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We Wanted to Find the Best Red Light Therapy Device to Help With Pain. Here’s Why We Can’t Recommend Any.

By Teresa Carr

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Using a wand or scary-looking mask to bathe your face in red light is all the rage for helping to make skin look and feel better. But another use for red light therapy is also gaining traction: treating pain.

The therapy involves using devices with laser lights or light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to deliver specific wavelengths of light that penetrate the skin surface into deeper tissues to affect cellular function—a process known as photobiomodulation. While scientists aren’t sure exactly how light relieves pain, research suggests that it may stimulate cell regeneration, reduce pain signals, and calm inflammation.

Devices for home use ranging from wraps to wands—some of them costing thousands of dollars—claim to alleviate pain for everything from an arthritic knee to an aching back. But there’s reason to be dubious.

Physician and researcher Dr. Mohab Ibrahim, who directs the Chronic Pain Management Clinic at the University of Arizona’s College of Medicine in Tucson, Arizona, has researched different forms of light therapy for pain. As a scientist, he maintains some skepticism. “Researchers still do not have a full understanding of the biological mechanisms for how red light therapy works,” he said. “Or even who is a good candidate.”

But as a clinician, Ibrahim acknowledges that people in pain often have limited options. “Here is a therapy that is low risk, relatively affordable, and has the potential to work,” he said. When patients ask about red light therapy, he encourages them to give it a go.

Unfortunately, like all the pain experts I consulted, Ibrahim wasn’t able to recommend specific devices for home use. There are no evidence-based guidelines for what type of device and settings may work best against different forms of pain, he pointed out. And neither the US Food and Drug Administration nor any independent testing organization has reviewed red light therapy devices to ensure that they’re effective at relieving pain.

That leaves us without solid grounds for judging the best red light devices. So instead, we’ll give you the lowdown on the evidence and what medical experts say. And if you’re still interested in trying a red light device, we’ll provide some general advice on what to look for—and what to avoid.

The evidence is mixed

Despite thousands of studies, research still lacks definitive answers on whether red light therapy alleviates pain. Some studies show a benefit; others do not.

To truly show that red light therapy works, we would need evidence from large clinical trials comparing the treatment with a placebo (a fake device, for example), said Dr. Praveen Arany, an associate professor of oral biology at the University of Buffalo School of Dental Medicine and former president of the World Association for Photobiomodulation Therapy (WALT), a nonprofit organization supporting research, education, and clinical applications for light therapy.

Unfortunately, Arany said, researchers haven’t yet found funding for those expensive large-scale studies.

One major problem with the research available, said Ibrahim, is that the study methods vary widely—for example, by the wavelength and intensity of the light, whether it’s pulsed or steady, and how long it’s applied. Another issue is that many studies use professional devices with laser lights rather than LEDs, which give off less focused light and are the mainstay of home products because they are safer and often cheaper than lasers.

Timothy Demchak, a professor in the department of applied medicine and rehabilitation at Indiana State University, is convinced that red light therapy is a safe, effective way to alleviate pain. He said that many of his physical therapy patients have benefited from treatment with the laser devices that he uses in his practice.

In a review of red light research published in the European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Demchak and colleagues reported evidence to suggest that therapy using LEDs or lasers helped against some types of muscle and joint pain, such as neck pain, osteoarthritis, and fibromyalgia.

But the group didn’t find strong evidence that red light therapy worked against some other common aches, such as lower back pain. The field desperately needs more rigorous research, Demchak said. Many of the existing studies are lower quality—they may involve too few patients, for example, or lack a comparison group that didn’t receive the red light treatment.

Nonetheless, under the right circumstances, he contends that red light therapy can be “very, very effective.” It comes down to figuring out the optimum treatment protocol for each type of pain, he said.

Those protocols don’t yet exist. WALT has developed guidelines for using red light to prevent oral mucositis (mouth ulcers that can be a side effect of cancer treatment). But the organization has had a harder time reaching a consensus for how to treat common afflictions such as back and neck pain, said Arany.

While different researchers may claim that specific devices and settings are effective, he said, as of yet they haven’t been able to provide a satisfying scientific explanation for how and why the device may work in those conditions. Without that information, he says, it’s hard to generalize results to all types of products and patients.

“There are so many devices,” said Arany. “People are just not agreeing on universal guidelines.”

The medical establishment is skeptical

Due to the lack of consistent evidence supporting red light therapy, as well as the tremendous variation in how it’s implemented, most health insurers don’t cover treatments performed in a doctor’s office. And major medical organizations haven’t issued guidelines for using red light therapy to treat pain.

Although some providers such as Demchak use red light therapy in their practices, the American Physical Therapy Association doesn’t recognize it as an effective form of therapy. And a spokesperson for the Arthritis Foundation told me that they “were unaware of any clinicians or researchers the Arthritis Foundation works with who give red light therapy much regard.”

If you still want to try a red light therapy device

If you’re in pain, check with your doctor before trying to treat yourself at home. “Pain is a warning sign,” said pain expert Mohab Ibrahim. “There might be something benign or it might be something serious that needs to be addressed.”

Even if the source of your pain has been diagnosed, you should still check with your doctor before trying red light therapy. In particular, Ibrahim cautions against using red light on areas where there is a wound, rash, or other skin condition without first getting your doctor’s okay.

If, after all those caveats, you are still interested in trying out a red light device at home, the experts we consulted offered some general advice. We link to top-selling devices on Amazon as examples of the different styles and configurations we mention, but we have not tested any of these devices and are not recommending them.

What to look for

• It’s tailored to the source of your pain. Red light therapy devices come in various configurations, including rectangular panels, wraps, wands, and gloves. The intensity of the light falls off rapidly the further away you are from the source. With that in mind, Praveen Arany, a light-therapy expert, recommends choosing a product that conforms to the aching body part so that the light is against your skin.
  
  Examples include knee-shaped wraps, belts for your back or shoulders, and gloves for your hands. If your body is larger or smaller than average, check the product’s measurements to make sure that it will fit you. Wands and panels allow you to direct the light exactly where it hurts, but keep in mind that you may have to prop the device up or hold it in place for several minutes if it doesn’t come with a base or stand.
• It offers multiple wavelengths. What’s commonly referred to as “red light therapy” typically uses wavelengths from the red, near-infrared, and infrared part of the light spectrum, about 600 nanometers to 1,000 nanometers, with longer wavelengths penetrating more deeply. There are no widely accepted guidelines for what wavelength to use for specific types of pain, so figuring out which setting works best for you may take some trial and error.
• It includes features for safety and convenience. While research suggests that red light therapy is safe, Arany is concerned that prolonged exposure could negate any benefits and possibly even damage tissues. A timer or auto-shutoff feature can ensure that you don’t exceed the manufacturer’s recommended treatment times. Other nice-to-have features include a remote control and the ability to operate from rechargeable batteries so that you are not tethered to a wall socket.
• It isn’t too expensive. Researchers would need more clinical evidence to meaningfully link price to quality, Ibrahim said. Given that a $5,000 red-light device may not be more effective than a $100 model, he recommends that patients start with a less expensive product.
  
  You may be able to save by buying a device using pre-tax dollars from a health savings account or flexible spending account. Check your plan for details.

What to watch out for

• It claims to be FDA-approved. Although you may run across the term “FDA-approved” in articles and ads, no red light devices are actually approved for treating pain, according to FDA spokesperson Carly Pflaum. Generally, the FDA regulates these devices as Class II medical devices, meaning that they don’t potentially pose a serious risk to consumers. Unlike Class III devices like pacemakers or breast implants, products in the Class II category typically aren’t required to go through the FDA’s rigorous approval process, which uses evidence from clinical studies to determine that the device works for the intended use and is safe.
  
  Red light therapy devices may be FDA-registered or FDA-listed, indicating that a company has notified the agency about a product and the manufacturing location, but it doesn’t mean that the FDA has actually evaluated the product. Companies may also go through the process for FDA clearance, meaning that the agency has reviewed information about the device and concluded that it’s substantially equivalent to others on the market.
  
  FDA clearance provides some reassurance about safety and effectiveness, since presumably equivalent products haven’t raised red flags. However, clearance doesn’t necessarily mean that treatment with the product has been proven to relieve pain. You can check whether a device is cleared in the FDA’s database.
• It makes promises that are too good to be true. Red light therapy won’t cure arthritis or eliminate chronic pain. Even in studies that show it helps, the benefit is often modest.

How to use your device safely

With red light therapy, more isn’t better, so never exceed the manufacturer’s instructions for how long or how often to use the device, advises Arany. The treatment isn’t supposed to heat the tissues, so if the area you’re treating starts to feel warm, stop immediately, he said.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Red Light Therapy Panel Manufacturer. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

Many devices come with safety goggles or dark glasses. Although the intensity and wavelength of light used in home devices is likely not harmful to the eyes, Demchak advises using eye protection out of an abundance of caution, especially if you’re using the device near your eyes.

This article was edited by Claire Perlman and Kalee Thompson.

Meet your guide

Teresa Carr

Teresa Carr is an award-winning science journalist based in Golden, Colorado. She is a contributing editor at Undark magazine and a former senior editor at Consumer Reports. With degrees in both physics and English literature, Teresa is curious about how the world works and eager to tell you about it.

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Your Guide to Red Light Therapy

Atria.org / Health Education / Your Guide to Red Light Therapy

Red light therapy represents one of the more intriguing frontiers in non-invasive treatment approaches, and it has become increasingly popular in recent years, with red light consumer devices available from nearly every skincare website. While countless wellness trends come and go, this technique—which harnesses specific wavelengths of light to stimulate cellular processes—has steadily gained scientific credibility.

Red light therapy, also known as photobiomodulation or low-level light therapy, includes both visible red light, which targets more superficial layers of the skin, as well as invisible near-infrared light, which is able to penetrate deeper. When these lights hit the skin at specific wavelengths, the light particles, or photons, penetrate beneath the surface of the skin. There, they are absorbed by a specific protein inside the mitochondria called cytochrome c oxidase. This leads to increased production of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), activation of the body’s antioxidant defenses to reduce oxidative stress, and release of nitric oxide, which improves blood vessel function and tissue repair. With this energy boost, cells can perform their functions more efficiently, including repair and regeneration. At least in the skin, this also improves circulation and reduces inflammation.

Red light therapy can be administered through masks you wear over the face, wearable caps, hand-held wands that can be applied to other body parts, and via panels suitable for larger areas such as legs or arms.

The benefits of red light therapy

• General skin health: Improves skin appearance by reducing wrinkles, boosting collagen, and increasing elasticity.
• Inflammatory skin conditions: Helps manage conditions like acne and psoriasis.
• Wound healing: Accelerates tissue repair, improves circulation, and reduces scar formation, supporting recovery from chronic wounds, burns, and surgical incisions.
• Supportive cancer care: Reduces the severity and incidence of skin and mucosal side effects from cancer treatments, such as radiation dermatitis and mouth ulcers.
• Chronic pain and musculoskeletal conditions: Results are promising for musculoskeletal conditions like arthritis, low back pain, and tendinopathies, with more limited data for fibromyalgia and other chronic pain syndromes.
• Systemic inflammation: Outside of the above conditions, early studies suggest potential to lower systemic inflammation, but the effects are still uncertain.
• Hair loss: Shown to be effective for treating pattern hair loss in both men and women. (We’ll have more on this in a future article!)

How to use red light therapy

Red light therapy follows a Goldilocks principle—you need just the right amount. Too little will have minimal or no benefit, and too much actually decreases the benefit (this is what’s called the "biphasic dose response").

There are three things to consider in an ideal approach, according to Dr. Daniel Angerbauer, a preventive medicine expert at the Atria Health and Research Institute: the power output of your unit; how close you are to it, where closer is stronger; and how much time you spend there.

• Power: Aim for a power level between 20 and 100+ mW/cm²
• Time: Typical sessions should last 5-20 minutes per body area
• Distance: Your device should come with a graphic that tells you at what distance you will get the optimal dose. This is important. For example, a small panel may have a power of ~100mW/cm2 at 6 inches, but at 36 inches, it may be significantly underpowered.

Usage guidelines

• Always follow the manufacturer guidelines.
• Use with bare skin exposed. Even though these wavelengths can slightly penetrate into the body, they need to hit the skin first to do so. So even the lightest fabric will blunt the effects.
• Use eye protection when directly facing the light. When you are not directly facing the light, you don’t need protection as the red light is not coherent—that is, this is not a laser.
• Choose the right distance. In general, this is between 6 and 24 inches from the device. There are exceptions: Some are designed to be worn directly on the face and more powerful ones may be able to be used at longer distances, such as 36”. Know that the further you move away from the light, the greater the treatment area—the downside is that the power is reduced.
• Use red lights for the right amount of time. Clinical trials typically use 5–20 minutes per treatment area. In general, it’s best to start with 5–10 minutes and consider increasing over time. As noted, there is data that longer is not better.
• Use consistently. Dr. Angerbauer generally recommends people use their red light at least 3 days per week. Start with 3-5 days per week and see how your body responds before increasing to daily use. Be aware the benefits will not be immediately apparent, and take consistent use of 2 to 4 weeks.
• Use at the right time of day. This can change from person to person. If you feel energized by red light, it’s best to use the device at least 2 hours prior to bedtime. Other people find it helps them to relax and fall asleep, in which case using it in the evening or before bed can work well.
• One important caveat: Some newer panels include specific wavelengths of blue light as there is some data that this is also helpful specifically for skin, and in particular acne. If your product contains any blue light, you’ll want to use it in the morning or afternoon to avoid circadian rhythm disruption.

Tip: Making time for red light

Most people don’t have 5-20 minutes per day to sit in front of a red light device, so Dr. Angerbauer recommends patients pair their red-light time with another practice, such as mindfulness or meditation.

How to choose a red light device

Use wavelengths that have been therapeutically studied. In general this means including both visible red light (~620 to 700 nm), which targets more superficial layers, as well as near-infrared light (~800 to ~ nm), which is able to penetrate deeper into the tissues.

Use a product that gives you the appropriate coverage area. If you only want this to target a small area at a time, such as the face or one knee, a small panel will do. If you would like full-body effects, use a larger panel or multiple panels.

Red light and sauna

Some people have explored using specialized red light panels inside or on the glass door of their sauna.

• Upon writing, products designed for use inside a sauna are still only able to tolerate temperatures up to around 150°.
• With red-light panels mounted on the outside of a glass sauna door, be aware that you could lose 5-20% of the red light power due to absorption and reflection from the glass.

Safety considerations

Because red light therapy uses a type of light that doesn't break apart molecules and is applied at levels that don't generate heat, it doesn't harm body tissues. This makes it very safe with few negative effects when used correctly.

• Proper eye protection is recommended.
• Based on available data, most panels show no detectable EMFs (electric and magnetic fields) at a distance greater than 6 inches from the panel.
• Prioritize products that are cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

If you’re not sure whether red light therapy is right for you, you should always discuss options with your doctor.

Product recommendations

The following devices have been vetted by Dr. Angerbauer based on their scientific merits and the current evidence about red light therapy:

• Joovv panels
• Platinum LED Therapy Light panels
• Omnilux Contour Face Mask

These are not affiliate links. The Atria Health and Research Institute does not make any money if you decide to purchase a red light device.

For more ODM Red Light Maskinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.