Pressure ulcers

Red light therapy for pressure ulcers

Evidence on low-level laser therapy for pressure ulcers in randomized clinical studies.

Study count

The cited systematic review included only four randomized studies.

Evidence grade

very-low

Panel relevance

not-panel-replicable

Bottom line

Pressure ulcers belong in medical wound-care content, not self-treatment panel advice.

Consensus: Evidence is too small for strong claims; one 658 nm study was positive, but broader wavelength/probe evidence is weak.

Only four randomized studies were included.
One 658 nm study reported 71% pressure-ulcer reduction and 47% complete healing after 1 month.
The review found no evidence for wavelengths above 658 nm or cluster-probe use.

Wavelengths	658, 808, 904, 940 nm
Irradiance	Not settled
Fluence	Not settled
Session time	Clinical wound protocol-specific.
Frequency	Clinical wound protocol-specific.
Duration	One positive study assessed 1 month of therapy.
Timing	Wound-care schedule-specific.
Treatment area	Pressure ulcers.
Device types	Clinical low-level laser therapy.
Notes	Only 658 nm had significant evidence in the cited review.

No consumer protocol.
Wound status, infection risk, pressure offloading, nutrition, and medical care dominate protocol decisions.
Do not translate these findings to wellness panel use.

Pressure ulcers can become serious infections and require medical care.
Light therapy cannot replace pressure relief, wound cleaning, infection management, or clinician oversight.

meta-analysis

Machado RS, Viana S, Sbruzzi G. Lasers in Medical Science. 2017.

A pressure-ulcer review found limited randomized evidence, with one 658 nm study showing significant ulcer reduction.

Last reviewed: 2026-06-15