Photobiomodulation in Chiswick W4
Whole-body red and near-infrared light, used alongside exercise and your GP's care. Below is what 14 clinical trials and 4 reviews found, including the trials where it did not help, with a link to every study.
Quick answer
It may ease pain for some people, mainly in the short term. In four small placebo-controlled trials, a course of red or near-infrared light reduced pain or tender points more than a sham device, although other placebo-controlled trials found no difference. Three trials that added light to an exercise programme found no extra benefit, the trials are small, and reviews rate the evidence as low to moderate quality, or lower. Red light therapy is not a cure, and it is not a NICE-recommended treatment, so we offer it as a supportive option alongside the treatments that are.
Before you book: fibromyalgia should be diagnosed by a GP or rheumatologist, because other conditions can cause widespread pain. Keep taking any prescribed medicine. If you have a diagnosis and want to try light therapy, a NovoTHOR red light therapy session costs £70 for 20 minutes. Book online or call 020 4515 0000.
The condition
Fibromyalgia is a long-term condition that causes pain all over the body. The NHS lists extreme sensitivity to pain, stiffness, fatigue, poor sleep and problems with memory and concentration (often called fibro fog) among its main symptoms. Symptoms can improve or flare without warning.
There is no single test for it. Doctors make the diagnosis from your symptoms and by ruling out other causes, which is why blood tests are often part of the process. Our guide to how fibromyalgia is diagnosed explains the steps, and our fibromyalgia page covers symptoms, causes and every treatment we offer.
The treatment
Red light therapy, also called photobiomodulation or PBM, shines low-power red and near-infrared light onto the skin. It does not burn, tan or use ultraviolet light. Researchers think the light is absorbed by mitochondria, the energy-producing parts of cells, and that this may affect pain signalling, inflammation and tissue repair. The exact way it might help fibromyalgia is not yet known.
We use two devices. The NovoTHOR bed covers the whole body in one session, and it is the type of bed used in the only whole-body trial below. The THOR laser treats one area at a time, closer to the tender-point method used in many of the older laser trials. Our guide to laser vs LED photobiomodulation explains the difference.
The evidence
These are the randomised trials of red light and laser therapy for fibromyalgia in our clinic's research folder, checked against their published records. Three papers report the same whole-body trial, so 16 papers cover 14 trials. We have grouped each trial by what it actually compared, because people improve in most trials, including those given a sham device.
The laser group improved more on pain, pressure pain threshold, symptom impact and quality of life than the exercise-only group.
This used a high-power laser rather than red light, and without a sham device a placebo effect cannot be ruled out.
Every treated group had less pain and better quality of life by the end, including the group given placebo light with exercise. There were no differences between the groups, and light therapy on its own was no better than the untreated control group.
Pain was lower than in the placebo group at the end of treatment and two weeks later, and quality of life, activity levels, confidence and fear of movement improved. Pain was still lower at six months, although not at the three-month check. A further paper, covering 40 of the participants, reported changes in pressure pain threshold, tissue elasticity and daily blood pressure rhythm.
This trial was funded by a THOR Photomedicine author, and two of the four authors work for THOR Photomedicine, the maker of the NovoTHOR bed.
The treated group had fewer tender points and lower pain than the placebo group at the end of treatment and four weeks later. No side effects were reported.
The device combined light with a magnetic field, so the result cannot be put down to light alone. One author works for the device maker.
Pain intensity and symptom severity fell in the laser group compared with the control group. Heart rate variability did not change.
A small pilot with no sham device. Omnia does not offer laser acupuncture.
Both groups had less pain and better function, mood and quality of life. Adding laser to the exercise programme did not improve the results.
Light therapy and exercise both raised pain thresholds, and the authors reported the strongest effect when the two were combined. The published summary does not set out clear comparisons between the groups.
Pain in the jaw and face fell in both groups, and the laser worked as well as lidocaine injections into the tender points.
People with fibromyalgia and jaw joint problems improved with laser compared with before treatment, but there were no differences between the laser and splint groups.
The laser group had less pain during activity and less anxiety, but the placebo and taping groups also improved on night pain and daily function. The authors suggested taping as an alternative to laser.
Tender points fell in both groups. Pain scores and the impact of fibromyalgia on daily life improved after the 670 nm laser, and the authors reported a better result than placebo.
Very small, and the published summary compares each group with its own starting point rather than comparing the groups directly.
Both groups had less pain and better quality of life. The laser gave no extra benefit on top of muscle stretching.
Laser reduced pain and fatigue more than the other two groups. Low-dose amitriptyline did better for low mood. The placebo group also improved on several measures.
Both groups improved, but the laser group did better on pain, muscle spasm, morning stiffness and the number of tender points. No side effects were reported.
Also in the folder: the published protocol for a planned trial of light therapy and exercise in women with fibromyalgia and jaw problems (da Silva et al, 2015). It describes a study design and reports no results. The study summaries in our folder were supplied by THOR Photomedicine; every summary on this page was written by us from the published record.
The bigger picture
Reviews pool trials together, so they give a fairer picture than any single study.
Nine trials, 325 people. Laser beat placebo on symptom impact, pain, tender points, fatigue, stiffness, anxiety and depression. Added to a standard exercise programme, it added nothing measurable. The authors rated the trials low to middle quality. Read on PubMed
Across physical treatments for fibromyalgia, laser reduced tender points and symptom impact scores, but not pain scores. Read on PubMed
A comparison of 54 studies of electrical and light-based treatments. Laser ranked well for pain, but for pain only TENS and microcurrent clearly beat a control. Evidence was low to moderate quality. Read on PubMed
Combining light therapy with exercise gave no measurable gain over exercise by itself, and the evidence was rated very low certainty. Read on PubMed
In short: on its own, compared with a sham device, light therapy has helped some people with fibromyalgia in small trials. Added to a good exercise programme, it has mostly not shown extra benefit. Better, larger trials are still needed.
UK guidance
The three main treatments are exercise, talking therapies such as CBT and ACT, and medicines. The NHS says no single treatment works for every symptom, and does not mention light therapy. NHS fibromyalgia treatment
For chronic primary pain, which includes fibromyalgia, NICE recommends supervised group exercise, psychological therapy, certain antidepressants and a single course of acupuncture. It makes no recommendation for laser therapy and lists it as a research priority. NICE guideline NG193
The European recommendations rate exercise as the only strongly recommended non-drug treatment. Weak recommendations include acupuncture, hydrotherapy, tai chi, qigong, yoga, mindfulness and CBT. Evidence on light therapy was too limited to make one. EULAR recommendations
At our clinic
Because the evidence is strongest for exercise, we use light therapy as one part of a wider plan, never as a replacement for it or for the care your GP gives. NovoTHOR sessions can sit alongside physiotherapy for paced exercise, tai chi and qi gong classes or acupuncture.
The whole-body trial used 12 sessions of 20 minutes over four weeks, three a week. Other trials ran from two to twelve weeks. We agree a plan with you at your first visit, review how you are doing after a few sessions, and stop if it is not helping.
We go through your diagnosis, medicines and any reasons light therapy may not suit you.
You lie in the NovoTHOR bed for 20 minutes wearing protective eyewear. Most people feel gentle warmth or nothing at all, and many use the time to rest.
You can go straight back to your day. There is no recovery time.
We check your pain, sleep and energy against how you started, then decide together whether to continue.
Safety
Most trials reported no side effects, although not all of them recorded side effects carefully. Tell us before your first session if any of these apply, as we may change the treatment or advise against it:
See a GP urgently if your pain changes suddenly, you have unexplained weight loss, fever or night sweats, or new weakness or numbness. If you are struggling with low mood, speak to your GP. Read more on whether red light therapy is safe.
Prices
| Treatment | Length | Price |
|---|---|---|
| NovoTHOR whole-body red light | 20 minutes | £70 |
| THOR laser, targeted to tender areas | 30 minutes | £80 |
| Omnia Red membership | 8 NovoTHOR sessions a month | £225 |
Red light therapy for fibromyalgia is not routinely available on the NHS.
Questions
For some people it may reduce pain in the short term. Four small placebo-controlled trials found less pain or fewer tender points than with a sham device, but other trials found no difference, and three found no extra benefit when it was added to exercise. Reviews rate the evidence as low to moderate quality, or lower, so it is best seen as a supportive option, not a cure.
The whole-body trial used 12 sessions of 20 minutes over four weeks, three a week. Other trials used 6 to 24 sessions. We agree a plan at your first visit and review it after a few sessions, so you are not committed to a long course if it is not helping.
Most trials only measured results at the end of treatment or a few weeks later. One whole-body trial found pain was still lower than placebo at six months, but not at three months, so the long-term picture is unclear.
If your pain is widespread, the NovoTHOR bed covers the whole body in one 20-minute session for £70. The THOR laser treats specific tender areas and costs £80 for 30 minutes. We can advise at your first visit.
No. Do not stop or change prescribed medicine without speaking to your GP. Exercise has the strongest evidence for fibromyalgia, and trials suggest light therapy adds little on top of a good exercise programme.
No. Red light therapy uses specific red and near-infrared wavelengths at low power and does not aim to heat the body. An infrared sauna works by raising your body temperature. Fibromyalgia trials tested light therapy, not saunas.
Not routinely. NICE has not recommended laser therapy for chronic primary pain and lists it as an area for more research. At Omnia, a NovoTHOR session costs £70.
Getting to our Chiswick clinic
Omnia Lifestyle, 8 to 9 Bedford Corner, The Avenue, Chiswick, London W4 1LZ. A short walk from Turnham Green station on the District line, with buses 94, E3 and 272 nearby. Limited parking is available on request when booking.
Book red light therapy in Chiswick: NovoTHOR £70 for 20 minutes. Book online or call 020 4515 0000.
Last reviewed 14 October 2026. This page is for information and does not replace advice from your GP.
Find us
Omnia Lifestyle
8-9 Bedford Corner, The Avenue
Chiswick, London W4 1LZ
A few minutes’ walk from Turnham Green station on the District line.
Copyright © Omnia Lifestyle Limited 2026
8-9, Bedford Corner, W4 1LZ
