As humans become more seasoned (older), muscle soreness becomes more common. Most people over the age of 40 are well aware of this unfortunate fact. Various approaches exist for treating sore muscles, from icing achy muscles with a bag of frozen corn to applying generous amounts of products like Icy Hot to the affected area(s).
One method for treating sore muscles that is seemingly gaining in popularity involves the use of red light therapy. The American Academy of Dermatology Association describes red light therapy as “a non-invasive treatment that uses red or near-infrared light” sometimes referred to as “photobiomodulation.” Red Light therapy is a common treatment for various skin conditions, in addition to some people using red light therapy for other purposes like treating sore muscles.
What Does The Science Say About Red Light Therapy And Muscle Soreness?
In 2016, a team of researchers affiliated with the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Universidade do Sagrado Coração (Brazil), and Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology published findings on PubMed about their research regarding red light therapy clinical trials and muscle soreness.
“The parameters used were categorized into those with positive effects or no effects on muscle performance and recovery. Randomized controlled trials and case-control studies in both healthy trained and untrained participants, and elite athletes were retrieved from MEDLINE up to 2016.” the investigators stated about their research methodology.
“Performance metrics included fatigue, number of repetitions, torque, hypertrophy; measures of muscle damage and recovery such as creatine kinase and delayed onset muscle soreness. Searches retrieved 533 studies, of which 46 were included in the review (n=1045 participants).” the researchers also stated.
“Studies used single laser probes, cluster of laser-diodes, LED-clusters, mixed clusters (lasers and LEDs), and flexible LED arrays. Both red, NIR, and red/NIR mixtures were used.” the researchers stated about the specific lighting used in their research.
The researchers found that red light therapy can help treat muscle soreness, stating that photobiomodulation “can increase muscle mass gained after training, and decrease inflammation and oxidative stress in muscle biopsies.” The researchers made sure to point out that the “identified ranges in light dose” in their research “are not designed to be recommendations, or prescriptions of the best light dose to be used in future studies or clinical practice at present,” so keep that in mind. What worked for one group of humans may not work for all humans in every case.
Additional Red Light Therapy Research
Separate research conducted in Brazil compared cryotherapy and red light therapy for muscle recovery. Cryotherapy involves using extreme cold, between −148° F to −220° F, to treat, among other things, sore muscles.
The Brazilian researchers “included randomized clinical trials” involving “healthy human volunteers (> 18 years)” who “underwent an intervention of photobiomodulation and cryotherapy, when used in both isolated form post-exercise.”
“Based on our findings, the use of photobiomodulation in muscle recovery after high-intensity exercise appears to be beneficial, provides a clinically important effect, and seems to be the best option when compared to cryotherapy.” the researchers stated about the findings of their study.
On a more anecdotal level, Robert Bowen, MD, a physician in West Virginia, has recommended red light therapy to his patients for roughly two decades. Dr. Bowen uses red light therapy himself, both before and after his workouts (for 15 minutes per red light therapy session).
“Every year, we’re finding out new things,” Dr. Bowen says about red light therapy. “We knew that it helped 20 years before we had any idea what the mechanisms were.”
Additional Considerations
While red light therapy in general has demonstrated the ability to help treat sore muscles in older individuals, that is not to say that every red light-based device on the market can provide meaningful relief. As always, be very skeptical of individual devices and conduct proper due diligence before making any purchases and putting them to use.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of charlatans out there pushing health and wellness products, especially on the internet, so it is important to always err on the side of caution and do an extensive amount of homework before proceeding with acquiring and using any red light therapy device. Always make sure to talk to your doctor before pursuing physical therapies, including red light therapies, and ask what they recommend.
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Disclaimer: The contents of this article and this website are not meant to substitute for the professional advice of a doctor, nutritionist, and/or certified personal trainer. This content is provided as an educational tool to help people on their fitness journeys. While we strive to research topics as much as possible and provide useful and accurate information to the best of our abilities, we also strongly recommend talking to your doctor, nutritionist, and/or certified personal trainer before starting any workout, therapeutic, or nutritional regimen, as each individual’s needs and situations vary depending on the person.