Research on laser therapy for chronic low back pain is mixed. Some reviews find short-term pain relief over a sham treatment; a 2020 review found the effect too small to matter, and Cochrane called the data too thin for firm conclusions. We use MLS laser for chronic low back pain after an exam, as a course of short sessions with no downtime.
How does laser light work on a sore back?
An MLS laser fires two wavelengths in step: 808 nm as a steady beam aimed at swelling and inflammation, and 905 nm in short bursts aimed at pain. The proposed mechanism is photobiomodulation, red and near-infrared light absorbed inside cells, with an enzyme in the mitochondria called cytochrome c oxidase long proposed as one place the light acts. It isn’t settled: a 2025 review notes that a rigorous study of isolated mitochondria could not reproduce the earlier biochemical findings.
What does a course look like from first visit to the weeks after?
- Before the first session. Dr. Gurj Kalay, DC, first works out what’s behind your back pain, then whether laser belongs in your plan. Share your symptoms, diagnoses, medications and supplements, and any reaction you’ve had to treatment before.
- At each session. You lie comfortably and put on protective glasses. The laser head sits just above your lower back and moves over the area on its own for about 15 minutes. Most people feel a gentle warmth or a slight tingle, if anything.
- The first days. There’s no downtime, so work or errands can come next. Notice how your back feels over the next day or so and mention it at your next visit.
- Over the course. The effect is meant to build from one session to the next, so laser runs as a course rather than a single visit, and progress is reviewed as you go. A short note of what feels easier or harder day to day tells you more than any one visit.
- When a disc is the cause. If the exam finds a bulging or herniated disc behind the pain, spinal decompression leads the care for the disc, as our disc injury page explains.
What’s normal afterward, and what isn’t?
Temporary warmth, redness or mild tingling where you were treated, or a brief rise in soreness, are the responses generally described, and they are mild and short-lived. A burn is never an expected response. Uncomfortable heat during a session, or a change in your skin afterward, is a reason to tell the clinician straight away rather than waiting it out.
Some back pain needs a medical doctor first, not laser: new weakness or numbness in a leg, changes in bladder or bowel control, numbness around the groin, or pain that is severe or getting worse quickly.
What does the research show for low back pain?
The more positive reviews find short-term relief. A 2016 meta-analysis of 15 sham-controlled trials with 1,039 people found moderate-quality evidence of a clinically important benefit in the short term, though only at higher laser doses. A 2015 meta-analysis of 7 trials and 394 patients found lower pain scores than placebo after treatment, but no effect on disability or range of motion.
Other reviews are less encouraging. The 2008 Cochrane review found pain relief over sham that was statistically significant but clinically unimportant, found laser plus exercise no better than exercise alone, and called the data insufficient for firm conclusions. A 2020 review of 12 trials and 1,046 people concluded that current evidence does not support photobiomodulation for reducing pain and disability in non-specific low back pain.
Guidelines split the same way. The American College of Physicians’ 2017 guideline lists low-level laser therapy among the first treatments to consider for chronic low back pain, on low-quality evidence, while NICE’s guideline on low back pain makes no recommendation on laser either way. These reviews studied low-level laser in general, not MLS specifically. The evidence on nerve symptoms in the hands and feet is in our post on laser therapy for neuropathy.
Does laser therapy help a herniated or bulging disc?
Only small trials have tested it. A 2026 sham-controlled trial of 40 people with a herniated lumbar disc and leg symptoms reported less pain and better function after six weeks of high-intensity laser, but one small study can’t settle the question. When a disc is pressing on a nerve, decompression is the care aimed at the disc itself.
Does laser therapy help back pain from sciatica?
The evidence is limited. In a 2024 trial of 75 people with sciatica from a herniated disc, laser eased leg and nerve pain more than TENS, and the only effect still present at the three-month check was the improvement in leg pain. Our sciatica page covers what usually causes it and how it’s treated.
Does it help back pain that’s been there for years?
The reviews above mostly studied chronic back pain, so long-standing pain is what the research covers. In the 2016 meta-analysis, the clinically important benefit showed up in people who had had back pain for a shorter time. Your exam and how you respond over the first sessions are what tell you whether it is worth continuing.
Can I have laser therapy on my back if I have a pacemaker or a tattoo over the area?
Mention both before you start. A 2026 review treats a tattoo or dense pigment over the area as a reason for extra caution, since it can absorb more light and feel warmer, and says implanted electronic devices should be assessed by device type and the manufacturer’s safety information rather than ruled out across the board. Another review adds that medications such as tetracycline, and St. John’s Wort, can make skin more sensitive to light, and that treating directly over a pregnancy should be avoided.
If your low back pain keeps coming back, book an exam to find what’s behind it and whether laser belongs in your plan. Our blog has more on back pain and its care.
Sources
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- Huang Z et al. “The effectiveness of low-level laser therapy for nonspecific chronic low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.” Arthritis Res Ther, 2015;17:360. PubMed 26667480
- Glazov G, Yelland M, Emery J. “Low-level laser therapy for chronic non-specific low back pain: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.” Acupunct Med, 2016;34(5):328–341. PubMed 27207675
- Tomazoni SS et al. “Photobiomodulation therapy does not decrease pain and disability in people with non-specific low back pain: a systematic review.” J Physiother, 2020;66(3):155–165. PubMed 32680739
- Qaseem A et al. “Noninvasive Treatments for Acute, Subacute, and Chronic Low Back Pain: A Clinical Practice Guideline From the American College of Physicians.” Ann Intern Med, 2017;166(7):514–530. PubMed 28192789
- “Low back pain and sciatica in over 16s: assessment and management” (NG59), Recommendations. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. nice.org.uk
- Karagül S et al. “Comparison of the Effectiveness of TENS and Low-Level Laser Therapy Applied to the Sciatic Nerve Region in Chronic Lumbar Radiculopathy.” J Lasers Med Sci, 2024;15:e13. PubMed 39050992
- Mohammed WAA et al. “Effect of High-Intensity Laser Therapy on Disc Size and Functional Outcome in Patients with Lumbar Disc Herniation.” Photobiomodul Photomed Laser Surg, 2026;44(8):505–512. PubMed 42380073
- Shi L et al. “Red and near-infrared photobiomodulation in precision medicine: mechanisms, dosimetry, and clinical translation.” Lasers Med Sci, 2026. PMC13714148
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