the closest evidence comes from knee arthritis and tendon trials, where light, often added to exercise, eased pain more than a sham device. Below: which light reaches the hip, the research for each hip problem, trial doses, where to aim, and home panel settings.

Key takeaways

• In a placebo-controlled trial of 18 people after hip replacement, red plus near-infrared light lowered pain and two inflammation markers within hours of surgery. Langella, 2018
• The tendons and bursae on the outer hip sit about 3.5 to 4.7 cm under the skin on average. Town, 2023
• Near-infrared light at 808 nm was still detectable about 40 mm deep in human cadaver tissue. Tedford, 2015
• Across 17 tendon trials with 835 people, light plus exercise lowered pain by 1.06 points on a 10-point scale more than sham light plus exercise. Tripodi, 2021
• For pain on the outer hip, 77.3% of people reported success after 8 weeks of education and exercise. Mellor, BMJ 2018

Does red light therapy help hip pain?

Research suggests it can ease hip pain, and how strong that research is depends on the cause. Hip pain usually comes from the joint itself, from the tendons and bursae on the outer hip, or from healing after a hip replacement.

The NHS lists arthritis, bursitis and tendonitis among common causes, and advises: "Do not try to diagnose the cause of the pain yourself." NHS

Hip problem	Where it hurts	Closest light research	Main result
After hip replacement	Around the wound and joint	One hip trial with 18 people, plus a 2026 review of 4 trials	Less pain and inflammation than placebo within hours
Hip arthritis	The joint, deep in the hip	Knee arthritis: 22 trials, 1,063 people	18.7 mm less pain than placebo at recommended doses
Hip bursitis	The outer side of the hip	Tendons: 17 trials, 835 people	1.06 points less pain on 10, with exercise

In each case, light works best as one part of a plan that includes exercise. See red light therapy for pain and inflammation for how light acts on cells.

Can near-infrared light reach the hip joint and bursa?

Near-infrared is the part of the light that travels deep enough to matter for the hip. The tendons and bursae on the outer hip sit about 3.5 to 4.7 cm under the skin on average, and the joint itself lies deeper still.

A 2023 scan study of 201 adults measured the soft tissue over the bony point of the outer hip, called the greater trochanter. Town, 2023

• Adults aged 16 to 35: 3.53 to 3.84 cm of tissue on average.
• Adults aged 36 to 65: 4.44 to 4.71 cm on average.

Light loses most of its energy near the surface. In a 2022 lab study on animal tissue, over 90% of near-infrared energy was absorbed within the first 10 mm. There, 800 and 905 nm travelled further than 970 nm. Kaub and Schmitz, 2022

A smaller share keeps going: in human cadaver tissue, 808 nm light was detected about 40 mm deep. Tedford, 2015

For deep joints, researchers give more energy at the skin, not a different light. A 2003 review put the joint lining 1.5 to 5 mm deep in the knee and 25 to 35 mm deep in the lower spine. Lower spine trials used 48 to 480 J, against 6 to 180 J on the knee. Bjordal, 2003

For the hip, that points to near-infrared at high brightness on bare skin. Red light is absorbed closer to the surface, so it matters less here. Fabric costs depth too, as our article on whether red light therapy works through clothes explains.

Does red light therapy help hip bursitis?

The closest evidence comes from tendon research, because most hip bursitis is a problem of the gluteal tendons on the outer hip. In tendon trials elsewhere in the body, light added to exercise eased pain more than sham light added to the same exercise.

Its medical name is greater trochanteric pain syndrome. A 2025 review describes about 20 bursae around the bony point of the hip, the largest between the gluteus medius and gluteus maximus tendons. Donati, 2025 The NHS notes that bursitis pain is worse with movement or pressure. NHS

Research on red light therapy for hip bursitis therefore borrows from tendons. A 2021 meta-analysis pooled 17 trials on the elbow, shoulder, Achilles, knee and wrist. Light plus exercise lowered pain by 1.06 points on a 10-point scale more than sham light plus exercise. Function scores were 5.65 points better. Tripodi, 2021

The gluteal tendons sit deeper than those, so lead with near-infrared. Our article on red light therapy for tendonitis goes through the tendon trials one by one.

Does red light therapy help hip arthritis?

The closest evidence comes from knee arthritis, which has a large body of light research. In a 2019 meta-analysis of 22 placebo-controlled knee trials, pain at recommended doses fell 18.7 mm more than with placebo on a 100 mm scale.

That review pooled 1,063 people. BMJ Open, 2019 Our guide to red light therapy for knee pain covers those trials and their doses in detail.

A 2003 review of 11 placebo-controlled trials on knee, jaw and spine joints found pain 29.8 mm lower than placebo. Bjordal, 2003

No human trial shows light regrowing cartilage, so it sits alongside the treatments guidelines rank first. The NHS says: "Exercise is one of the most important treatments for people with osteoarthritis." NHS A 2023 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons guideline supports physical therapy for mild to moderate hip arthritis. AAOS, 2023

Can you use red light therapy after a hip replacement?

This is the one hip problem with its own placebo-controlled light trial, and the result was positive in the first hours after surgery. At home, ask your surgeon before use, and keep the light off the wound until it has healed.

In a 2018 triple-blind trial, 18 people received active light or a placebo device 8 to 12 hours after total hip replacement. The active probe combined a 905 nm laser with 875 nm and 640 nm LEDs, giving 40.3 J per point on 5 points along the incision. Langella, 2018

• Pain: lower than with placebo.
• TNF-alpha and IL-8: two inflammation markers, both lower than with placebo.
• Quality: 10 out of 10 on the PEDro trial quality scale. PEDro

It tested one early session, so it speaks to the first day rather than the whole recovery. A 2026 review of 4 trials after knee and hip replacement, with 133 people, found pain improved in 3 trials and swelling fell in 3. The authors described "promising short-term benefits". Eladl, 2026

A healing incision counts as broken skin, so keep the panel off it until it has closed. With a hip implant, ask your surgeon before use.

How long does red light therapy take to work on hip pain?

The related trials mostly ran for 2 to 6 weeks, so judge a home routine at three to four weeks. In the knee arthritis research, the pain benefit was largest 2 to 4 weeks after the course ended.

At that point, pain was 31.9 mm lower than with placebo. BMJ Open, 2019

Study	Problem	Light	Dose	Sessions	Course
Langella, 2018	After hip replacement	905 nm laser, 875 nm and 640 nm LEDs	40.3 J per point, 5 points	One, 8 to 12 hours after surgery	Same day
Stausholm, 2019	Knee arthritis	785 to 860 nm or 904 nm laser	4 to 8 J or 1 to 3 J per point	8 to 12	3 to 6 weeks
Bjordal, 2003	Knee, jaw and spine joints	820 to 1060 nm laser	6 to 180 J for the knee, 48 to 480 J for the lower spine	Varied	Varied
Tripodi, 2021	Tendons	Near-infrared, with exercise	0.5 to 5 J/cm²	Varied	2 to 4 weeks
Mellor, 2018	Gluteal tendons	No light: education and exercise	Physiotherapy	14	8 weeks

Laser joules per point do not convert directly into the joules per square centimetre a broad panel delivers. What carries over is the pattern: regular sessions for several weeks, alongside exercise, with more energy for deeper targets.

Where should you aim the light on a sore hip?

Aim at the area that hurts: the outer side for bursitis-type pain, and the front and side for pain from the joint. Treat one area at a time, on bare skin.

• Outer hip pain: stand side-on so the bony point of the hip faces the panel. This is where the gluteal tendons and bursae sit.
• Joint pain: face the panel to light the front of the hip, then turn side-on for a second area.
• Hip and lower back together: step back to 12 inches to cover the broader area. Our article on red light therapy for back pain covers the lower back.

Can red light help when lying on your side hurts at night?

Light works as a course over weeks rather than a same-night fix, so pick a session time you can keep to. For the night itself, the NHS advises extra cushions around the joint while you sleep.

Side-sleeping presses on the outer hip tendons and bursae. The NHS gives these home steps for bursitis: NHS

• Cushions: extra cushions around the joint in bed.
• Ice: wrapped in a tea towel, for around 10 minutes at a time, every few hours.
• Pain relief: paracetamol or ibuprofen.

Choosing between evening and morning sessions? Our article on red light therapy in the morning or at night looks at timing.

Should you use red light with hip exercises or instead of them?

With them. The best results for outer hip pain come from exercise programmes, and the light trials showed their gains when light was added to exercise.

In a 2018 trial, 204 people with gluteal tendon pain had 14 physiotherapy sessions of education and exercise over 8 weeks, a steroid injection, or no treatment while they waited. Mellor, BMJ 2018

• Education and exercise: 77.3% reported success at 8 weeks, and 78.5% at a year.
• Steroid injection: 58.5% at 8 weeks, and 57.1% at a year.
• Wait and see: 29.4% at 8 weeks, and 51.7% at a year.

In the 2021 tendon review, light on its own matched other treatments for pain but gave smaller gains in function. Tripodi, 2021 Keep exercise as the base and light as the extra. A session on the same day as your exercises, before or after, fits the research.

When does hip pain need a doctor before any light?

After a fall, when you cannot put weight on the leg, or when the hip is hot and swollen or you feel unwell with a high temperature. These are NHS warning signs that need prompt care, and none of them is a job for a light panel.

The NHS warning signs for hip pain: NHS

• A&E or 999: severe pain after a fall or injury, being unable to walk or bear weight, or tingling or loss of feeling after an injury.
• Urgent GP or 111: sudden severe pain without an injury, a hot and swollen hip, a change in skin colour, or a high temperature.
• GP: pain that stops normal activities, affects sleep or has not improved after 2 weeks of home treatment, or stiffness lasting over 30 minutes after waking.

Our precautions also rule out the panel during pregnancy, with epilepsy, a thyroid condition or thyroid medication, photosensitising medication, and for Fitzpatrick skin types V or VI.

How do you use a Kivorla panel on your hip?

Set the panel at hip height, turn the sore side to it on bare skin, wear the goggles, and run the near-infrared channels for 10 to 15 minutes. 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%. Its 810, 830 and 850 nm channels sit in the 800 to 905 nm band that travelled furthest in the lab study above. 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 covers the side of the hip and buttock from one position.

• Position: hang it at hip height on a door or wall with the included door hook, pulley, hanging cables and screws, or stand it upright on the floor.
• Distance: 6 inches for a joint, on bare skin, with the goggles on.
• Channels: near-infrared at high brightness for depth; the red channels are optional.
• Timer: 10 to 15 minutes per area. If no time is set, the panel stops at 5 minutes.
• Mode: continuous light is fine; in the cadaver study, pulsed and continuous 808 nm light travelled equally far.
• Tracking: score your pain out of 10 daily, including sleep.

High-brightness near-infrared at 6 inches follows the way laser research gives deeper joints more energy at the skin. To start gently, or stay closer to the small doses of the tendon trials, three controls bring a session down:

• Shorter timer: it starts at 1 minute.
• Dimmer channels: turn near-infrared and red down from 100%.
• More distance: step back to 12 inches, our suggested distance for broad areas.

Keep the same settings for three to four weeks, and leave at least 6 hours between 30-minute sessions. The surface stays at or below 40°C: warm is fine, hot is not. Goggles and a controller are included. The 4-Wavelength Red Light Therapy Mask covers the face only and is not designed for joints.

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 hip pain, bursitis or arthritis. See a doctor or physiotherapist for a new, hot or swollen hip, and ask your surgeon before using light near a hip replacement.