Joint pain is one of the most common health conditions, with over a third of adults reporting joint discomfort in national surveys. In this article, we’ll explain the causes of joint pain and break down some of the leading treatment options. We’ll also take a look at red light therapy for joint pain as well as the science and research behind it.
What are Joints and Why does Joint Pain Happen?
Our joints are the essential parts of our body that form connections between our bones allowing for movement. When they’re damaged or strained, it can cause pain and affect range of motion. The most common joints where people experience pain and discomfort are the knees, shoulders, and hips. Wrists and ankles are also common spots for joint pain.
So what causes joint pain? A lot of things, unfortunately. Here’s a look at some of the most common reasons people experience joint pain:
Injuries and strain: The most common cause of acute joint pain is minor injury or strain. Twisting your ankle will stretch tendons, ligaments, and muscles around the joint, producing damage and consequently inflammation to repair these tissues. Although pain is part of the inflammation process, it becomes a problem when it is exacerbated. Overuse of a muscle or body part can also lead to joint pain.
Aging: As we get older, our joints gradually undergo wear and tear. Many people start to experience some joint stiffness and pain as they get older.
Arthritis: Arthritis is a range of conditions that cause swelling and tenderness in your joints. It affects over 50 million Americans.
Bursitis: Like ”sacs of fluid”, it helps to cushion frictions between tendons, muscles, and bones in the area of your joints. Bursitis term means an inflammation condition of these “sacs of fluids” that elicits pain.
What is Arthritis and Why does it Cause Joint Pain?
Arthritis is defined as an acute or chronic joint inflammation in the joint that often co-exists with pain and structural damage. Arthritis isn’t just one disease, it’s a way of referring to over 100 joint conditions. Arthritis is extremely common being a third of the American population and this number is bound to increase with the mean population age. It’s also the single most common cause of medical disability in the U.S. Arthritic joint symptoms include pain, stiffness, decreased range of motion, and joint deformities The most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis, which tends to worsen with age. Rheumatoid arthritis is another common autoimmune disease that causes activation and dysfunction of the immune system leading to inflammation and consequently pain in the joints
Treatment Options for Joint Pain Relief
There are numerous treatment options for joint pain, from home remedies to medications to physical therapy programs to red light therapy. These are some of the most common ways people treat their joint pain:
OTC medications: Millions of people use over-the-counter painkillers, like acetaminophen or ibuprofen, to relieve any type of pain, including joint pain. These can have an acute benefit but also come with various cardiovascular and gastrointestinal risks. [3,5]
Physical therapy: Exercise programs, or exercise therapy, are popular methods to improve joint health. For more severe pain and limitations of motion, some people enroll in prescription physical therapy programs [3,6].
Weight loss: In cases where joints are overloaded and strained by obesity, people may be encouraged to lose weight or change their diets. [3,4]
Home remedies for joint pain: While most lack clinical validity, many people swear by home remedies for joint pain. Common natural joint pain treatments include hot and cold therapy (icing and heat), acupuncture, massage, topical ointments that contain capsaicin, and consuming supplements like turmeric orgingko. [3]
Red light therapy for joint pain
Red light therapy is a simple, non-invasive treatment that uses LEDs to deliver red and near infrared (NIR) wavelengths of light to the body and cells. It’s a popular modality with trainers and sports medicine professionals, and there’s a growing body of peer-reviewed clinical research showing that red light therapy treatments can improve pain symptoms in joints.
What is Red Light Therapy and How Does it Work?
red light therapy devices deliver concentrated wavelengths of therapeutic light to your skin and cells, which can help reduce oxidative stress and stimulate cellular energy production (adenosine triphosphate or ATP). This helps your body power itself, leading to many benefits including improved blood circulation and reduced joint pain and inflammation.
Red light therapy typically utilizes two different spectrums of light, red and near infrared.
Red light: Delivered using 660nm wavelengths, this light is readily absorbed by surface tissues and cells. Potential benefits include skin rejuvenation and enhanced healing and blood flow.
Near infrared: Delivered at 850nm wavelengths, NIR light can penetrate into deeper tissues, leading to enhanced recovery and inflammation support. Near infrared light is invisible to the naked eye.
Clinical Evidence for Red Light Therapy for Arthritis and Pain Relief
Unlike most home remedies, red light therapy is backed by hundreds of peer-reviewed clinical studies that show effectiveness for pain and joint disorders, with very few risks or side effects. Below we’ll dive into some of the science and research behind LED red light treatments for pain.
Red light therapy for arthritis and joint pain: Red light therapy has a strong clinical track record for osteoarthritis pain. In one double-blind clinical study, 50 patients with degenerative osteoarthritis in both knees were treated with either red light, infrared light, or a placebo for ten days.
There were no significant pain improvements in the placebo group. But the red and infrared groups saw their pain reduced by over 50%. This led the research team to conclude that red light therapy “is effective in relieving pain and disability in degenerative osteoarthritis of the knee.”
Red light therapy for ankle pain: In a 2018 clinical trial, patients with acute ankle sprains were treated with red light from LED devices for six days. Compared to a placebo group, the patients reported significantly less ankle pain after three days. The researchers concluded that red light therapy “is effective for pain and edema in the initial phase of ankle sprains.”
Red light therapy for lower back pain: Red light therapy has consistently shown good clinical results for lower back pain. Infrared and near infrared light have demonstrated improved pain scores in studies and trials, especially for the treatment of chronic lower back pain.
Other Health Benefits of Red Light Therapy
LED red light treatments can have a wide range of additional health and wellness benefits. These are some of the most common::
Enhanced cellular function and ATP energy: Red light therapy treatments often have systemic benefits because they can improve cellular health across the entire body. When your cells are working more efficiently and producing more ATP energy, the better you can look and feel.
Inflammation management: Light therapy devices can help improve the efficiency of your body’s natural inflammation processes as you recover from illness or injury.
Improved blood flow and healing: One of the potential benefits of light therapy is a significant increase in blood circulation following treatment sessions. This indicates tissues are receiving more oxygen and other nutrients that are important for healing. At the same time, concentrated light wavelengths can help the body and circulatory system rid itself of toxic byproducts.
Better sleep and circadian rhythm: Healthy light intake is crucial for sleep and maintaining natural circadian rhythms. Our brains interpret light as a sign of when to be awake and asleep, and when to make crucial sleep hormones like melatonin. Bright blue light at night can knock your sleep cycle out of whack, but red light is a lower-intensity alternative that can help support longer, more restful sleep.
Risks and Side Effects of Red Light Therapy
LED devices are quick and easy to use at home. They’ve also proven to be safe, with almost no side effects*, in hundreds and hundreds of clinical trials and studies. Doctors and health practitioners use LED treatments because they’re non-invasive and well-tolerated by patients young and old.
