What Is Bursitis?
Bursitis is the inflammation of a bursa—a small, fluid-filled sac that cushions bones, tendons, and muscles near joints. Common areas include the shoulder, hip, elbow, knee, and heel. It’s often caused by repetitive motion, pressure, or injury, and leads to pain, swelling, stiffness, and reduced mobility.
How Red Light Therapy Helps Bursitis
Red and near-infrared light (typically in the 600–1000 nm range) penetrate deep into tissues and trigger a series of biological effects that support healing and reduce inflammation.
✅ Key Benefits of Red Light Therapy for Bursitis:
- Reduces Inflammation
Red light stimulates cellular activity that leads to a decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines and an increase in anti-inflammatory molecules, helping calm irritated tissue.
🟢 Why this matters: Bursitis is fundamentally an inflammatory condition—reducing inflammation is key to pain relief and healing.
- Accelerates Tissue Repair
RLT increases ATP production in cells, giving your body more energy to fuel the repair of damaged tissue around the bursa and nearby tendons or ligaments.
🟢 Why this matters: Faster regeneration of tissues leads to quicker recovery and fewer flare-ups.
- Improves Circulation and Lymphatic Flow
It boosts blood flow and lymphatic drainage in the treatment area, delivering more oxygen and nutrients while clearing away waste and excess fluid.
🟢 Why this matters: This reduces swelling and promotes detoxification of the inflamed area.
- Provides Natural Pain Relief
Red light can inhibit pain signals by influencing nerve pathways and decreasing sensitivity to pain stimuli.
🟢 Why this matters: Less pain = better mobility, sleep, and quality of life during recovery.
Common Types of Bursitis Treated with RLT:
- Shoulder (Subacromial Bursitis)
- Hip (Trochanteric Bursitis)
- Knee (Prepatellar or Pes Anserine Bursitis)
- Elbow (Olecranon Bursitis)
- Heel (Retrocalcaneal Bursitis)
What to Expect from Treatment
- Session Length: 15–45 minutes targeted RLT per session depending on the areas of bursitis
- Frequency: 2-3 times per week initially, tapering as symptoms improve (usually 2-3 weeks)
- Non-invasive & drug-free: Safe for long-term use and can be combined with physical therapy, PEMF, or chiropractic care as well as other therapies.
Bottom Line
Red Light Therapy offers a safe, effective, and natural option for managing bursitis—reducing inflammation, relieving pain, and speeding up the healing process. Whether you’re dealing with chronic bursitis or a recent flare-up, RLT can help get you back to your daily activities with less pain and better mobility.