Red Light Therapy for Joint Pain: A Joint-by-Joint Guide
Red light therapy for joint pain has its strongest support in the knee: a 2019 review of 22 placebo-controlled trials with 1,063 people found pain 18.7 mm lower than placebo on a 100 mm scale when recommended doses were used. Smaller sets of trials cover rheumatoid arthritis in the hands, the jaw, tendons and gout, and most used clinic lasers, often alongside exercise. Below: a joint-by-joint guide, which joints light reaches best, red versus near-infrared, trial settings, warning signs and panel set-up.
Key takeaways
- A 2019 review of 22 knee osteoarthritis trials with 1,063 people found pain 14.2 mm lower than placebo across all trials, and 18.7 mm lower at recommended doses, on a 100 mm scale. Stausholm, 2019
- A Cochrane review of 5 trials with 222 people with rheumatoid arthritis found morning stiffness 27.5 minutes shorter and pain 1.1 points lower on a 10-point scale with laser light than with placebo, in the short term. Brosseau, Cochrane 2005
- A 2003 review of 11 trials with 565 patients with knee, jaw and spinal facet joint pain found pain 29.8 mm lower than placebo when light was aimed at the joint capsule. Bjordal, 2003
- In a 2021 review of 17 tendon trials with 835 people, light plus exercise lowered pain 1.06 points more than sham light plus exercise on a 10-point scale. Tripodi, 2021
- In tissue tests, more than 90% of near-infrared laser energy was absorbed within the first 10 mm, which is why shallow joints are easier to reach than the hip or spine. Kaub and Schmitz, 2022
Does red light therapy for joint pain work?
For several joints it can ease pain as an add-on, with the clearest evidence in knee osteoarthritis. Hands in rheumatoid arthritis, the jaw, tendons and gout have smaller sets of trials that point the same way.
Joint pain is common: about 53.2 million US adults, or 21.2%, have diagnosed arthritis. CDC, 2023
| Joint | Closest evidence | Panel position | Full guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knee | 22 placebo-controlled trials; pain 18.7 mm lower at recommended doses | Knee level, about 6 inches, front then sides | Red light therapy for knee pain |
| Hands and fingers | Rheumatoid arthritis: 27.5 minutes less morning stiffness | About 6 inches, palms then backs | Red light therapy for hands and feet |
| Hip | Closest evidence comes from other joints and hip surgery trials | Side-on; 6 inches for the joint, 12 inches for hip and buttock | Red light therapy for hip pain |
| Shoulder | Frozen shoulder and rotator cuff trials, with exercise | Side-on; 12 inches for shoulder and upper back | Red light therapy for shoulder pain |
| Lower back | Spinal facet joints were part of the 29.8 mm review | Back to the panel, 6 to 12 inches | Red light therapy for back pain |
| Jaw (TMJ) | 14 trials; mouth opening 4.18 mm wider than placebo | Side of the face toward the panel, about 6 inches | Red light therapy for TMJ |
| Big toe and ankle (gout) | 25 people: rapid pain relief, similar to diclofenac | About 6 inches once the flare has settled | Red light therapy for gout |
| Tendons (elbow, Achilles) | 17 trials; pain 1.06 points lower with exercise | Start at 12 inches, short timer, dimmed channels | Red light therapy for tendonitis |
None of the 22 knee trials reported side effects. Stausholm, 2019 Red and near-infrared light are absorbed mainly in the mitochondria, and a 2017 review calls "an overall reduction in inflammation" one of the most reproducible effects. Hamblin, 2017 Much of that mechanism work comes from cell and animal studies.
For osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and the spine together, see our guide to red light therapy for arthritis.
Which joints does red light reach best: fingers, knees, hips or spine?
Shallow joints such as the fingers, wrist, knee, jaw and big toe are the easiest to reach. The hip and lower spine sit deeper, so dose guidance gives them more energy.
In tissue tests, the authors found "more than 90% of the light energy was absorbed within the first ten millimeters". Kaub and Schmitz, 2022 The World Association for Laser Therapy dose table reflects this. WALT, 2010
- Finger joint: 4 J in total over 1 to 2 points.
- Hip: 12 J over 2 to 4 points, at least 6 J per point.
- Lumbar spine: 16 J over 4 to 8 points.
These clinic laser figures do not convert into panel minutes, but the pattern carries over: near-infrared and a close distance matter more for a hip than for a finger.
Red or near-infrared: which light suits the joints?
Near-infrared carries most of the joint evidence, at 785 to 860 nm and 904 nm in the knee trials. Red light can join it for shallow joints such as the fingers, wrists and jaw.
Near-infrared passes further into tissue than red, and a 2013 editorial notes it has the penetration a joint needs. Hamblin, 2013 In the rheumatoid arthritis review, results did not differ significantly by wavelength.
So for red light therapy for joints, a sensible split is near-infrared high for the knee, hip and back, with red added for hands, wrists and the jaw.
Can red light ease stiff, painful hands in rheumatoid or finger arthritis?
In rheumatoid arthritis, laser light shortened morning stiffness by 27.5 minutes and lowered pain by 1.1 points on a 10-point scale compared with placebo. In finger osteoarthritis, a small LED study found pain about halved over 4 weeks.
The Cochrane review pooled 5 trials with 222 people, mostly treated on the hands 2 to 3 times a week for about 4 weeks. Brosseau, Cochrane 2005 The authors wrote that laser light "could be considered for short-term treatment for relief of pain and morning stiffness".
The finger study gave 23 people with hand osteoarthritis 850 and 940 nm LEDs on their five most painful finger joints, 18 minutes twice a week for 4 weeks. Kim, 2024 Pain started at 72.78 mm and fell by 38.17 mm by week 4. "No adverse events were observed."
The study had no control group, so it is an early signal. Light sits alongside the medicine a rheumatologist prescribes, never in its place.
Does red light work better alongside exercise for arthritis and tendon pain?
Yes, in the pooled data light added to exercise did better than exercise with sham light. Guidelines put exercise and weight management first for osteoarthritis, so light fits best inside that routine.
NICE calls therapeutic exercise and weight management "the core treatments" for osteoarthritis. NICE, 2022
- Elbow, shoulder and heel tendons: 17 trials, 835 people; pain 1.06 points lower and arm function 5.65 points better than sham plus exercise. Tripodi, 2021
- Heel, Achilles and patellar tendons: 18 trials, 784 people; added to exercise, pain was 18.15 mm lower than exercise alone on a 100 mm scale. Naterstad, 2022
A practical order: light first, then your exercises while the joint feels easier.
Can red light therapy rebuild worn cartilage?
Cartilage repair has been seen only in animal and cell studies, not in people. Human trials measured pain, stiffness and function, and those are what the evidence supports.
In the knee review, disability scores improved at recommended doses as well as pain. A worn joint still needs strength work, a healthy weight and the care your GP or physio plans.
What settings did the joint pain trials use?
Most trials used near-infrared light on the skin over the joint, 2 to 3 times a week for 3 to 6 weeks. Small joints got less energy and deep joints more.
| Study | Joint | Light | Dose | Sessions a week | Course |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stausholm 2019, 22 trials | Knee osteoarthritis | 785 to 860 nm or 904 nm laser | At least 4 J per spot, or at least 1 J at 904 nm | Mostly 2 to 3 | 3 to 6 weeks |
| Brosseau 2005, 5 trials | Rheumatoid arthritis, mostly hands | Various lasers | Varied | 2 to 3 | About 4 weeks |
| Kim 2024, 23 people | Finger osteoarthritis | 850 + 940 nm LED | 18 minutes, dose not reported | 2 | 4 weeks |
| Tripodi 2021, 17 trials | Tendons, with exercise | Near-infrared | About 0.5 to 5 J/cm² | Varied | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Soriano 2006, 25 people | Acute gout | Laser on the joint | Not given in the abstract | Daily | 5 days |
| WALT 2010 | Finger, hip, lumbar spine | 780 to 860 nm laser | 4 J, 12 J and 16 J in total | Daily, or every other day | 2 weeks, or 3 to 4 weeks |
In the gout trial, daily laser light gave rapid pain relief with no significant difference from diclofenac. Soriano, 2006
More light is not better. In the knee review, trials below the recommended dose found pain only 6.3 mm lower than placebo, against 18.7 mm at recommended doses. In a rat osteoarthritis study, "A lower laser power was more effective than a higher laser power." Hamblin, 2013 The aim is a steady, moderate dose, repeated over weeks.
Do home LED panels work like the clinic lasers in the trials?
The closest evidence comes from clinic lasers and small LED studies, and both point the same way. Laser joules per point do not convert into a panel session, but the pattern carries over.
Nearly all the joint trials held a laser on a few small points. A panel lights a broad area from a short distance, so the front and sides of a joint get light together. In the finger study, LEDs lowered pain over 4 weeks with no side effects, and our TMJ guide covers a placebo-controlled LED trial for the jaw.
How many sessions before joint pain eases?
Trials ran 2 to 3 sessions a week for 3 to 6 weeks, so judge a home routine at three to four weeks. In the knee review, the biggest difference from placebo came 2 to 4 weeks after the course ended.
At that peak, pain was 31.9 mm lower than placebo on a 100 mm scale with recommended doses. Stausholm, 2019 The hand review describes its gains as short-term, so keep a routine going while it helps.
Log pain out of 10 each morning and, for inflammatory arthritis, minutes of morning stiffness.
When does a painful joint need a doctor before any light?
See a doctor first for a hot, red or swollen joint, sudden severe pain in one joint, or joint pain with a fever. After an injury, a misshapen joint or one you cannot use or bear weight on needs care straight away.
A hot joint with a fever can be an infection. The NHS advises an urgent GP appointment or 111 if you have "pain in a joint and feel generally unwell and have a high temperature". NHS Mayo Clinic notes that "Joint pain is rarely an emergency", but advises an appointment for pain with swelling, redness and warmth. Mayo Clinic
- Knee: badly swollen or changed in shape, locking or giving way, or not improving within a few weeks. NHS
- Several joints: morning stiffness over 30 minutes or swelling in several joints needs checking for inflammatory arthritis.
- Gout flare: medicine and ice first; gentle light only as the flare settles.
- Joint replacement or metal implant: ask the surgeon first, and wait until the wound has fully closed.
- Cast, splint or brace: never remove one to use light; only once the doctor or physio agrees.
Light goes only on intact skin, never over stitches, staples or an open wound. Some common joint medicines, including ibuprofen and naproxen, 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.
How do you use a Kivorla panel on a knee, hand, hip or shoulder?
Put the goggles on, bare the joint, and sit about 6 inches from the panel for 10 to 15 minutes per area, three to five times a week. Run near-infrared high and red lower, and judge the routine 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 inside the 785 to 860 nm band of the knee trials.
- Hanging: hang it at joint height on a door or wall with the included door hook, pulley, hanging cables and screws, or stand it upright on the floor.
- Knee: front, then the inner and outer sides of the kneecap, one knee at a time.
- Hip and shoulder: side-on; step back to 12 inches to cover the hip and buttock, or the shoulder and upper back.
- Jaw and neck: side-on, never facing the panel, goggles on and eyes closed throughout.
- Channels: 810, 830, 850 and 1060 nm high; 630, 660 and 670 nm lower; 480 and 590 nm at their lowest or off.
To stay near the studied range, dim each channel below 100%, set a shorter timer (it starts at 1 minute), or step back from 6 to 12 inches. If no time is set, the panel stops at 5 minutes. The surface stays at or below 40°C: warm is fine, hot means stop. Leave at least 6 hours between 30-minute sessions. Goggles and a controller are included.
The 4-Wavelength Red Light Therapy Mask is a full-face shell with an eye opening, made for the face only. It is not for knees, hands or other joints, and the jaw joint sits outside its shell.
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, have had sunburn on your body in the past 2 weeks, or have Fitzpatrick skin type V or VI.
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 or any joint condition. See a doctor for a hot, swollen joint, joint pain with a fever or pain after an injury, and keep the exercise, medicine and care your doctor or physio has advised.