What Photobiomodulation Treats

Strong Areas Historically Known for Successful Treatment

  • Pain (e.g., back/neck, hips, elbows, shoulders, wrists, knees) 

  • Wounds (e.g., diabetic ulcers, lacerations post-surgical closure)

  • Oncology side effects (e.g., mucositis), and hair loss/AMD (FDA-cleared). Safety: excellent profile (mild warmth); no serious events in >1,000 exposures. Contraindications: direct over tumors (except palliation), epilepsy.

  • Acute and chronic pain (neck, low back, knees, hips, osteoarthritis

  • Temporomandibular disorders (TMJ)

  • Long-COVID symptoms

  • Tendinopathies (Achilles, lateral elbow, rotator cuff, patellar)

  • Oral mucositis prevention/treatment in cancer patients

  • Wound healing (diabetic ulcers, venous ulcers, pressure ulcers)

  • Osteoarthritis (knee, hand, spine)

  • Post-operative pain and swelling (dental surgery, orthopedic surgery)

  • Lymphedema (breast-cancer-related)

  • Androgenetic alopecia (hair regrowth, FDA-cleared devices)

  • Inflammatory acne (especially red + near-infrared combinations)

  • Chronic low back pain (disc herniation, vertebral fractures, non-specific)

  • Neuropathic pain (diabetic neuropathy, chemotherapy-induced, post-herpetic neuralgia)

  • Thyroiditis (Hashimoto’s) – reduced antibody levels and levothyroxine dose

  • Female sexual dysfunction and vaginal atrophy (post-menopause or breast cancer)

  • Skin rejuvenation (wrinkles, scars, psoriasis, vitiligo, breast and face elasticity)

  • COVID-19 acute respiratory distress (several trials showed reduced intubation rates)

  • Cartilage regeneration (osteoarthritis, meniscal tears, rotor cuff tears, etc.)

  • Bone fracture healing and osteoporosis, post-surgical (example: knee, hip replacement)

  • Gut microbiome modulation and inflammatory bowel disease

  • Mild to moderate depression and anxiety (transcranial PBM)

  • Cognitive enhancement and mild cognitive impairment

  • Burns and skin graft healing

  • Dyskinesia (involuntary movement)

  • Tourette’s Syndrome; dramatic “tics” reduction, dramatic reduction in accompanying Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, dramatic reduction in nightmares (“dramatic reduction” defined: one patient with an average of 300 “tics” per day dropped to 1-2/day on average in just five months of treatments) 

  • Traumatic brain injury (TBI), concussion – acute and chronic symptoms

  • Herpes labialis (cold sores), including recurrence reduction

  • Chronic nightmares

  • Insomnia

  • Veterinary applications (dogs, horses, kangaroos, cats – arthritis, wounds, etc.)

Strong Evidence of Efficacy (Multiple positive Random Control Trials, systematic reviews favorable)

  • Fibromyalgia pain and fatigue

  • Plantar fasciitis

  • Carpal tunnel syndrome

  • Bell’s palsy (facial nerve recovery)

  • Rheumatoid arthritis (hand and knee)

  • Post-stroke recovery (motor function, spasticity)

  • Dental conditions: dentin hypersensitivity, orthodontic pain, periodontal disease, aphthous ulcers

Early/Preclinical Evidence of Efficacy 

  • Autism spectrum disorder symptoms (transcranial)

  • Multiple sclerosis symptoms

  • Spinal cord injury recovery

  • Liver regeneration and fatty liver disease

  • Kidney protection (contrast-induced nephropathy, chronic kidney disease)

  • Fertility (sperm motility, PCOS ovarian function)

Emerging Evidence of Efficacy

  • Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease (transcranial studies)

  • Macular degeneration and retinopathy

  • Tinnitus

  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) – exercise capacity

  • Muscle recovery and performance in athletes (reduced DOMS, faster strength recovery)