THE CURE INDEX
Helio Cure's evidence score based on human clinical trials for red light therapy.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a long-term lung disease that makes it hard to move air in and out of the lungs.
A review of 5 human studies covering 96 participants found red light therapy to be effective for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The CURE Index scored this condition 98 out of 100, indicating strong confidence.
Red light therapy was associated with better muscle performance, greater exercise capacity, and less breathlessness in people with COPD.
The 5 studies were all randomized controlled trials. 4 studies reported effective outcomes, and 1 reported a partially effective outcome.
The most cited wavelength was 640 nm, within a range of 620 to 905 nm. Sessions ran from 30 seconds to 3.8 minutes, delivered 1 to 6 times per week, across therapy periods of 2 to 60 days.
EVIDENCE AT A GLANCE
The numbers behind the verdict.
MOST CITED WAVELENGTH
The wavelength appearing most often in studies that showed benefit for COPD.
640 nmTREATMENT PROTOCOL RANGES
The lowest and highest values used across COPD studies.
| PARAMETER | RANGE |
|---|---|
| Wavelength | 620-905 nm |
| Session Duration | 30 seconds-3.8 minutes |
| Session Frequency | 1-6 per week |
| Therapy Duration | 2-60 days |
5 Human Studies on Red Light Therapy for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
COPD Patients Took More Steps After 1 PBMT Session
A crossover design gave each of 21 patients both an active treatment and a placebo in a 2019 triple-blind randomized trial of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The group of 10 women and 11 men received PBMT combining laser diodes, LEDs and a magnetic field at 640, 875 and 905 nm, applied in contact with the front and back of the thigh and the lower leg at 0.71, 16.66 and 19.44 mW/cm², 0.16, 3.8 and 4.43 J/cm², for 3.8 minutes before a 6-minute stepping test of exercise capacity. Step counts rose to 129.8 with PBMT compared with 116.1 with the placebo, an increase of about 10.6%, the researchers reported. Ratings of breathlessness and leg fatigue also appeared lower after PBMT than after the placebo.
- Study Type
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Participants
- 21
- Treated Area
- Lower Limb
- Wavelength(s)
- 640, 875, 905 nm
- Distance
- Contact
- Session Duration
- 3.8 minutes
- Session Frequency
- 2 per week
- Therapy Duration
- 14 days
Study Title: Acute effects of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) combining laser diodes, light-emitting diodes, and magnetic field in exercise capacity assessed by 6MST in patients with COPD: a crossover, randomized, and triple-blinded clinical trial.
Men With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Responded Better to Laser
Comparing low-level laser therapy (LLLT) acupuncture with breathing muscle training, a 2017 randomized controlled trial in Egypt examined immune markers in men with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). 40 men aged 55 to 65 with stable COPD were divided into a breathing muscle training group and an LLLT group, which received 904 nm laser stimulation at 5 W to set treatment points for 90 seconds per session, 6 times per week over 60 days. The trial found that a blood marker of inflammation fell and a blood measure of immune cell balance rose in both groups, with the larger change in the LLLT group.
- Study Type
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Participants
- 40
- Treated Area
- Acupuncture Points
- Wavelength(s)
- 904 nm
- Session Duration
- 90 seconds
- Session Frequency
- 6 per week
- Therapy Duration
- 60 days
Study Title: Immunomodulatory effects of two different physical therapy modalities in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Combined Laser and LED Therapy Improved Leg Strength in COPD
Leg muscle force rose by 20.2% and the total work the leg muscles did rose by 12% in a 2015 randomized trial of combined super-pulsed laser and light emitting diode (LED) phototherapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). 13 patients received a single application of the active treatment or a placebo at 6 points on the front of the thigh, using a 12-diode cluster that delivered 905, 875 and 640 nm light at 0.31, 17.5 and 15 mW per diode, in contact, for 3.8 minutes. Ratings of breathlessness and leg fatigue were lower after the active treatment than after the placebo. The authors concluded that combining super-pulsed lasers and LEDs before exercise improved muscle performance and reduced both sensations in patients with COPD.
- Study Type
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Participants
- 13
- Treated Area
- Thigh
- Wavelength(s)
- 640, 875, 905 nm
- Distance
- Contact
- Session Duration
- 3.8 minutes
- Session Frequency
- 2 per week
- Therapy Duration
- 7 days
Study Title: Phototherapy with combination of super-pulsed laser and light-emitting diodes is beneficial in improvement of muscular performance (strength and muscular endurance), dyspnea, and fatigue sensation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Leg Endurance Time Increased in COPD After 1 LEDT Session
10 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) took part in a 2014 randomized crossover trial testing light-emitting diode therapy (LEDT) against a sham application for muscle fatigue. Each patient received 1 LEDT session and 1 sham session 2 days apart, with 660 and 850 nm light applied in contact with the front of the thigh at 10 and 30 mW, 6950 mW/cm², 208.5 J/cm² and 41.7 J, for 30 seconds per site. Endurance time rose from 26 to 53 seconds after LEDT, compared with 23 to 30 seconds after the sham. The electrical signal that tracks muscle fatigue fell more slowly after LEDT than after the sham. Breathlessness ratings adjusted for endurance time also appeared lower after LEDT, so a single session may delay muscle fatigue.
- Study Type
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Participants
- 10
- Treated Area
- Thigh
- Wavelength(s)
- 660, 850 nm
- Distance
- Contact
- Session Duration
- 30 seconds
- Session Frequency
- 1 per week
- Therapy Duration
- 2 days
Study Title: Acute effects of light emitting diodes therapy (LEDT) in muscle function during isometric exercise in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: preliminary results of a randomized controlled trial.
No Lung Function Gain From PBMT in COPD, But Walking Improved
Whether a single photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) session applied to the breathing muscles could improve lung function was examined in a 2020 randomized double-blind crossover trial in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). 12 men with COPD each received 1 active session and 1 sham session 7 days apart, with a 69-diode cluster delivering 620 to 640 nm and 810 to 850 nm light in contact with the main muscles used for breathing across the neck, chest, and abdomen, at 10 and 690 mW, 50 mW/cm², 2.25 J/cm² and 15.3 to 31 J, for 45 seconds. According to the trial, the single session brought no improvement in standard breathing test measures, breathing muscle strength, or how far the chest and abdomen expanded. Distance walked in a 6-minute walking test rose by an average of 72.9 meters 24 hours after the active session, a change the authors described as clinically meaningful.
- Study Type
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Participants
- 12
- Treated Area
- Respiratory Muscles
- Wavelength(s)
- 620-640, 810-850 nm
- Distance
- Contact
- Session Duration
- 45 seconds
- Session Frequency
- 2 per week
- Therapy Duration
- 7 days
Study Title: Acute effects of photobiomodulation therapy applied to respiratory muscles of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial.
The CURE Index (Clinical Understanding of Red-light Evidence) by Helio Cure is a 0-100 evidence score based on published human clinical trials. Higher scores mean stronger evidence. Read full methodology →
Data is powered by AI and reviewed by the Helio Cure team.
This page is for educational purposes only. Not medical advice. Consult a healthcare provider before starting red light therapy. Helio Cure does not diagnose, treat, or cure any medical condition.
Last updated: Oct 08, 2026