Management of osteoarthritis pain using green light therapy

Giving pain relief the green light

Almost two-thirds of people with osteoarthritis do not experience adequate pain relief. The drugs used to control their pain don’t work for everyone and can have harmful side effects. Non-drug therapies could offer a safe and beneficial means of managing pain without producing drug-related harm. In people with chronic pain from fibromyalgia or migraine, recent research showed that illuminating a room with dim, green light can produce long-lasting pain reduction. Dr. Jason McDougall will be the first to examine the effect of green light therapy on osteoarthritis pain, first in an animal model of arthritis, and second by investigating its ability to reduce pain and stress in a small group of people with osteoarthritis. If successful, these findings will reveal an innovative, simple, safe, and effective means of treating osteoarthritis and other joint pain disorders.