ReviewThe journal of pain2021
Mechanisms and Pathways of Pain Photobiomodulation: A Narrative Review.
Review in The journal of pain, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 3 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 67 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Investigation of Light Exposure on Pain Severity and Quality of Life in Individuals With Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: A Pilot Study
Application of Photo-biomodulation as Part of Multimodal Analgesia to Improve Pain Relief and Wound Healing for Patients Having Elective Caesarean Section: a Randomized Controlled Trial
Evaluation of Peripheral Neurological Integrity and Synergistic Treatment of Photobiomodulation and Therapy Ultrasound in Patirnts With Diabetes Mellitus (Type II): Clinical Study
Who cites it
67 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 114 citations in OpenAlex.
- Acupuncture for procedural pain in newborn infants.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025Pooled it
- Photobiomodulation in carpal tunnel syndrome with pain, strength, and functionality analysis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Lasers in medical science · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of repeated low-level red light on refractive development during childhood: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis up to 12 months.Frontiers in medicine · 2025Pooled it
- Quality appraisal of systematic reviews on high-intensity laser therapy for musculoskeletal pain management: an umbrella review.Lasers in medical science · 2024Pooled it
- Photobiomodulation associated with physical exercise in shoulder impingement syndrome. Systematic review with meta-analysis.Photochemistry and photobiologyPooled it
- Pulsed 830-nm Laser Irradiation Modulates Aδ- and C-Fiber-Mediated Pain Thresholds in Healthy Adults: A Randomized, Sham-Controlled Trial.Lasers in surgery and medicine · 2026Trial
- Effect of photobiomodulation therapy on wound healing and post-extraction pain management of primary molars: a randomized controlled clinical trial.BMC oral health · 2026Trial
- LED red light therapy for relief of primary dysmenorrhea: An open, single-group target value clinical trial.PloS one · 2026Trial
- Effects of photobiomodulation and an aerobic exercise on the level of pain and quality of life in women with fibromyalgia.Lasers in medical science · 2024Trial
- Effects of Green Color Exposure on Stress, Anxiety, and Pain during Peripheral Intravenous Cannulation in Dental Patients Requiring Sedation.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Trial
- Green Light Therapy for Pain and Pain-Related Psychosocial Outcomes: A Systematic Review of Human Studies.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Recent advances in nanomaterial-based strategies for chronic pain alleviation.Materials today. Bio · 2026Review
- Circadian Regulation and Pain: A Systematic Review of the Association Between Rest-Activity Rhythm and Pain-Related Outcomes.Clocks & sleep · 2026Review
- Article
- Red and near-infrared photobiomodulation for burn, hypertrophic, and post-surgical scars: a scoping review of clinical trials.Lasers in medical science · 2026Article
- Analgesic outcomes of 650 nm versus 810 nm diode laser photobiomodulation after dental implant placement in a randomized controlled trial.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Photobiomodulation Therapy for Orofacial Conditions in Older Adults: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.Dentistry journal · 2026Review
- Exposure to Green Light-emitting Diodes Alleviates Endometriosis-associated Pain in Mice with Induced Deep Endometriosis.Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) · 2026Article
- Physiotherapy approaches for pain control in patients who are critically ill.World journal of critical care medicine · 2026Review
- Infrared Photobiomodulation Modulates PpIX Production After Topical Methyl Aminolevulinate in Normal Human Skin: An Exploratory Study.Journal of biophotonics · 2026Article
7 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
A growing body of evidence supports the modulation of pain by light exposure. As such, phototherapy is being increasingly utilized for the management of a variety of pain conditions. The modes of delivery, and hence applications of phototherapy, vary by wavelength, intensity, and route of exposure. As such, differing mechanisms of action exist depending upon those parameters. Cutaneous application of red light (660 nm) has been shown to reduce pain in neuropathies and complex regional pain syndrome-I, whereas visual application of the same wavelength of red light has been reported to exacerbate migraine headache in patients and lead to the development of functional pain in animal models. Interestingly visual exposure to green light can result in reduction in pain in variety of pain conditions such as migraine and fibromyalgia. Cutaneous application typically requires exposure on the order of minutes, whereas visual application requires exposure on the order of hours. Both routes of exposure elicit changes centrally in the brainstem and spinal cord, and peripherally in the dorsal root ganglia and nociceptors. The mechanisms of photobiomodulation of pain presented in this review provide a foundation in furtherance of exploration of the utility of phototherapy as a tool in the management of pain. PERSPECTIVE: This review synopsizes the pathways and mechanisms through which light modulates pain and the therapeutic utility of different colors and exposure modalities of light on pain. Recent advances in photobiomodulation provide a foundation for understanding this novel treatment for pain on which future translational and clinical studies can build upon.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.