Red Light Therapy for Trigeminal Neuralgia: What the Trials Show
Red light therapy for trigeminal neuralgia has its best support as an add-on to medicine: a 2026 meta-analysis of randomised trials found pain about 2 points lower on a 10-point scale when light was added. Nearly all of those trials used clinic lasers on the skin over the painful nerve, mostly in people who kept taking their medicine. Below: the reviews, wavelengths, trial settings, why touch matters, warning signs and side-on panel set-up.
Key takeaways
- A 2026 meta-analysis of 9 randomised trials with 387 patients concluded that light "appears to be an effective adjuvant therapy for trigeminal neuralgia". Taddeucci, 2026
- Across 5 pooled trials in that analysis, pain was 2.17 points lower on a 0 to 10 scale with light than with the control treatment. Taddeucci, 2026
- In a 2017 trial of 20 people with trigeminal neuralgia, both 660 nm and 810 nm light lowered pain, and 810 nm did better. Antonić, 2017
- In a 2024 placebo-controlled trial of 45 adults, combined 650 nm red and 904 nm near-infrared light reduced attacks and pain more than placebo. Karagözoğlu, 2024
- The NHS lists lightly touching the face, such as washing, eating and brushing the teeth, as a common trigger for attacks. NHS
Does red light therapy for trigeminal neuralgia help?
The newest reviews point that way, as an add-on: light lowered pain more than control treatments in most trials, mostly alongside medicine. The trials were small and used clinic lasers, so the results describe this kind of light rather than any one home device.
Trigeminal neuralgia is sudden, severe pain in the face. The NHS describes it as "like having an electric shock in the jaw, teeth or gums". NHS Attacks last from a few seconds to about 2 minutes, usually on one side of the lower face.
Four reviews have gathered the trials.
| Review | What it covered | Main finding |
|---|---|---|
| Taddeucci, 2026 | 9 randomised trials, 387 patients | Pain 2.17 points lower on 10 than control |
| Haghighat, 2024 | 13 studies, about 400 patients | Most reported significant pain relief |
| Physiotherapy Quarterly, 2022 | 13 controlled trials | All 13 reported less pain; 8 were statistically significant |
| Falaki, 2014 | Studies from 1986 to 2011 | Most found falls in pain intensity and attack frequency |
When the 2026 analysis kept only the trials at lower risk of bias, pain was 2.96 points lower. Taddeucci, 2026
The 2024 review concluded that laser therapy "might be beneficial in managing TN patients". Haghighat, 2024 The 2022 review was firmer: "LILT is effective in reducing pain in TN." Physiotherapy Quarterly, 2022 One 980 nm trial, Amanat 2013, found no significant difference from sham light, as the 2024 review notes.
Mayo Clinic lists laser among newer complementary approaches and advises checking with your care team first. Mayo Clinic For nerve pain in the hands and feet, see red light therapy for neuropathy.
Red or near-infrared: which did better for trigeminal nerve pain?
Near-infrared has the stronger record: most trials used 810 to 904 nm, and in a head-to-head trial 810 nm eased pain more than 660 nm. Red light still lowered pain in that trial, and one positive placebo-controlled trial combined red with near-infrared.
In the 2017 Croatian trial, 20 people had 660 nm or 810 nm laser for 10 minutes, 5 times a week for 4 weeks. Antonić, 2017 Pain fell with both wavelengths. The authors noted: "Better results can be achieved with higher wavelengths."
The 2024 Turkish trial held a probe with 650 nm red and 904 nm near-infrared over the affected nerve branch for 5 minutes, for 25 sessions. Karagözoğlu, 2024 Attacks, pain and face-specific activities all improved more than with placebo.
So most light therapy for facial nerve pain studied so far has been near-infrared, sometimes with red. Trial lasers focus on small points, while a panel spreads its LEDs over a broad area. See cold laser therapy vs red light therapy.
Can light therapy be used alongside trigeminal neuralgia medicine?
In the trials, yes: light was mostly added to medicine, and the 2026 meta-analysis calls it an adjuvant, meaning an add-on. It is not a replacement for the medicine your doctor prescribes.
UK guidance names carbamazepine as the first medicine for trigeminal neuralgia. NHS
In the 2026 analysis, the 4 trials where everyone took carbamazepine showed pain 2.31 points lower with light. Taddeucci, 2026
A 2018 double-blind trial gave 30 people on carbamazepine 810 nm laser or sham, 3 times a week for 3 weeks. Ebrahimi, 2018 Pain fell further with light than with sham. The authors concluded that laser "did add to the value of pharmaceutical therapy".
Any change to a dose belongs to your doctor: the NHS says carbamazepine should be stopped slowly, over days or weeks.
Carbamazepine can make skin more sensitive to sunlight, and our precautions rule out photosensitising medication, so check with your pharmacist or doctor before using the device. Mayo Clinic
Can a light therapy face mask set off a trigeminal neuralgia attack?
It could, which is why we do not suggest the mask for trigeminal neuralgia: its shell rests on the face, and light touch is one of the commonest triggers. The panel works from a distance, with nothing touching the skin.
Everyday triggers include:
- Touch: washing the face, eating and brushing the teeth. NHS
- Air: wind, even a slight breeze or air conditioning.
- Contact: "vibration or contact with the cheek". NINDS
The Kivorla mask is a full-face silicone shell with an eye opening, worn against the skin for the session. When a touch to the cheek starts attacks, that contact is the concern, not the light.
A panel hung on a door or wall shines from about 12 inches away, so nothing presses on the face. See our mask vs panel comparison.
Where on the face did the trials aim the light?
Trials aimed at trigger points, at the points where nerve branches reach the skin, and along the painful branch itself. The 2014 review found no study comparing these sites.
The nerve has three branches: to the forehead and eye area, the cheek and upper jaw, and the lower jaw. Pain usually affects the lower face.
- Nerves and painful areas: a double-blind trial lit the skin over peripheral nerves and painful areas for 20 seconds per site. Falaki, 2014
- The affected branch: the 2024 trial held its red and near-infrared probe over the branch that hurt.
- Along the nerve line: its second laser arm treated 3 points, 1 cm from the skin, without contact. Karagözoğlu, 2024
For a panel, this means the cheek and jaw on the painful side. The forehead branch sits beside the eye, which is why goggles and closed eyes matter for every session.
Was the light given inside the mouth or nose?
Mostly not: nearly all trials shone light on the skin of the face. One trial in people with multiple sclerosis added a short session inside the mouth, and a few case reports used a laser inside the nostrils.
The multiple sclerosis trial combined 830 nm laser inside the mouth with light on the skin and reported significant relief. Haghighat, 2024
A case series described 3 patients treated with a laser inside each nostril. MedCentral, 2021 These were case reports only.
Kivorla devices work only from outside the body. Never put a device or its light inside the mouth, nose or ear. At home, light goes on the skin over the cheek and jaw, as an add-on to your doctor's care.
What settings did trigeminal neuralgia light trials use?
Most used near-infrared lasers at 810 to 904 nm on the skin over trigger points or nerve branches, about 3 times a week for 3 to 10 weeks. Exposures were short, from 20 seconds per site to 10 minutes per session.
| Study | Light | Dose | Time | Schedule | Main result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walker, 1988 (inactive device) | 632.5 nm laser | 1 mW | 20 seconds per site | 3 a week, 10 weeks | Less pain, fewer attacks |
| Eckerdal, 1996 (sham, 30 people) | 830 nm laser | 9.2 J/cm² | Not stated | Once a week, 5 weeks | Pain benefit, held at 1 year |
| Antonić, 2017 (20 people) | 660 or 810 nm laser | 3 J/cm² | 10 minutes | 5 a week, 4 weeks | Both lowered pain, 810 nm more |
| Ebrahimi, 2018 (sham, 30 people) | 810 nm laser | 5 J | 25 seconds | 3 a week, 3 weeks | Pain lower than sham |
| Karagözoğlu, 2024 (placebo, 45 people) | 650 + 904 nm laser cluster | 10 + 22 mW | 5 minutes | Daily, then alternate days, 25 sessions | Fewer attacks, less pain |
| Seada, 2013 (30 people with MS) | 830 nm laser | 15 mW | 1 to 2 minutes in the mouth, 10 on the skin | 3 a week, 8 weeks | Significant relief |
Details of the older trials come from the Falaki, 2014 and Haghighat, 2024 reviews.
Laser joules per point do not convert into a panel session. The pattern carries over: near-infrared on the skin over the painful branch, regular sessions for several weeks, alongside medicine.
How many sessions before facial nerve pain eases?
Trials ran 5 to 30 sessions over 3 to 10 weeks, and one sham-controlled trial measured a difference after 9 sessions in 3 weeks. A fair home trial is about 3 sessions a week, reviewed at 3 to 5 weeks.
The condition also changes on its own: the NHS notes that pain can disappear "for several months or years at a time". NHS A diary is the clearest way to judge any change:
- Attacks: how many a day.
- Pain: the worst attack, scored out of 10.
- Triggers: what set each attack off.
- Medicine: what you took and when.
Is it trigeminal neuralgia, TMJ or a toothache?
Trigeminal neuralgia comes as electric-shock attacks lasting seconds to about 2 minutes, usually on one side, often set off by a light touch. TMJ pain is an ache in the jaw joint and chewing muscles, often with clicking or limited opening.
The NHS advises seeing a GP for frequent or lasting facial pain, especially when painkillers do not help and "a dentist has ruled out any dental causes". NHS
The panel set-up differs too: the jaw joint for red light therapy for TMJ, the painful cheek and jaw for trigeminal neuralgia. Headaches are different again, and our headaches guide keeps the panel on the neck and shoulders.
Which facial pain symptoms need a doctor or an MRI first?
See a doctor before trying light if you have numbness, pain on both sides, first symptoms before 40, hearing loss, dizziness or changes in vision. These can point to another cause, and Mayo Clinic notes that an MRI may show signs of multiple sclerosis or a tumour.
A hospital handbook lists the warning signs. UCSF Hospital Handbook
- Age: first symptoms before 40; the NHS says it is "rare in adults younger than 40".
- Feeling: numbness or loss of sensation in the face.
- Both sides: pain on both sides of the face.
- Ears and balance: hearing loss, dizziness or vertigo.
- Eyes: any change in vision.
- Pain pattern: attacks lasting more than 2 minutes, or pain beyond the areas the nerve supplies.
Mayo Clinic notes that "Multiple sclerosis and hypertension are known risk factors". Mayo Clinic If multiple sclerosis is involved, a neurologist leads care.
How do you use a Kivorla panel for trigeminal neuralgia?
Hang the panel at face height, put the goggles on, close your eyes and turn the painful side of your face side-on to it at about 12 inches, so it is never aimed straight at your face. Run the near-infrared channels on continuous light for 10 to 15 minutes, about 3 times a week, and review at 3 to 5 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 810 to 904 nm range most trials used, and its 660 nm channel matches the red in the 2017 trial.
- Position: hang it on a door or wall with the included door hook, pulley, hanging cables and screws, centre at face height as you sit, or stand it upright on the floor.
- Aim: the painful side of your face side-on to the panel, so light falls on that cheek and jaw. Never face the panel or aim it straight at your face.
- Eyes: goggles on before the light comes on, eyes closed, until the timer stops. See our guide to red light therapy goggles.
- Distance: about 12 inches.
- Channels: 810, 830 and 850 nm high; 630, 660, 670 and 1060 nm lower; 480 and 590 nm at their lowest.
- Mode: continuous light, with pulse off.
- Timer: 10 to 15 minutes. If no time is set, the panel stops at 5 minutes. The surface stays at or below 40°C.
- Attacks: if a session sets off an attack, stop and note it in your diary.
The trials gave short exposures at a few points. To stay nearer that range, use a shorter timer (it starts at 1 minute), turn the channels down from 100%, and keep to 12 inches rather than moving closer. Leave at least 6 hours between 30-minute sessions.
The 4-Wavelength mask is not suggested here, because its shell rests on the face and touch can set off attacks. Keep taking your prescribed medicine.
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 broken skin on the area, 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 trigeminal neuralgia. See a doctor for new facial pain, numbness or pain on both sides, and keep taking the medicine your doctor has prescribed.