Cold Laser Therapy for Knee Pain: Can It Help You Move With Less Discomfort?
Knee pain can turn everyday activities into frustrating challenges. Walking through the grocery store, climbing stairs, getting up from a chair, exercising, or simply keeping up with your normal routine may become more difficult when your knee hurts.
For people looking for conservative options to manage knee discomfort, cold laser therapy for knee pain may be one treatment worth exploring. Cold laser therapy—also known as low-level laser therapy (LLLT) or photobiomodulation—is a non-invasive treatment that uses specific wavelengths of light.
At Wellness 1st Chiropractic in Austin, Minnesota, cold laser therapy for knee pain can be incorporated into a broader approach to care based on a patient’s individual needs.
Why Do Knees Hurt?
The knee is a complex joint that handles a significant amount of force throughout the day. Knee discomfort can develop for many reasons, including:
- Osteoarthritis and age-related joint changes
- Overuse and repetitive activity
- Irritation of muscles, tendons, or other soft tissues
- Previous injuries
- Changes in movement or joint mechanics
- Increased physical activity
Because there are many potential causes of knee pain, identifying what may be contributing to the problem is an important first step. Before considering cold laser therapy for knee pain, it is important to understand why the knee is hurting and whether conservative care may be appropriate.
Persistent knee pain, significant swelling, instability, an inability to bear weight, or pain following an injury should be appropriately evaluated.
What Is Cold Laser Therapy for Knee Pain?
Despite its name, cold laser therapy doesn’t actually make the knee cold.
Instead, cold laser therapy for knee pain uses specific wavelengths of light directed at targeted areas around the knee. This process is commonly known as photobiomodulation.
Unlike surgical lasers, low-level lasers aren’t intended to cut or remove tissue. Instead, the light interacts with cells in the treated area, producing biological responses that researchers continue to study for their potential roles in pain management, inflammation, and tissue recovery.
Cold laser therapy is non-invasive and doesn’t require injections or medication. These characteristics are part of the reason researchers and healthcare providers have explored cold laser therapy for knee pain and other musculoskeletal conditions.
What Does the Research Say About Cold Laser Therapy for Knee Pain?
One of the most studied applications of low-level laser therapy is knee osteoarthritis.
Research into cold laser therapy for knee pain has produced encouraging, although not definitive, results. Studies have found evidence that photobiomodulation may help reduce pain in people with knee osteoarthritis. Research into improvements in physical function and mobility has produced less consistent results.
That’s an important distinction.
Cold laser therapy shouldn’t be thought of as a miracle cure for arthritis or as something that simply reverses years of changes within a joint. Instead, cold laser therapy for knee pain may be useful as one component of a broader conservative treatment plan designed to reduce discomfort and help make movement easier.
And sometimes, reducing discomfort can have an important secondary benefit: it becomes easier to move.
Less Knee Pain Can Make Movement Easier
When a knee hurts, it’s natural to avoid using it.
You might stop taking the stairs, shorten your walks, avoid certain exercises, or change the way you move to protect the painful knee.
Over time, avoiding movement can sometimes create additional challenges.
If conservative treatment helps decrease discomfort, patients may find it easier to gradually return to appropriate movement and activity.
That’s one reason cold laser therapy for knee pain may make the most sense as part of a larger strategy rather than as a stand-alone treatment.
Combining Cold Laser Therapy for Knee Pain With Chiropractic Care
Every case of knee pain is different.
Depending on the cause of the discomfort, care may involve looking beyond the knee itself. The way your feet, ankles, knees, hips, pelvis, and lower back move together can influence how forces are distributed throughout the body.
A conservative care plan might therefore include a combination of approaches based on the individual’s needs.
Cold laser therapy for knee pain may be used to address pain and irritated tissues while chiropractic care and other conservative strategies focus on mobility, mechanics, and function.
The goal isn’t simply to make the knee feel better temporarily. When possible, it’s to understand factors that may be contributing to the problem and help the patient move more comfortably.
What Does Cold Laser Treatment Feel Like?
One advantage of low-level laser therapy is its simplicity.
When using cold laser therapy for knee pain, the laser is applied externally to targeted areas around the knee. There are no incisions or injections, and treatment sessions can typically be completed without significant interruption to a patient’s day.
The exact number and frequency of treatments can vary depending on the condition being addressed and how an individual responds to care.
Cold laser therapy isn’t appropriate for every person or every cause of knee pain, which is another reason an evaluation matters before beginning treatment.
Is Cold Laser Therapy Right for Your Knee Pain?
If knee discomfort is keeping you from walking, exercising, working, or doing the activities you enjoy, you don’t necessarily have to wait until the problem becomes severe before having it evaluated.
Cold laser therapy for knee pain may be one conservative option to consider, particularly when it’s incorporated into an individualized treatment plan rather than viewed as a stand-alone cure.
An evaluation can help determine what may be contributing to your knee discomfort and whether cold laser therapy, chiropractic care, or another conservative approach may be appropriate.
Cold Laser Therapy for Knee Pain at Wellness 1st Chiropractic
At Wellness 1st Chiropractic in Austin, MN, Dr. Kelly Nesvold and the Wellness 1st team take an individualized approach to care. Rather than focusing only on where it hurts, the goal is to understand what may be contributing to your discomfort and develop a treatment plan based on your individual needs.
When appropriate, cold laser therapy for knee pain may be incorporated alongside chiropractic care and other conservative treatment options to help address pain and support more comfortable movement.
Whether your knee has been bothering you for a few weeks or you’ve been dealing with discomfort for much longer, an evaluation can be a first step toward understanding what’s happening and what options may be available.
Ready to Move With Less Discomfort?
If knee pain is making everyday life more difficult, contact Wellness 1st Chiropractic in Austin, MN to schedule an appointment and find out whether cold laser therapy for knee pain may be an appropriate addition to your care.
Want to know more about the technology first? Read Cold Laser Therapy: Science, Benefits, and How It Supports Chiropractic Care to learn more about how low-level laser therapy works and how Wellness 1st incorporates it into a conservative approach to care.
This article is for general educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Sources & Further Reading
Oliveira S, et al. Effectiveness of Photobiomodulation in Reducing Pain and Disability in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis. Physical Therapy. 2024.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38775202/
Fan T, et al. A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis on the Optimal Wavelength of Low-Level Light Therapy (LLLT) in Treating Knee Osteoarthritis Symptoms. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research. 2024.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39367994/
Stausholm MB, et al. Association of Photobiomodulation Therapy and Exercise Programs in Pain and Functional Capacity of Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review of Randomized Trials.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33392780/
U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Photobiomodulation (PBM) Devices – Premarket Notification [510(k)] Submissions. The FDA describes photobiomodulation devices as low-level light therapy (LLLT) devices and discusses their clinical evaluation and regulation.
https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/photobiomodulation-pbm-devices-premarket-notification-510k-submissions