Magazine

Person using a portable red light therapy panel on a stiff knee at home, illustrating targeted joint treatment

Magazine

Red Light Therapy for Joint Stiffness and Daily Mobility: What the Research Shows

by Rofi Uddin on Jun 21 2026
Red light therapy has reasonable evidence for reducing joint stiffness and pain, particularly in knee osteoarthritis. A 2024 network meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials involving 673 patients found that low-level light therapy was significantly superior to sham treatment for reducing knee OA pain. Effects typically appear at 2 to 6 weeks of consistent use, 3 to 5 sessions per week, using near-infrared wavelengths at 850nm or above.