Does red light therapy help with mast cell issues?
Red light therapy is having a moment. It’s all over Instagram, and it’s been featured as a topic on multiple podcasts, patient-focused seminars, workshops, and conferences.
Clinics that provide integrative or functional medicine sometimes offer it as a service for their patients, typically for an additional charge or as part of a larger healing package.
What is red light therapy (RLT)?
Red light therapy involves exposing part or all of the body to specific light wavelengths (low-level red light or near-infrared light) using LED lamps or larger devices.
The concept of red light therapy isn’t new. Most studies that focus on aspects of RLT are from the 1980s, 90s, and early 2000s.
Claims about RLT and mast cell problems
Many practitioners and influencers have promoted red light therapy for various reasons. A recent article1 outlined several claims for red light therapy and mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), such as:
- Helps soothe excessive inflammation of MCAS
- Reduces symptoms and flares
- Supports the body in healing at a cellular level
- Soothes and stabilizes “trigger-happy mast cells”
The article called RLT an innovative treatment and a powerful therapy and noted that it can produce “impressive results.” The piece was clear that RLT can’t work alone for MCAS treatment but called it a powerful tool that can work alongside other modalities.
Research Review
The article cited several studies to support claims about red light therapy for MCAS. We will review each here.
Claim 1: Red light therapy penetrates tissues, delivers energy to the cells, and activates them with a concentrated boost.
The article1 stated that this activation sets off a “cascade of cellular changes,” including:
- Enhanced oxygen and nutrient delivery to the cells
- Increased adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy source for cells
- Enhanced cellular function for increased ability to heal and regenerate
- Boosted collagen synthesis
- Balanced cellular alkalinity and increased alkaline phosphatase (a healing and growth enzyme)
- Increased nitric oxide production and release that regulates healing and inflammation
There were three citations to support these claims.
The first citation for this section was a 2014 controlled trial that investigated how effective red light therapy was in reducing fine lines, wrinkles, and skin roughness. It also looked at whether RLT could increase collagen density and patient satisfaction.2
Here's a summary of the research:
- 128 people completed the study (105 were divided between four treatment groups and the remaining 23 served as controls). Participants were mostly female with an average of mid-40s.
- The trial was prospective, randomized, and controlled.
- The study was mainly concerned with measuring subjective views on improvement of complexion and skin feeling.
- The results found that participants who received RLT reported significant improvements in their assessments of their skin's feeling and complexion. Clinical evaluation, which included blinded assessment, noted improved collagen density and skin roughness as well as reductions in fine lines and wrinkles.
Did this citation support the claim?
- The study confirmed improved collagen synthesis.
- No, the study does not confirm how RLT can be applied for MCAS. It was focused on dermatology, and the participants were largely healthy, as people with overt medical diagnoses or photosensitivity were excluded. While this study could generate theories about how red light therapy might affect cells under other circumstances, like MCAS, this specific study can't be generalized to people with mast cell dysregulation, MCAS, or anything beyond the dermatology-related concerns that it looked at.
The second citation to support this claim was a link to a Cleveland Clinic article about red light therapy.3 This isn't a scientific article, so it can't be used to confirm claims. However, this article primarily discussed RLT for dermatology and stated that there's insufficient evidence for most other uses.
The third citation for this claim was a review article that covered theoretical relationships between red light and cellular signaling.4 It mainly covered cell studies and concepts and offered no evidence for RLT use in humans for any purpose, including MCAS.
Bottom line: These three citations do not provide evidence for the effectiveness of red light therapy in people with MCAS.
Claim 2: Red light therapy has a “particularly potent impact” on mast cells and can elicit several changes.
The article said that these mast cell changes are:
- Reduced mast cell degranulation
- Decreased inflammatory cytokines
- Increased anti-inflammatory cytokines
- Reduced overall density of mast cells in targeted tissues
- Decreased potential for localized and systemic inflammation
- Enhanced mitochondrial function and cellular energy
- More regulated and balanced immune response
To support these claims, there were three citations.
The first was an animal study.5 While animal studies have their place in the bigger picture of scientific research, they do not tell us how a therapy will work in humans.
This study can't be used to confirm this claim about red light therapy and MCAS in humans.
The second citation for this claim was a link to a Medscape article.6 Medscape reports on news and research for healthcare providers and clinicians, so while they're evidence-based, this isn't the same as citing a primary scholarly journal article. The Medscape article covered red light therapy for wound healing, anti-aging, acne, and rosacea and ultimately concluded that using RLT for dermatology was based on weak evidence.
This citation doesn't support the claim of RLT for MCAS.
The third citation was also an animal study, which can't be used to support a claim about RLT for MCAS in humans.7
Bottom line: These three citations do not support claims that red light therapy has a potent effect on human mast cells or in the treatment of MCAS.
Claim 3: Red light therapy supports long-term stability and function of mast cells.
The article stated that RLT can reduce inflammation and flares, and work as effective MCAS pain relief. It also stated that RLT can contribute to better sleep quality, increase energy levels, combat fatigue, enhance quality of life, and accelerate flare recovery.
The article referenced RLT as an “effective and accessible way” to manage MCAS because it is non-invasive and easy to use.
No citations were listed for these claims.
I searched PubMed for studies on red light therapy and mast cells, filtered only to include humans. There were only a few results. One was a 2008 study investigating human gum tissue and mast cell degranulation.8 The study involved RLT on gum tissue before removal and measurements on granulated and non-degranulated mast cells in the tissue samples. The study indicated some potential for RLT interaction with mast cells, although this study concluded that more investigation was needed before RLT could be incorporated into periodontal clinical practice.
The other was also from 2008. It involved eight healthy males (ages 25-27) and looked at mast cells as targets for wound healing and skin health. One arm of each participant was treated with near-infrared light therapy and the other was not to serve as a comparison. Two days afterward, biopsies revealed that light therapy had increased mast cell numbers but that the cells were in varying stages of degranulation. The non-treated arm had no differences in mast cells. While this could seem promising, the context was healthy males—not dysfunctional mast cells or the system-wide altered immune responses within mast cell activation syndrome. These results can only inform theories about how red light therapy interacts with mast cells in other scenarios, so this can't be used as evidence that red light therapy is effective for MCAS or mast cell dysfunction.
Bottom line: There isn't evidence to show that RLT can affect mast cell stability or function in people who have MCAS. This claim can't be supported.
Claim 4: Red light therapy supports overall health and wellness, even outside of MCAS.
The article stated that red light therapy has benefits for the following:
- Reducing wrinkles, increasing collagen, and speeding wound healing
- Soothing symptoms and inflammation with arthritis and muscle soreness
- Helping muscles recover faster after tough workouts
- Stimulating hair follicles and supporting regrowth for people with thinning hair
- Improving sleep by having a positive influence on “natural rhythms”
- Boosting the immune system and helping effectively fend off infections
- Reducing chronic pain in fibromyalgia and neuropathy
- Managing symptoms, providing relief, and improving quality of life for chronic fatigue, Lyme disease, and rheumatoid arthritis
No citations were listed in this section to support these claims.
Since this article focuses on red light therapy for MCAS, these claims will not be individually addressed. There seems to be some evidence for RLT use in dermatology for fine lines and wrinkles, as discussed earlier, although it's important to note even that research needs to be replicated in future studies to confirm the outcome. Some of the topics in this section have been addressed in smaller clinical trials, but none of the evidence appears to be substantial enough to have made RLT an established, widely adopted therapy.
Bottom line: There's little evidence for most of these claims. Before utilizing red light therapy for any condition, talk with a clinician who has personal knowledge of your health and does not have a financial conflict of interest with red light therapy (meaning that they do not make money from RLT services, which could potentially influence recommendations).
Potential drawbacks of red light therapy for MCAS
In the reviewed article, the section on potential drawbacks was further down. It noted that RLT effects can vary from person to person and that RLT could increase MCAS symptoms because of the body’s healing response. Heat sensitivity is also noted as a possible drawback.
Other drawbacks mentioned were time commitment and cost. The article stated that for RLT to work, regular sessions would be needed and that the right frequency depended on individual needs. This could range from 1-2 times per week at the beginning, 3 sessions per week for maintenance, and 4-5 times per week to address acute flares.
The article discussed the cost as a drawback. It stated that both in-home and clinical treatments with red light therapy are expensive. According to the FAQ section on the clinic’s website, private insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid are not accepted. There were no posted rates for RLT therapy.
Potential conflicts of interest
The rest of the article described the red light therapy services offered at the author's clinic and included a link to in-home products that could be purchased. It was unclear if there was an established financial or promotional relationship between the clinic and the brand. The URL appeared to have a unique identifier that could indicate an affiliation.
MCAS and falling through the healthcare cracks
Mast cell activation syndrome is poorly understood by many healthcare providers. The symptoms can be extreme. People with MCAS are often on their own to research and find answers.
The goal is not to denigrate alternative approaches to MCAS therapy. There is a possibility that red light therapy could help with MCAS. There isn't evidence from studies that it's harmful or that it absolutely doesn't work.
However, the claims about RLT for MCAS can't be verified based on evidence linked in the article or available elsewhere. For now, red light therapy for MCAS is an unsupported claim.
If a person has the means to explore therapies that don't come with established or probable benefits, and it won't lead to financial strain, that is their right. But RLT for MCAS is theoretical, at best.
What if clinicians vouch for the therapy based on their clinical experience?
Practitioners can recommend therapies based on their clinical experience, but that is a different type of evidence that isn't scientific unless a formal study is designed.
I would never suggest that a clinician has misrepresented their clinical outcomes. Practitioners want to help their patients. Thinking outside the box can’t automatically be discredited. Both complementary and conventional care providers have been known to do this (for example, medication prescribed for off-label reasons).
But some complexities need to be considered:
- It’s impossible to fact-check a clinician’s patient records and outcomes unless the clinician gets approval and publishes the results as a case study or retrospective observational study.
- Even if a clinician sees 100 patients improve with a single therapy, like RLT, we can’t say for sure that the treatment led to the improvement. Why? Confounding factors.
Given the available evidence, claims that red light therapy can be used for MCAS appear to be overstated and cannot be confirmed as evidence-based.
As new research becomes available, this article will be updated.
References
- https:// drtaniadempsey.com/red-light-therapy-for-mcas-could-it-be-a-promising-approach/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3926176/
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22114-red-light-therapy
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2996814/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1011134410000023
- https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/499713_5
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24554451/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18637717/
- https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/islsm/17/3/17_3_141/_pdf