Benefits of red light therapy for knee pain

Red light therapy is one of the tools we use for knee pain at our South Loop clinic, designed to support the tissue in and around a sore, irritated joint. In this post, we'll walk you through what red light therapy is designed to do in the knee, how the Kineon MOVE+ device we use works, and who tends to be a good fit, whether you're dealing with long-term wear in the joint or you're an athlete thinking about recovery.

What red light therapy is

Red light therapy has been around for a while, but in the last five-plus years it has gained real traction as a conservative care tool. We use it at the clinic as one part of a larger care plan, not on its own.

There are two related tools worth understanding: red light and infrared. They work at different wavelengths, so they reach different depths of tissue.

• Red light works at the surface of the joint and surrounding tissue.
• Near-infrared light is absorbed less by skin and travels further toward the joint.

For the knee, using both matters: red light reaches the tissue near the surface, and near-infrared light reaches further toward the joint itself.

How red light therapy may help knee pain

Without getting too deep in the science, here's the short version.

Red light therapy, also called photobiomodulation, uses specific wavelengths of light to encourage repair in the cells of injured or inflamed tissue. The light is absorbed inside your cells, where it's designed to support the energy those cells use for repair.

Many patients find it helps with pain and stiffness after activity, though results vary from person to person.

Light doesn't rebuild a worn joint. It's designed to improve the conditions the joint has to heal in, which is why we use it alongside other care.

The Kineon MOVE+ device we use

At our South Loop clinic, red light therapy is delivered with the Kineon MOVE+, a wearable device that combines deep red LEDs at 660 nanometers with low-power near-infrared lasers at 808 nanometers and straps directly around the joint being treated.

A session runs about 10 to 15 minutes, often while you're on the decompression table as part of our Knee Restoration program. The MOVE+ uses Class 1 lasers, the lowest laser class, so no protective eyewear is needed.

It's often a fit for a few common situations:

• You're in your 60s, you love hiking, and you've lost joint height. Every time you load the knee, you flare up.
• You have degeneration but you're not a surgical candidate, and you're managing constant swelling after activity.
• You're an active athlete — high school, college, recreational, or higher — and you want better recovery.

How it differs from consumer red light panels

Most consumer red light products are panels or masks that shine light across the skin, mostly for cosmetic purposes. They don't wrap around a joint, and the dose isn't set for a specific clinical reason.

The MOVE+ combines red LEDs with near-infrared lasers and wraps a specific joint, and a clinician sets the dose for your knee as part of your care plan.

Dealing with knee pain that won't quit? Come see us at Advanced Health, a Chicago chiropractor in the South Loop. Your first visit is an exam so we can pinpoint what's driving your knee pain and build a plan, which may include red light therapy alongside chiropractic care. Same-day and same-week appointments are usually available. Book online or call (312) 987-4878.

Who it may help

If you have long-term knee pain that hasn't settled with other care, red light therapy may be worth discussing at your exam. For patients with degeneration who aren't surgical candidates, it's one way we help manage swelling after activity. It doesn't replace advice from your surgeon or physician.

It isn't just for chronic cases either. Active people, from weekend runners to high school and college athletes, ask us about it for recovery. At the clinic we use it mainly for knees and shoulders.

Talk to us about your knee pain

If knee pain is limiting what you want to do, we'd like to take a look. At Advanced Health, we combine chiropractic care with adjunctive tools like red light therapy and spinal decompression to address the root cause, not just the symptom.

Learn more about becoming a new patient, or get in touch to schedule. You can also call us at (312) 987-4878.

Want the full picture on how this light works inside a knee, who it tends to help, and how we pair it with knee decompression? Read our newer guide: Red light therapy for knee pain: what Chicago patients need to know. If a shoulder is bothering you as well, see red light therapy for knee and shoulder joint pain.

This is general information, not medical advice. Book an exam for a diagnosis specific to you.