What is red light therapy?

During red light therapy, a continuous beam of low-energy red light with a wavelength between 630 to 700 nanometers is used to regenerate cells and trigger blood flow.

Low-level laser therapies, which include red light therapy, are approved for aesthetic use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They are sometimes used to treat skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. But red-light therapy is also being studied as an option for pain relief, including pain caused by cancer treatment side effects like mouth sores.

Here, we will answer questions on how red-light therapy works, the conditions it can treat and how it is being used in pain management.

How does red light therapy work? 

Red light therapy works by stimulating the cell’s energy source: mitochondria. This improves cell function, which can:

• Promote healing
• Reduce inflammation
• Improve blood circulation 
• Repair muscle and tissue
• Offer pain relief

What conditions does red light therapy treat?

Here are some conditions red light therapy is used to treat. 

Skin conditions

Red light therapy is best known for treating skin conditions. It can:

• Increase the production of collagen, which gives skin its structure, elasticity and rigidity.
• Help improve skin conditions, including acne, acne scarring, eczema and psoriasis. 
• Promote wound and skin healing by increasing blood flow to the area.
• Reduce redness and inflammation caused by sun damage.

Muscle repair

Red light therapy can relieve myalgias and muscle pains by decreasing inflammation. 

Pain management

Red light therapy tackles pain by:

• Stimulating cell production. This promotes healing, reduces inflammation and improves blood circulation.
• Increasing cell energy production. This can help release neurotransmitters like endorphins, which are natural pain killers. 
• Regenerating cells and increasing collagen production. This helps repair damaged tissue.

One way that red light therapy is used in cancer care is for patients with oral mucositis, or mouth sores. More broadly, red light therapy may also help patients with general pain and inflammation. For example, our clinic is conducting research on how laser therapy can be used to help manage cancer pain and chronic pain in general.

What happens during the appointment?

If you are an MD Anderson patient experiencing pain related to cancer side effects or treatment, ask your care team for a referral to the Pain Management Center. During your first visit, we will discuss your symptoms and produce a plan to help address your pain. This might include medicine, procedures or interventions like laser therapy. 

When you receive red light therapy or laser therapy, it is a short procedure. You will sit on a chair in an exam room, and we will shine the laser at a target location. Typically, our patients notice benefits quickly.

Red light therapy is still in the investigational stages for pain management. This means there are not randomized control studies that outline how often or for how long a patient needs to get this therapy. However, we know that red light therapy has benefits – that is why we offer it to patients. Your provider will work with you to decide how many red lights therapy sessions will give you the most benefit.  

Does red light therapy have side effects?

Patients who receive red light therapy at MD Anderson wear goggles and an eye protection shield to protect from retina damage that can be caused by the laser shining directly into the eye. Additionally, some literature reports that red light therapy can cause skin damage and burns. We take full precautions to reduce these risks.  

Do at-home red light therapy devices work?

There are a variety of red-light therapy products available over the counter. So, can you get the same benefits from an at-home red light therapy device that you can get in the clinic?

The biggest difference is that the devices you can purchase over the counter are less intense than the ones used in a clinical setting. Over-the-counter options are low risk when used safely.

Request an appointment at MD Anderson online or call 1-877-632-6789.