2 minute read - How to help your pain and inflammation in 2023

It's the last week of September as I write this, and the first properly cold morning has arrived in Drammen. I went out on the terrace at half six with my coffee and my hands told me about it before my brain did. Stiff. Slow. That dull ache that means my arthritis has noticed the season changing too.

Maybe that's you right now. You wake up and before your eyes are properly open you're already taking inventory. Knees. Lower back. The shoulder that's been grumbling since spring. You plan the day around what hurts and how much. And at some point you've probably typed a version of this into your phone: does red light therapy (rødlysterapi) actually help with pain and inflammation, or is it one more thing that ends up in a cupboard?

Red light therapy for pain and inflammation works by delivering red and near-infrared light, roughly 600 to 900nm, into tissue, where it is absorbed by the mitochondria and helps shift cells out of a stuck inflammatory state and toward repair. Clinical research, including a 2019 meta-analysis of 22 placebo-controlled trials in knee osteoarthritis, shows meaningful pain reduction when the dose is right. It is not a painkiller and it does not work overnight, but used consistently at the correct dose it is one of the better-supported drug-free options for joint and muscle pain.

When inflammation is doing its job, you barely notice it. You tweak something, it swells for a few days, it settles, and you forget it ever happened. When inflammation gets stuck, it becomes the background noise of your whole life: there when you sit down, there when you stand up, waiting for you when you get into bed. Ask yourself now, which of those two are you living with?

Why Inflammation Hurts in the First Place

Think about the last time you rolled an ankle. It swelled up, went hot, throbbed. That's inflammation doing exactly what it's supposed to. Blood rushes in, immune cells arrive, the damage gets cleaned up, and then the whole process is meant to switch itself off.

The switching off is where things go wrong. For a lot of people, especially past 40, especially with arthritis or an old injury that never quite healed, the tissue stays in a low-grade alarm state. And tissue in an alarm state is tissue that hurts. That's the story behind most joint pain (leddsmerter) that hangs around for months or years.

This is the part that hooked me years ago. Repair is expensive work for a cell. It needs energy, in the form of ATP made by your mitochondria, and cells running low on energy can't finish the job. So they keep sending out distress signals instead. Red and near-infrared (nær-infrarød) light is absorbed by an enzyme inside the mitochondria called cytochrome c oxidase. One of the leading explanations is that the light frees up nitric oxide that has been sitting on that enzyme and slowing it down, so the mitochondria can get back to making energy. That released nitric oxide also relaxes nearby blood vessels, which is part of why a treated joint often feels warm and looser afterwards.

Dr. Michael Hamblin, one of the most cited researchers in this whole field, pulled the anti-inflammatory evidence together in a 2017 review. One detail stuck with me: in healthy cells the light causes a brief, small rise in reactive oxygen species (a normal signalling blip), but in cells that are already stressed and inflamed it brings oxidative stress and inflammatory markers down. It nudges tissue back toward balance rather than hammering a single pathway the way a drug does. You can read the full paper here: Hamblin 2017, AIMS Biophysics.

There's also a direct effect on the nerves. A 2018 study from Hamblin's group found that near-infrared light raised the pain threshold in mice, that the effect was repeatable, and that it mattered where the light was aimed. Mice aren't people, so hold that one loosely. But it matches what a lot of my customers describe: the sharp, electric edge of the pain eases first, before anything visibly changes with the swelling. The paper is here: de Sousa et al. 2018, Journal of Biophotonics.

What the Research Shows for Joint Pain

The study I point people to most often came out of Norway, which I'm quietly pleased about. A 2019 systematic review published in BMJ Open, led by Martin Bjørn Stausholm and Jan Magnus Bjordal at the University of Bergen, found that low-level laser therapy reduced knee osteoarthritis pain clearly more than placebo across 22 randomised trials involving 1,063 patients. At the recommended doses, the pain relief was biggest two to four weeks after treatment had finished. That's the pattern you'd expect from tissue changing, not from a short-lived buzz. The full paper: Stausholm et al. 2019, BMJ Open.

To be fair about it, those trials used lasers in clinics, not LED panels at home. The effective wavelengths overlap with what good home devices use (the 785 to 860nm range showed up again and again), but it isn't a one-to-one match. What does carry over is the big lesson of that review: the dose decided whether it worked.

And that brings me to the thing almost nobody selling red light panels in Norway talks about. Light follows what's called a biphasic dose response. Too little does nothing. The right amount stimulates. Too much can tip back over and inhibit the very effect you were after. More is not better.

Most people who message me after a disappointing first month have done one of two things. Either they've stood two metres from a panel for three minutes while scrolling their phone, or they've gone the other way and done 30 minutes twice a day because surely more must be better. This isn't me being high and mighty or trying to catch you out. It's the single most common mistake I see, and the way this industry markets its devices practically invites it. Bare skin matters too. Red light doesn't get through a jumper in any useful amount, and I went into the details in does light therapy work through clothes?

The Woman Who Couldn't Put On Her Socks

I've told this story before and I'll keep telling it, because it still gets me. A woman got in touch with ankylosing spondylitis, an inflammatory condition of the spine. For over a year she hadn't been able to put on her own socks. Sit with that for a second. The most ordinary thing in the world, just gone. She bought a panel. A few weeks later she messaged me in tears. She'd put her socks on by herself for the first time in more than a year.

I want to be careful with a story like that. She's one person, ankylosing spondylitis is a serious condition, and one good outcome isn't a clinical trial. But pain relief that hands someone a small piece of their independence back is not a small thing. It's a big part of why I still answer messages at nine in the evening.

My own version is less dramatic. My ankle is my barometer. When it's bad, the first few steps out of bed are a negotiation. After a run of mornings with the panel on it, the stiffness is less. Not gone. Less. And when you live with pain, less matters. I wrote about what I've actually noticed, without the hype, in what red light therapy actually does.

Painkillers, Ibux and What Light Does Differently

Open the kitchen drawer in almost any Norwegian home and there's a half-finished strip of Ibux in there somewhere (go on, check yours). Ibux works. It's quick, it's cheap, it takes the edge off a bad day. Wonderful, but it isn't wonderful for your stomach, your kidneys or your blood pressure when you're taking it most days for months on end. And it quietens the pain signal without doing much for the tissue underneath.

Red light therapy works on a different layer. It isn't blocking a signal. It's giving struggling cells the energy and circulation they need to finish a repair job they've been stuck on. That's why it's slower, and why the results tend to hold when it's working.

I'm not telling you to bin your medication. If your doctor has you on something, keep taking it and talk to them before you change anything. Plenty of my customers use light alongside their normal treatment, and for some of them the result is needing the tablets less often. That's a conversation for you and your GP, not for a man with a blog.

Panel, Torch or Wrap: Matching the Device to Your Pain

Which device makes sense depends on where it hurts. If your pain is spread out, across the lower back, both knees, the hips, or you've got several problem areas, a full-size panel is the most practical because it covers a big area in one session. Have a look at the red light therapy panels I stock if that sounds like you.

If it's one deep, specific spot, a knuckle, an elbow, that knot in the trapezius that's been there since you started working from the sofa, a concentrated torch at around 810nm gets more light into that one place. Wraps are the lazy option in the best sense: you strap one round a knee or an ankle and sit on the sofa while Dagsrevyen is on. Both are in the portable devices collection.

Whatever you choose, the numbers on the box need to be true. I test every device with a spectrometer before I'll stock it, and I've sent things back when the readings didn't match the claimed specs. Not fun conversations, but necessary ones, because a panel putting out half its advertised power will put you on the wrong side of that dose curve without you ever knowing.

How to Use Red Light Therapy for Pain at Home

Every body and every device is different, so treat this as a starting point rather than a rulebook. Point the light at bare skin over the painful area. With most panels, somewhere around 15 to 30cm away works well, and 5 to 15 minutes per area is a sensible range to begin with. Go shorter and closer with a powerful torch. Aim for most days of the week and give it a real chance: four to eight weeks before you judge it. Joint pain that's been building for years rarely shifts in a fortnight.

Mornings suit most people, partly because it's easy to make a habit of it and partly because it pairs well with getting outside in daylight. Keep a simple note of your pain from one to ten each morning. Memory is a terrible judge of slow change, and you'll want to see the trend.

Pain isn't only about the joint, either. What your eyes take in through the day feeds into how your brain processes pain, which is a whole other rabbit hole I went down in red light therapy for pain: does eyes vs skin matter? If arthritis is your main issue, my older guide to light therapy for arthritis covers the joint-specific side.

If you want to get into protocol specifics for your situation, which joint, which device, how long, message me. That's what I'm here for, before and after you buy anything.

Health disclaimer: This article is for general information and isn't medical advice. Red light therapy is not a replacement for diagnosis or treatment from a qualified healthcare professional. If you have a diagnosed condition, are pregnant, take photosensitising medication or have any doubts, talk to your doctor before starting.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does red light therapy take to help with joint pain?

Most people need four to eight weeks of consistent use before they can fairly judge whether red light therapy is helping their joint pain. Some notice the sharp edge of the pain easing within the first week or two, while stiffness and swelling usually take longer. In the 2019 BMJ Open review of knee osteoarthritis trials, pain relief at the recommended doses was greatest two to four weeks after treatment had ended. Consistency matters more than session length, so a few minutes most days beats one long session a week.

Can red light therapy make pain worse?

It is uncommon, but using far too much light can blunt the benefit because red light therapy follows a biphasic dose response. Too little light does nothing, the right amount helps, and too much can reduce the effect. Some people also notice a temporary flare in an old injury during the first few sessions, which usually settles. If pain clearly increases and stays worse, shorten your sessions or move further away, and speak to your doctor if it continues.

Is it safe to use red light therapy while taking painkillers or anti-inflammatory medication?

Red light therapy is not known to interact with common painkillers or anti-inflammatory tablets, and many people use it alongside their usual treatment. The exception is medication that makes your skin more sensitive to light, such as some antibiotics, acne treatments and heart medicines, so check the leaflet or ask your pharmacist. Never stop or reduce prescribed medication without talking to your doctor first. Some people find they reach for painkillers less often over time, but that is a decision to make with your GP.

Does red light therapy work for arthritis in the knees and hands?

The strongest human evidence is for knee osteoarthritis, where a 2019 meta-analysis of 22 placebo-controlled trials found clearly greater pain reduction than placebo when the dose was right. Hands and fingers tend to respond well in practice because the joints sit close to the surface, so light reaches them easily. Near-infrared wavelengths around 800 to 860nm are generally the better choice for deeper joints like knees and hips. Results vary between people and between types of arthritis, so give it at least a month of regular use before judging it.

Hjelper rødlysterapi mot betennelse og smerter i leddene?

Ja, forskningen tyder på at rødlysterapi kan redusere leddsmerter og betennelse når dosen er riktig. En oversiktsstudie fra Universitetet i Bergen, publisert i BMJ Open i 2019, fant tydelig smertelindring ved kneartrose sammenlignet med placebo i 22 randomiserte studier. Rødt og nær-infrarødt lys tas opp av mitokondriene i cellene og hjelper vevet med å gå fra betennelse til reparasjon. Bruk lyset på bar hud de fleste dager i uken, og gi det fire til åtte uker før du vurderer resultatet.

References

Stausholm MB, Naterstad IF, Joensen J, et al. Efficacy of low-level laser therapy on pain and disability in knee osteoarthritis: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised placebo-controlled trials. BMJ Open. 2019;9(10):e031142. PubMed

Hamblin MR. Mechanisms and applications of the anti-inflammatory effects of photobiomodulation. AIMS Biophys. 2017;4(3):337-361. PMC

de Sousa MVP, Kawakubo M, Ferraresi C, et al. Pain management using photobiomodulation: mechanisms, location, and repeatability quantified by pain threshold and neural biomarkers in mice. J Biophotonics. 2018;11(7):e201700370. PMC

About the author

Dominic Lamb has run LightTherapy.no from Drammen since 2018, making it Norway's oldest independent red light therapy store. A former personal trainer who started using light for his own arthritis, he tests every device with a spectrometer before stocking it and was a guest on the Din Helse podcast in February 2025. Read more about Dominic and why he started the store.