Red Light Therapy for Arthritis and Joint Pain in Pets
They’re Not Done Playing Yet
ODIN
Medically reviewed by: Christine Cranston MPT, CCRP (Specialties: licensed canine physical therapist, arthritis management, orthopedic injuries, muscle strains, sprains, chronic mobility, neurological conditions, geriatrics, IVDD, and dysplasia)
Reviewed: September 2026
Updated: November 2026
This page is part of MedcoVet’s clinical education library on photobiomodulation in veterinary medicine. It explains red light therapy for arthritis and joint pain in dogs and cats, how it is used in clinical rehabilitation, what the dosing numbers mean, and when veterinary guidance should come first.
Can red light therapy help a pet with arthritis?
Yes, it can help some pets. Photobiomodulation, usually called red light therapy, low-level light therapy or cold laser therapy, has been studied for the pain and mobility problems of osteoarthritis, and the most direct veterinary evidence comes from dogs.
In a randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled trial in dogs with elbow osteoarthritis, dogs treated with red light therapy improved more than dogs given a sham treatment. Nine of the 11 treated dogs were able to reduce their NSAID use, compared with none of the 9 sham-treated dogs, and the treated dogs also improved more on lameness and pain scores (Looney 2018).
A second randomized study in dogs with moderate to severe hip osteoarthritis found that dogs given red light therapy improved more on pain, function and range of motion at several follow-up visits than dogs given meloxicam, with some improvements still measurable at day 90 (Alves 2022).
These studies show that correctly applied red light therapy can change clinically meaningful measures of pain and mobility in dogs with osteoarthritis. That is why the details matter: wavelength, dose, skin contact, placement and treatment frequency. The words “red light therapy” on their own don’t tell you whether a device can deliver a useful treatment.
Chris Cranston, MPT, CCRP, has used red light therapy in her rehabilitation practice for most pets diagnosed with osteoarthritis for almost two decades, in the clinic, at home with the MedcoVet Luma, or both.
👉 Want a deeper look at how it works? Read the science of red light therapy.
Key Takeaways
- Two randomized trials in dogs with elbow or hip osteoarthritis reported less pain and better function after light therapy. In the elbow trial, 9 of 11 treated dogs needed less pain medication, compared with none in the sham group (Looney 2018; Alves 2022).
- Dose is individual. In animal studies, more light was not always better (Hsieh 2014; Trawitzki 2017), which is why every Luma protocol is built with a clinician for each pet.
- Light therapy was generally well tolerated in the studies we reviewed, and the hip trial recorded no side effects (Alves 2022).
- The MedcoVet Luma uses 635 nm red and 850 nm near-infrared light at about 70 mW/cm², with about 1,010 mW total average output over a 43 mm treatment aperture. At 70 mW/cm², a 60-second placement delivers about 4.2 J/cm².
- Luma’s 850 nm wavelength falls inside the 780–860 nm range in WALT’s dosing recommendations (WALT 2010).
- Luma sits directly on the skin, and its optical comb parts the fur so the light isn’t lost in the coat.
- Light therapy can help manage arthritis, but it does not reverse structural joint damage (Zhang 2023).
Is red light therapy a fit for your pet’s arthritis?
Answer a few questions about your pet’s joints, age and treatments. It takes 2 minutes.
Gideon
What is arthritis in dogs and cats?
Osteoarthritis, also called degenerative joint disease, is a chronic condition in which the joint changes gradually over time (Epstein 2025).
Cartilage is damaged, the joint environment changes, inflammation sets in, and movement can become painful. Over time, pets may move less, lose muscle, get stiffer after rest, or stop doing the things they used to enjoy.
Arthritis most often affects the hips, knees, shoulders, elbows and spine, as well as smaller joints.
Signs to watch for:
- Stiffness after sleep
- Trouble getting up or staying standing
- Hesitating at stairs
- A slower walk, or jumping less
- Limping or a change in gait
- Playing less
- Sensitivity when the joint is touched
“Arthritis waxes and wanes, and flare ups are common. These flares can be induced by a plethora of factors, some of which are out of anyone’s control, such as weather changes. This makes having a tool such as the MedcoVet Luma at home that is safe, effective, and available for immediate use at the first indication of worsening signs imperative to nip it in the bud. Over time, you, the pet parent, could be the difference between your pet living a long, active, relatively comfortable life and painful, debilitating arthritis.” — Chris Cranston, MPT, CCRP
Read more in dog arthritis symptoms.
How does red light therapy help with arthritis?
Red light therapy exposes tissue to specific wavelengths of red or near-infrared light. Molecules in the cells absorb the light, which can trigger responses linked to energy production, inflammation, blood flow, oxidative stress and tissue repair.
Arthritis research points to several possible mechanisms: effects on mitochondrial activity, nitric oxide signaling, inflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress, and the enzymes that break down cartilage (Zhang 2023).
That doesn’t mean red light “regrows” an arthritic joint. Osteoarthritis involves structural changes that light therapy cannot remove. The aim is to reduce pain and inflammation, support the tissues around the joint, and help your pet move more comfortably.
What does the research show in dogs?
Two clinical trials are especially relevant if you are considering red light therapy for osteoarthritis.
Elbow osteoarthritis
Looney and colleagues ran a randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled trial in 20 dogs with naturally occurring elbow osteoarthritis. Eleven dogs received red light therapy at 10–20 J/cm², and nine received a sham treatment, over six weeks.
In the treated group, 9 of 11 dogs were able to reduce their NSAID use. The treated dogs also improved more on lameness, and nine of the eleven pain measures improved significantly more than in the sham group (Looney 2018).
Hip osteoarthritis
Alves and colleagues studied 20 dogs with osteoarthritis in both hips. The dogs received either meloxicam for 21 days or a three-week course of photobiomodulation.
The researchers tracked pain, function, gait, stiffness, quality of life and joint movement. The red light therapy group improved more on several measures at several time points, and some benefits lasted until day 90 (Alves 2022).
Together, these studies give the clinical basis for using red light therapy as part of osteoarthritis management. Both trials enrolled dogs with diagnosed osteoarthritis. If your dog has been diagnosed with arthritis, book a free consult with a MedcoVet clinician to talk through the options.
Meet the MedcoVet Luma
Hazel Moon: arthritis and a CCL injury in her hind legs.
“Hazel Moon was limping and experiencing obvious discomfort from arthritis and CCL injury in her hind legs. Along with physical therapy, the Luma helped with her inflammation and pain and she is excited about going for walks again. Sometimes she even asks for a Luma treatment by nudging the device with her nose then presenting the area she wants treated.”
— Andrea, Hazel Moon’s parent
The MedcoVet Luma is a red light therapy device designed for home use with pets. These are its treatment specifications:
| Specification | MedcoVet Luma |
|---|---|
| Red wavelength | 635 nm |
| Near-infrared wavelength | 850 nm |
| Average total output | About 1,010 mW |
| Treatment aperture | 43 mm |
| Irradiance at the treatment surface | About 70 mW/cm² |
| Application | Direct skin contact |
| Fur management | Optical comb parts the coat |
| Protocol | Personalized by a MedcoVet clinician |
| Treatment tracking | MedcoVet app |
| Eye safety | Risk Group 1 (low risk) under IEC 62471, the photobiological safety standard for lamps and LEDs; no goggles needed |
Why these numbers matter
A therapy device should tell you what it actually delivers. Terms like “medical grade”, “veterinary strength” or “red and infrared” don’t tell you whether a device is suitable.
Four numbers are especially useful:
- Wavelength: the kind of light the device emits.
- Average power: how much optical energy the device puts out per second.
- Irradiance (power density): how much of that power lands on each square centimeter of the treatment surface. How much then reaches the target tissue also depends on the coat, the skin and how deep the target is.
- Treatment time: how much energy is delivered at each placement.
Put together, these let you work out the dose instead of relying on marketing terms.
How does Luma compare with WALT’s veterinary dosing guidelines?
One of the most useful ways to judge a red light therapy device is to compare its actual parameters with published dosing guidance.
In 2019, the World Association for Photobiomodulation Therapy (WALT) convened a veterinary dosage task force to propose treatment guidelines for common veterinary conditions. The recommendations account for the type of device, the animal’s size, the treatment site, power, irradiance, treatment time and fluence.
For Luma, the relevant category is the stationary cluster device. WALT defines a cluster probe as an array of closely spaced LEDs and/or lower-power laser diodes that creates a large treatment spot and stays still during treatment. That closely matches how Luma is used.
Luma’s treatment specifications
- 635 nm red light
- 850 nm near-infrared light
- About 1.01 W total average power
- About 70 mW/cm² surface irradiance
- A 43 mm treatment aperture
- Stationary treatment in direct contact with the skin
These numbers can be compared directly with WALT’s veterinary recommendations.
1. Luma’s 850 nm wavelength falls inside WALT’s near-infrared range
For stationary veterinary devices, WALT’s recommendations for deeper musculoskeletal treatment use wavelengths of 780–860 nm. Luma’s near-infrared wavelength is 850 nm, inside that range.
WALT also notes that wavelengths of about 630–690 nm are typically used for more superficial tissues. Luma’s 635 nm red wavelength falls inside that range.
So Luma has a red wavelength suited to superficial tissues and a near-infrared wavelength relevant to deeper targets such as arthritic joints.
2. Luma’s total power falls inside WALT’s range for cluster devices
WALT states that infrared LED and/or laser cluster probes should generally provide 200–1,400 mW total power in the 780–860 nm range. Luma provides about 1,010 mW total average power, well inside that range.
3. Luma’s irradiance is inside WALT’s range for many arthritic joints
WALT recommends that stationary cluster probes provide at least 25 mW/cm², with 40–50 mW/cm² preferred. Luma delivers about 70 mW/cm², above WALT’s preferred minimum.
For a roughly 50 lb dog, WALT’s cluster recommendations for osteoarthritis list 50–100 mW/cm² for the paws, carpus/tarsus, elbow, shoulder, stifle, lumbar back, thoracic back and neck. Luma’s 70 mW/cm² falls within that range.
For a roughly 10 lb cat, WALT lists 30–100 mW/cm² for cluster treatment of many arthritic joints. Luma’s 70 mW/cm² also falls within those ranges.
4. Luma can deliver fluence inside WALT’s arthritis ranges
Fluence is how much energy reaches each square centimeter of the treatment surface. At about 70 mW/cm² (0.07 W/cm²):
| Placement time | Calculation | Fluence |
|---|---|---|
| 60 seconds | 0.07 W/cm² × 60 s | About 4.2 J/cm² |
| 90 seconds | 0.07 W/cm² × 90 s | About 6.3 J/cm² |
| 120 seconds | 0.07 W/cm² × 120 s | About 8.4 J/cm² |
This matters because WALT’s veterinary arthritis guidelines give target fluence ranges by joint and animal size.
For a roughly 50 lb dog with a stationary cluster device, WALT proposes about 4.0–4.5 J/cm² for several joints, including the elbow, shoulder, stifle and carpus/tarsus. A 60-second Luma placement delivers about 4.2 J/cm², inside that range.
MedcoVet protocols set the treatment time and placement for each area of the body instead of giving every pet the same instructions.
How Luma compares with WALT at a glance
| Parameter | WALT veterinary guidance | MedcoVet Luma |
|---|---|---|
| Near-infrared wavelength | 780–860 nm | 850 nm |
| Red wavelength for superficial targets | 630–690 nm | 635 nm |
| Cluster-device total power | 200–1,400 mW | About 1,010 mW |
| Cluster minimum irradiance | At least 25 mW/cm², 40–50 preferred | 70 mW/cm² |
| Many arthritis sites, 50 lb dog | 50–100 mW/cm² | 70 mW/cm² |
| Cluster fluence for several canine joints | About 4.0–4.5 J/cm² | 4.2 J/cm² in 60 s |
| Treatment method | Stationary skin contact | Stationary skin contact |
Skin contact matters too
WALT recommends stationary skin contact for this kind of treatment. It also advises getting as much light as possible to the target tissue, for example with appropriate probe pressure, comb-like protruding lenses, parting or clipping the hair, and not treating through a heavy coat (WALT guidelines).
That recommendation is directly relevant to Luma’s design. Luma’s optical comb separates the fur so the treatment surface reaches the skin, and the device is used in stationary contact rather than held several inches away.
That reduces one of the biggest sources of dosing error in pet red light therapy: losing much of the light in the coat, through scattering and absorption, before it reaches the skin. This matters most for dark-coated pets.
What this comparison means
WALT describes these numbers as proposed guidelines based on research and clinical practice. It also says treatment may need adjusting for target depth, animal size and pigmentation.
What we can say is specific: Luma’s 850 nm wavelength, about 1,010 mW total power, 70 mW/cm² irradiance, stationary-contact method and achievable fluence line up closely with WALT’s proposed parameters for stationary cluster devices used for osteoarthritis.
For several common arthritic joints in a 50 lb dog, a 60-second Luma placement delivers about 4.2 J/cm², inside WALT’s proposed 4.0–4.5 J/cm² range. That is a numerical comparison based on the device’s actual output, not a general claim that Luma uses “therapeutic red light.”
Why Luma uses both 635 nm and 850 nm light
Different wavelengths act differently in tissue. Luma combines:
- 635 nm red light, useful for tissues nearer the surface.
- 850 nm near-infrared light, which reaches deeper and is especially relevant for joints, muscles and other deeper musculoskeletal structures.
For arthritis, the 850 nm wavelength matters most, because the treatment target lies below the skin and the more superficial tissues. Having both lets your clinician support the joint and the surrounding tissues that may be adding to pain and stiffness.
Fur can block much of the light
A device specification only means something if the light reaches the target tissue. Hair, fur and skin absorb, scatter and reflect therapeutic light. If the device is held on top of the fur or away from the skin, the dose delivered is very different from the number on the specification sheet.
Luma’s optical comb gets past the fur and delivers light directly at the skin, which also cuts down the light reflected by the skin itself. For a pet device, that is a significant design feature: it makes the dose that reaches the skin more consistent and removes one of the main variables in home red light therapy.
Your dog’s dose, worked out for you
A MedcoVet clinician maps each joint, treatment time and schedule for your pet, so you’re not calculating J/cm² from a manual.
Ghillie
Red light therapy for cats with arthritis
Cats develop osteoarthritis too, and it is often missed because cats hide pain well and slow down gradually rather than limping. Nearly 40% of cats have clinical signs of osteoarthritis, and 90% of cats over 12 have radiographic evidence of it (Zoetis).
A published case from a rehabilitation practitioner shows what a cat arthritis plan that includes the Luma can look like. The cat was an 18.5-year-old neutered male with osteoarthritis, hind leg weakness, generalized muscle loss and a persistent ataxic (wobbly, uncoordinated) gait (Symons 2026).
Over about ten weeks, his home program combined the Luma at 15 treatment spots across the lumbar spine, hips, shoulders and neck with manual therapy, stretching, a progressive home exercise program and heat therapy. Luma sessions started daily at 30 seconds per spot and were gradually reduced to every third day as he was reassessed (Symons 2026).
Over that period, he was repeatedly seen standing taller, kept climbing stairs, progressed to harder balance and strength exercises, and became more engaged in his sessions. His treating clinician summed it up: “Although his walk did not return to normal and he remained unsteady, his abilities improved over the next few months. He stood up straighter, kept climbing stairs, tried harder exercises, greeted me in the hallway, and stayed involved in his treatment.” His ataxic gait and underlying osteoarthritis persisted (Symons 2026).
Why every pet gets a personalized Luma protocol
Rose, nearly 12: arthritis in her legs and back stiffness after a ruptured disc.
“Rose had been getting in-office deep laser treatments from her physical therapist for arthritis in her legs and stiffness in her back after having ruptured a disc a few years ago. The treatments were wonderful, but wore off pretty quickly, so the Luma was suggested. Thanks to the Luma, she gets more frequent treatments in more areas than ever before. She’s able to be pretty active for a nearly 12 year old blind dog who’s had this kind of injury and the Luma is essential for that. She can walk longer, sleeps better, and is excited for her walks! The Luma has made a huge improvement in her quality of life!”
— Richelle Krotts, Rose’s parent
There is no single ideal red light dose for every arthritic pet.
Research shows a biphasic dose response: too little light doesn’t produce a useful biological response, but raising the dose without limit doesn’t give better results either (Hsieh 2014). In one arthritis study, a smaller dose reduced inflammatory markers while a much higher dose did not (Hsieh 2014). Other experimental work shows that how often treatment is given also changes the response (Trawitzki 2017).
That is why MedcoVet doesn’t give every pet the same general instructions. Each pet gets a custom protocol from a veterinary clinician, who takes into account:
- The diagnosis and the joints involved
- The size of the treatment area and the depth of the target tissue
- The stage and severity of the arthritis
- The pet’s coat and skin contact
- Other treatments, tolerance and daily routine
- How the pet responds over time
The protocol can be adjusted as your pet improves or if results differ from what was expected.
What a free consult covers
A 30-minute call with a MedcoVet clinician about your pet’s diagnosis, affected joints and current treatments. You’ll leave knowing whether Luma makes sense and what the protocol would look like.
Spock
What is a typical Luma arthritis protocol?
Many arthritis protocols start with more frequent treatment and later move to maintenance.
A typical start is daily treatment, with each placement lasting about one to two minutes depending on the joint and the protocol. Total treatment time is usually about 10 minutes a day. Once symptoms improve, your clinician may reduce treatment to every other day.
A daily session might look like this:
- Settle your pet somewhere calm and comfortable.
- Using your personalized protocol, place the device directly against the skin at the first joint, such as the left hip.
- Treat each spot for the recommended time (for example, 1 minute), usually 2–3 spots for a hip.
- Move to the next joint, such as the right hip, and repeat.
- Continue through each joint your clinician included, adjusting times as directed.
- Afterward, note any changes in your pet’s movement or comfort.
“We know that modalities, such as light therapy, are better received when cortisol levels are in the normal range. Cortisol is the flight or fight hormone and can even be triggered with the excitement associated with going to the clinic, and not just stress. Raised cortisol reduces healing. This is yet another reason why I like my clients treating their pets at home.” — Chris Cranston, MPT, CCRP
Keeping sessions consistent and following the placement instructions helps your pet get the most from treatment. This schedule is a starting point, not a fixed plan: your MedcoVet clinician tells you exactly where to treat, for how long, how often, and how the plan should change over time. Book a free consult to see what your dog’s plan would look like.
Where can Luma be used for arthritis?
Arthritis protocols can be built for the hips, knees, shoulders, elbows, spine and other joints. The best direct evidence from dog trials so far is for elbows and hips (Looney 2018; Alves 2022).
There is also a large body of human research on the knee, including a meta-analysis of randomized trials showing that red light therapy at appropriate doses reduced osteoarthritis pain and disability (Stausholm 2019). That adds useful supporting evidence for treating joints with light.
Take extra care with back or neck pain. Weakness, loss of coordination, severe pain, or changes in bowel or bladder control can signal a neurological problem rather than arthritis. See your vet right away. For hip-specific conditions, see red light therapy for dysplasia.
How fast can red light therapy help a dog or cat with arthritis?
Response varies. The published dog studies found improvement after courses of about three to six weeks (Looney 2018; Alves 2022).
In MedcoVet’s clinical experience, some pet parents notice changes within one to two weeks of regular treatment. That observation comes from clinical experience and owner reports, not from a controlled Luma trial.
Consistency is one of Luma’s biggest benefits for long-term arthritis care.
“Many of the pet owners that I work with report that they routinely treat their pet relaxing on the couch in the evening watching TV or in bed just before sleep. To me, this exponentiates their ability to be compliant with the often frequent treatments needed for maximum impact.” — Chris Cranston, MPT, CCRP
To spot subtle changes, pick two or three activities your pet finds hard and check them the same way every week instead of relying on memory:
- How easily does your dog get up after sleeping?
- How long does it take to climb the stairs?
- Is your dog asking for walks again, walking faster, or going farther without paying for it afterward?
- Does your pet hesitate before jumping into the car?
- Has the limp changed?
Small functional changes are much easier to see when the same activity is checked consistently, and your notes give your clinician useful information.
Can Luma take the place of arthritis medication?
Don’t stop or reduce a prescribed medication without talking to your veterinarian first. Red light therapy can be one part of a full arthritis plan, which may also include weight management, controlled exercise, physical rehabilitation, changes at home, acupuncture, medication, injections, supplements or other veterinary care.
The elbow trial is notable here: 9 of the 11 treated dogs were able to reduce their NSAID use, while none of the sham-treated dogs did (Looney 2018). When your veterinarian decides it is safe to change the medication plan, red light therapy may lighten the treatment load for some dogs.
For the full picture, read our complete dog arthritis treatment guide.
Is MedcoVet Luma safe?
Published research has generally found red light therapy well tolerated (Ferreira 2026), and the randomized hip trial in dogs recorded no treatment-related adverse effects (Alves 2022).
Safety still depends on proper use. The dose matters, the treatment site matters, and the diagnosis matters. That is why Luma comes with input from a clinician rather than asking pet parents to choose the settings themselves.
Eye safety and goggles
The Luma is designed for home use without laser safety goggles or “doggles”.
MedcoVet Luma is rated Risk Group 1 (low risk) under IEC 62471, the international photobiological safety standard for lamps and LED systems. That rating covers light exposure to the eyes and skin under normal use.
That doesn’t mean you should aim the Luma into your pet’s eyes. Keep the treatment head away from the eyes and stick to the areas your clinician specifies.
When should red light therapy not be used?
Don’t treat unexplained pain until your pet has been diagnosed. Get veterinary guidance before treating:
- Known or suspected tumors in the treatment area (Robijns 2022)
- Pregnant or nursing pets, in the relevant treatment areas
- Young animals whose growth plates are still developing
And never treat directly over the eyes. Read more about contraindications for red light therapy.
Is Luma FDA approved or FDA cleared?
No veterinary red light therapy device should be marketed as “FDA approved” or “FDA cleared” in the way those terms are used for human medical devices. Read more about FDA rules for veterinary devices.
The reason is simple: unlike devices for human use, devices intended for animals don’t require premarket approval (PMA) or 510(k) notification, and companies that only make or distribute animal devices don’t have to register their establishments or list those devices (FDA). The FDA says it still verifies that animal devices are safe, effective and properly labeled (FDA).
So when you compare veterinary red light products, an “FDA approved” label isn’t a sign of quality, because there is no such approval for this kind of product. Look instead at what can be checked: the wavelength, optical output, irradiance, treatment area, dose, optical-safety testing, a design that ensures skin contact, the published evidence, and the clinical protocol that comes with it.
Why we built Luma differently
Many products are sold as red light therapy devices. A pet parent shouldn’t have to guess which numbers matter or work out a protocol from a manual. Luma was built around the parts of red light therapy that most affect real-world treatment:
- Known treatment parameters. Luma publishes its wavelengths, output, treatment aperture and irradiance.
- A relevant near-infrared wavelength. Its 850 nm output falls inside the 780–860 nm band in WALT’s recommendations (WALT 2010).
- Measured irradiance. About 70 mW/cm² at the treatment surface.
- Direct skin contact. The optical comb parts the coat so the device reaches the skin instead of treating the fur.
- A clinician-built protocol. You are told exactly where, how long and how often to treat.
- Ongoing tracking. The MedcoVet app records sessions and helps you follow changes over time.
- Home treatment. Arthritis is chronic, and treating regularly at home makes consistency far easier than relying only on clinic visits.
That is why we recommend Luma for pet parents who want to add at-home red light therapy to an arthritis plan. The recommendation rests on the treatment parameters and the care model, not on an FDA logo or a “medical grade” label.
What Luma can and cannot do
Luma may help with pain, inflammation, mobility and function in pets with osteoarthritis. It cannot:
- Rebuild a severely damaged joint
- Correct joint instability
- Diagnose the cause of a limp
- Replace a veterinary exam, medication your veterinarian considers necessary, or weight management, targeted exercise, rehabilitation or surgery when your care team recommends them
Why at-home treatment matters for a chronic condition
Arthritis doesn’t go away after six sessions. It is usually managed for the rest of a pet’s life.
In-clinic laser treatment can be very useful, especially during rehabilitation or an acute flare-up. But it can be hard to keep up frequent visits when a dog needs treatment several times a week for months or years.
“I observed anecdotally that the signs of arthritis for many dogs in my practice worsened if there was a hiatus in their red light therapy treatments. I began recommending the MedcoVet Luma in 2018 to augment clinic treatments with terrific success! Moreover, so many clients felt empowered by helping their pet feel and move better with the treatments they did at home. The human-animal bond they shared was further strengthened during Luma sessions.” — Chris Cranston, MPT, CCRP
Home red light therapy changes that equation. You can treat regularly without loading a sore senior dog into the car, driving to a clinic, waiting for an appointment and repeating it several times a week. Your pet is also treated where they are most relaxed.
Real pets using Luma for arthritis
Pet parents share how Luma fits into their pets’ arthritis care.
Is Luma right for your pet?
Luma is worth considering if your pet has been diagnosed with osteoarthritis or chronic inflammatory joint pain and you want a way to give red light therapy at home.
Every Luma comes with a free consultation with a MedcoVet clinician. We look at your pet’s diagnosis, affected joints, symptoms, other treatments and goals, then build a protocol that clearly explains where and how to use the device.
Find out if Luma fits your pet’s arthritis plan
Book a free consult with a MedcoVet clinician, or take the 2-minute quiz first.
Lucy
Clinical Summary
Mechanism
Red (635 nm) and near-infrared (850 nm) light is absorbed by cells and may influence mitochondrial activity, nitric oxide signaling, inflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress and cartilage-degrading enzymes. The goal is less pain and inflammation and better function, not rebuilding the joint (Zhang 2023).
Evidence level
Two small randomized trials in dogs with elbow and hip osteoarthritis reported less pain and better function after photobiomodulation, using devices other than Luma (Looney 2018; Alves 2022). A meta-analysis of human knee osteoarthritis trials supports joint treatment at appropriate doses (Stausholm 2019).
When it works best
Diagnosed osteoarthritis or chronic joint pain, treated consistently with direct skin contact, at a clinician-set dose and schedule, as part of a wider plan that may include weight management, exercise, rehabilitation and medication.
When not to use
Undiagnosed pain, known or suspected tumors in the treatment area, pregnant or nursing pets in the relevant treatment areas, young animals with open growth plates, and directly over the eyes. Weakness, loss of coordination or bladder and bowel changes need a vet first.
Limitations
Red light therapy doesn’t reverse structural joint damage, correct instability or replace a diagnosis. Dose response is biphasic, so more light isn’t always better (Hsieh 2014), and response varies by pet, joint and severity.
Common Questions About Red Light Therapy for Arthritis in Pets
Evidence Citations
About the Author
Alon Landa is the CEO and co-founder of MedcoVet, a leader in at-home red light therapy for pets. With over 20 years of experience in medical technology and firsthand involvement in developing the Luma, Alon combines deep technical knowledge with a passion for improving pet health. He regularly collaborates with veterinarians and pet parents to advance photobiomodulation (PBM) care at home.
📍 Based in Boston, MA
📖Read more from Alon here
About the Medical Reviewer
Chris Cranston has over 20 years of hands-on experience in small animal physical rehabilitation and is a trusted voice in pet mobility and recovery. She is co-host of the PetAbility Podcast and was among the first 100 professionals worldwide to earn her Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner credential through the University of Tennessee. Chris founded FlowDog in Massachusetts and continues her work through concierge rehab, consulting, and teaching.
Read More about Chris here.
