Effect of infrared and red monochromatic light on equine wound healing.
Authors: Michanek Peter, Toth Tamás, Bergström Evelina, Treffenberg-Pettersson Helena, Bergh Anna
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Infrared and Red Light Effects on Equine Wound Healing Swedish researchers conducted a randomised, blinded controlled trial to evaluate whether pulsating red light (637 nm) and near-infrared light (956 nm) delivered via LED could accelerate skin wound healing in horses, addressing a significant gap between widespread clinical use and scientific evidence. Eight healthy horses received matched 2 cm circular wounds on either side of the neck; one wound was treated daily with red and near-infrared light across four 5-day treatment blocks over 25 days, whilst the contralateral wound served as control, with wound area assessed via digital photoplanimetry and tissue swelling measured by ultrasound over 35 days. Neither wound area (P = 0.2–0.9) nor degree of swelling (P = 0.2–1.0) differed significantly between treated and control groups at any timepoint, and surprisingly, treated wounds took marginally longer to heal (51.8 days, 95% CI 38.7–64.8) compared with untreated controls (49.0 days, 95% CI 35.4–62.6), although this difference lacked clinical relevance. For equine practitioners utilising LED therapy for wound management, these findings suggest that current evidence does not support claims of accelerated healing with red and near-infrared monochromatic light, warranting reconsideration of treatment protocols and directing attention towards alternative or complementary wound-care strategies with demonstrated efficacy.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •LED light therapy claiming to accelerate wound healing in horses lacks scientific support; this controlled study found no benefit and potentially slower healing with treatment
- •Current evidence does not justify recommending red or near-infrared LED treatments for routine equine wound management
- •Practitioners should rely on proven wound care protocols rather than light-based treatments until higher-quality evidence emerges
Key Findings
- •Wound area did not differ between red light/NIR treated and control groups across all measurement days (P = 0.2–0.9)
- •Swelling degree showed no significant difference between treated and control wounds (P = 0.2–1.0)
- •Treated wounds took significantly longer to heal (51.8 days, 95% CI 38.7–64.8) compared to controls (49.0 days, 95% CI 35.4–62.6; P = 0.03)
- •Pulsating visible red light (637 nm) and near-infrared light (956 nm) showed no clinically relevant positive effect on experimental skin wound healing in horses