Photobiomodulation for Sports Injuries: Faster Recovery, Less Pain

clinician applying laser to knee
High-Intensity Laser Therapy
July 31, 2025

When athletes get sidelined by injury, every day of recovery matters. Whether it’s a pulled hamstring, sprained joint, or overuse fatigue, the goal is always the same: return to peak performance as quickly and safely as possible.

That’s where photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) comes in. Used by professional sports teams and elite trainers, PBMT helps reduce pain, stimulate the body’s tissue repair pathways, and shorten downtime—without drugs or invasive procedures.

 

Here’s What You Really Need to Know

Photobiomodulation therapy uses targeted light to help athletes recover from injuries and return to sport  faster by reducing pain, boosting circulation, and accelerating the body’s natural cellular repair processes. 

The Athletic Demand for Faster Recovery

Athletes are constantly pushing their limits—and their bodies. From professional sports to weekend warriors, injuries are common, including:

  • Muscle strains 
  • Tendonitis
  • Ligament sprains
  • Joint pain
  • Overuse and fatigue injuries

Traditional approaches like ice, rest, and NSAIDs offer temporary relief; however, PBMT has become a go-to therapy in sports medicine for its ability to impact pain at the cellular level.

How PBMT Works for Athletic Recovery

PBMT can be delivered via high-intensity lasers, like LightForce therapy lasers, which deliver precise wavelengths of near-infrared light to injured tissues. These photons:

  • Stimulate mitochondrial ATP production for energy
  • Impact the inflammatory cascade
  • Temporarily improve blood flow and oxygen delivery
  • Impact the pain signaling pathways

The result? Recovery happens faster, pain is reduced, and mobility improves.

 

Real Benefits for Athletes

1. Shorter Downtime

PBMT promotes quicker recovery from soft tissue injuries, helping athletes get back in the game faster.

2. Reduced Muscle Soreness

PBMT can help minimize delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), especially after intense training or competition.

3. Drug-Free Recovery

No reliance on anti-inflammatories or opioids—PBMT is a non-invasive, non-pharmacological treatment option.

Who Uses PBMT? Top-Level Athletes and Trainers

Photobiomodulation is trusted by:

  • NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS, and other professional league athletic trainers
  • Olympic physical therapists and chiropractors
  • College sports programs
  • Personal trainers and strength coaches
  • Professional athletes

Teams use PBMT both proactively (to address minor aches and pains between games) and reactively (to treat injuries).

Pain Associated with these Sports Injuries are Commonly Treated with PBMT

Injury PBMT Effective?
Hamstring tendinopathy¹  Yes
Achilles tendonitis²  Yes
Tennis elbow³  Yes
Frozen Shoulder4  Yes
Plantar fasciitis5  Yes

 

LightForce®: The Athlete’s Recovery Laser

LightForce® lasers are used by leading sports medicine professionals to deliver fast, powerful, and precise treatment for athletic injuries. Unlike LED devices or generic red light panels, our Class IV therapy lasers:

  • Deliver deeper tissue penetration
  • Provide preset protocols for multiple conditions
  • Are trusted by elite sports organizations around the world for quick and powerful results

See why LightForce Laser Therapy is the trusted choice for photobiomodulation therapy in sports recovery.

Sources:

  1. Verma S, Esht V, Chahal A, et al. Effectiveness of High Power Laser Therapy on Pain and Isokinetic Peak Torque in Athletes with Proximal Hamstring Tendinopathy: A Randomized Trial. Biomed Res Int. 2022;2022:4133883. Published 2022 May 20. doi:10.1155/2022/4133883
  2. Tumilty S, Mani R, Baxter GD. Photobiomodulation and eccentric exercise for Achilles tendinopathy: a randomized controlled trial. Lasers Med Sci. 2016;31(1):127-135. doi:10.1007/s10103-015-1840-4
  3. Roberts DB, Kruse RJ, Stoll SF. The effectiveness of therapeutic class IV (10 W) laser treatment for epicondylitis. Lasers Surg Med. 2013 Jul;45(5):311-7. doi: 10.1002/lsm.22140. Epub 2013 Jun 3. PMID: 23733499. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23733499/
  4. de la Barra Ortiz HA, Parizotto N, Arias M, Liebano R. Effectiveness of high-intensity laser therapy in the treatment of patients with frozen shoulder: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lasers Med Sci. 2023;38(1):266. Published 2023 Nov 20. doi:10.1007/s10103-023-03901-3
  5. Ordahan B, Karahan AY, Kaydok E. The effect of high-intensity versus low-level laser therapy in the management of plantar fasciitis: a randomized clinical trial. Lasers in Medical Science. 2018;33(6):1363-1369. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-018-2497-6
     
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HILT PBMT Athletes