Knee pain has a way of showing up in ordinary moments. Stairs become something you think about. Getting up from a chair feels different. A walk gets cut short. Pickleball, golf or the gym starts to feel like more work than fun.
What has the research found?
A 2024 systematic review looked at 10 randomized studies involving 542 people with knee osteoarthritis. Overall, photobiomodulation reduced pain at rest compared with placebo. The researchers were also clear about the limitations: the certainty of the evidence was very low, and they did not recommend using PBM by itself in place of other established care.
That is a useful finding because it is neither ‘laser fixes arthritis’ nor ‘laser does nothing.’ The evidence suggests there may be a role for it, particularly as one part of a broader plan.
What we would not promise
We would not tell someone that laser therapy is going to rebuild an arthritic knee. Research is still looking at what photobiomodulation may do at a tissue level, but structural regeneration in human knee osteoarthritis has not been established.
For us, the practical questions are whether treatment may help with symptoms, whether movement is becoming easier and whether you are getting back to more of the things you want to do.
When should a sore knee be looked at?
If your knee pain is persistent, keeps coming back or is beginning to change what you do, it is worth having it assessed.
Sometimes the conversation about laser happens after that assessment. Sometimes another approach makes more sense. The point is to treat the person in front of us rather than automatically treating every sore knee the same way.
Thinking about laser for your knee?
If stairs, walking, exercise or sport are becoming harder because of knee pain, we can assess what is going on and talk through whether laser therapy could reasonably fit into your care.
Learn more about Laser Therapy at ChiroActive Carleton Place.
Sources
- 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. PMID: 38775202.
- Xia P, et al. Photobiomodulation for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis: therapeutic effects and molecular mechanism. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology. 2026. PMID: 41847385.