An alternative for treating arthritis

Arthritis is extremely prevalent worldwide and research indicates the US is no exception

Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the US. Nearly 60 million adults (one in four) and 300,000 children have some type of arthritis. It is most common among women and occurs more frequently as people get older.^1,2 For many patients, treating arthritis effectively involves addressing pain, improving mobility, and supporting joint health through targeted therapies.

What is arthritis?

According to the Arthritis Foundation, arthritis is very common but not well-understood. Actually, arthritis is not a single disease; it is an informal way of referring to joint pain or joint disease. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states, “Arthritis means inflammation or swelling of one or more joints. It describes more than 100 conditions that affect the joints, tissues around the joint and other connective tissues.”^1,2

Common arthritis symptoms

Most patients with arthritis would probably sum up this condition in just two words: painful and aggravating. Common symptoms of arthritis include pain, swelling, stiffness (especially morning stiffness), warmth or redness in one or more joints. Because arthritis causes joints’ condition to worsen over time, it can lead to reduced range of motion in both the joints and connective tissues. Arthritis can cause joint damage only visible via X-rays, or even permanent visible limb deformities, such as knobby finger joints.

Arthritis impacts quality of life

Arthritis can affect other areas of the body, not just the joints. For example, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can affect the immune system. Some types of arthritis also affect the heart, eyes, lungs, kidneys and skin as well as the joints. And these symptoms can have a negative impact on quality of life. Severe arthritis can result in chronic pain, inability to perform daily activities and difficulty walking or climbing stairs. These physical hardships can seriously limit one’s life, even leading to disability, functional limitations and restricted participation in social activities.³ And to make matters worse, nearly half of adults with arthritis have persistent pain.⁴

No known cure

The common medical prognosis, according to Johns Hopkins, is that arthritis cannot be permanently cured, only managed.⁵ The CDC notes that the focus of arthritis treatment is to control pain, minimize joint damage, improve or maintain physical function and preserve quality of life. In inflammatory types of arthritis, it is also important to control inflammation.⁶

Standard medical treatment

Allopathic medicine typically takes a pharmacological approach to treating arthritis. According to the Mayo Clinic,⁷ medications used for arthritis fall into these categories:

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS)
Counterirritants
Steroids
Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs)

If medications do not help, doctors may recommend some form of surgery, such as joint repair, joint replacement or joint fusion.

Risks of arthritis drugs

Unfortunately, there are usually negative side effects to consider when taking medications for treating arthritis. According to the Arthritis Foundation, all non-aspirin NSAIDs may cause an increased risk of serious blood clots, heart attack and stroke, which can all be fatal. This risk can occur as early as the first weeks using an NSAID and increases as the dose goes up and duration of use lengthens.⁸

Also, patients risk overdosing, even with over-the-counter drugs, not to mention the serious risk of addiction with opioids. The side effects of steroids, whether pills or injections, may include bone thinning, weight gain and diabetes. And DMARDs, the primary treatment for RA, increase the risk of infections. Add to these risks the high cost of the drugs, the required recovery time and the even greater pain caused by joint surgery, and you may want to seriously consider a more natural treatment for arthritis. So is there any other form of treatment available that is safer and more effective?

Laser therapy

Yes, we can treat arthritis pain effectively without drugs. For a better pain solution, one without adverse side effects and the possibility of addiction, try laser therapy to relieve all forms of arthritis pain. Research has found laser therapy has positive effects on treating arthritis pain, and those effects last longer than those of widely-recommended painkiller drugs.⁹

Laser therapy, commonly called low-level laser therapy (LLLT), uses low-frequency continuous laser, typically 600 to 1,000 nm wavelength, for pain reduction and healing stimulation.¹⁰ LLLT, using the properties of coherent light, has been seen to produce pain relief and fibroblastic regeneration in clinical trials and laboratory experiments and has been observed to significantly reduce pain in the acute setting.

Laser therapy repairs tissues

LLLT has proven highly effective at not only alleviating pain, but also promoting tissue repair, which pain medications simply cannot accomplish. LLLT has been shown effective for disorders requiring tissue regeneration, pain relief and reduction of inflammation, treating nociceptive, neuropathic and musculoskeletal pain.¹¹ LLLT has the ability to actually help heal, repair and regenerate the connective tissues surrounding joints; an extremely important benefit for those suffering from the degenerative effects of arthritis.

Laser therapy reduces inflammation

Another extremely important benefit for arthritis sufferers, especially those with inflammatory types of arthritis where the control of inflammation is critical to keep joints from worsening, is that LLLT can effectively reduce inflammation without adverse side effects. These anti-inflammatory mechanisms and noninvasive nature suggest LLLT could be a desirable therapeutic option for any disease pathology defined by an inflammatory state or requiring stimulation of growth and repair.¹²

Studies verify laser therapy for treating arthritis

Many peer-reviewed scientific studies confirm laser therapy is highly effective for treating arthritis. LLLT can be used as both an adjunct and a stand-alone treatment. The following are the results of several studies:

Lasers for osteoarthritis

According to an editorial in October 2013, LLLT is an alternative approach with no known side effects and with reports of substantial therapeutic efficacy in osteoarthritis.¹³

A 2016 study of LLLT on 34 patients with Bouchard’s and Heberden’s osteoarthritis (OA) of the finger joints found LLLT significantly reduced pain and ring size and increased range of motion after five and seven treatments. The effects achieved after seven sessions persisted for eight weeks.¹⁴

A 2018 research article concluded the utilization of LLLT may be a complementary strategy used in clinical practice to provide symptom management for patients suffering from osteoarthritis and chronic pain.

A 2019 study concluded LLLT reduces pain and disability in knee osteoarthritis (KOA) at 4-8 J with 785-860 nm wavelength and at 1-3 J with 904 nm wavelength per treatment spot.¹⁵ They also found the effect of LLLT compounds over time.

Lasers for rheumatoid arthritis

A 2005 systematic review of studies assessing the effectiveness of LLLT in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) concluded LLLT could be considered for short-term treatment for relief of pain and morning stiffness for RA patients, particularly since it has few side effects.

A 2019 review indicated LLLT is a promising therapy for RA, particularly when it affects the skin and joints that are most accessible to treatment. It is also relatively inexpensive and even has the possibility of being patient-directed.

Final thoughts

Arthritis sufferers do not have to endure daily pain and worsening joints when LLLT can help relieve pain more effectively, without the high costs and risky side effects of medications or surgery. Lasers can also reduce inflammation (so important for arthritic joints), increase metabolic activity, improve nerve function, enhance vascular activity and stimulate and accelerate repair and cell growth in joints and tissues. These evidence-backed advantages make laser therapy a healther, wiser choice than pharmaceuticals for treatment of arthritis.

Rob Berman is a partner at Berman Partners LLC, a medical device sales, service and marketing company specializing in new and preowned therapeutic lasers. He helps doctors improve patient outcomes while increasing physician income. Berman has published many articles and ebooks on lasers, light therapy, marketing and practice management. Contact him at 860-707-4220 or rob@bermanpartners.com. For more information, visit bermanpartners.com and usedlasercenter.com.

References

Rath L. What is arthritis? [Blog]. Arthritis Foundation. https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/about-arthritis/understanding-arthritis/what-is-arthritis/. Accessed June 22, 2025.
Arthritis basics. March 2024. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/index.html. Accessed June 23, 2025.
Angelova A, Ilieva EM. Effectiveness of high intensity laser therapy for reduction of pain in knee osteoarthritis. Pain Res Manag. 2016;2016:9163618. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28096711/. Accessed June 22, 2025.
Arthritis. Healthy People 2030. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. https://odphp.health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/browse-objectives/arthritis/. Accessed June 23, 2025.
Arthritis. Overview. Health. John Hopkins Medicine. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/arthritis/. Accessed June 22, 2025.
Barbour KE, et al. Vital signs: Prevalence of doctor-diagnosed arthritis and arthritis-attributable activity limitation: US, 2013–2015. 2017;66(9):246-253. CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/66/wr/mm6609e1.htm. Accessed June 22, 2025.
Arthritis. Diseases and conditions. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/arthritis/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20350777/. Accessed June 22, 2025.
Naproxen sodium (over-the-counter). Arthritis Foundation. https://www.arthritis.org/drug-guide/nsaids/naproxen-naproxen-sodium/. Accessed June 22, 2025.
Stausholm MB, et al. Efficacy of low-level laser therapy on pain and disability in knee osteoarthritis: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised placebo-controlled trials. BMJ Open. 2019;9(10):e031142. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31662383/. Accessed June 22, 2025.
Dima R, et al. Review of literature on low-level laser therapy benefits for nonpharmacological pain control in chronic pain and osteoarthritis. Altern Ther Health Med. 2018;24(5):8-10. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih. gov/28987080/. Accessed June 22, 2025.
Loeb LM, et al. Botulinum toxin A (BT-A) versus low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in chronic migraine treatment: a comparison. Arq Neuropsiquiatr. 2018;76(10):663-667. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30427505/. Accessed June 22, 2025.
Wickenheisser VA, et al. Laser light therapy in inflammatory, musculoskeletal, and autoimmune disease. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2019;19(8):37. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31267251/. Accessed June 22, 2025.
Hamblin MR. Can osteoarthritis be treated with light? Arthritis Res Ther. 2013;15(5):120. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24286607/. Accessed June 22, 2025.
Baltzer AW, et al. Positive effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on Bouchard’s and Heberden’s osteoarthritis. Lasers Surg Med. 2016;48(5):498-504. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26833862/. Accessed June 22, 2025.
Brosseau L, et al. Low-level laser therapy (classes I, II and III) for treating rheumatoid arthritis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2005;2005(4):CD002049. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16235295/. Accessed June 22, 2025.