FTC Takes Dim View of Light Therapy Device

By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

Low level light therapy (LLLT) – also known as “laser therapy” – has been touted for years as a treatment for arthritis, neck and back pain, fibromyalgia, neuropathy and even spinal cord injuries.

But in the first case of its kind, the Federal Trade Commission is going to court to get the makers of a light therapy device called the Willow Curve to stop making deceptive claims that it can treat chronic pain.

“When LLLT sellers say their devices will relieve pain, they’d better have the scientific proof to back it up,” Andrew Smith, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement. “People looking for drug-free pain relief deserve truthful information about these products.”

In a complaint filed in federal court against the inventors and marketers of the Willow Curve, the FTC alleges that Dr. Ronald Shapiro and David Sutton “personally made deceptive claims about the health benefits” of the device and falsely claimed it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat chronic pain, severe pain and inflammation.

Willow Curve is a curved plastic device that delivers low-level light and mild heat to painful areas. It’s been sold online and through retailers and healthcare professionals since 2014, most recently at a price of $799.

In a 2016 commercial, television personality Chuck Woolery said the Willow Curve offers “drug free pain relief for the digital age” and personally promised that “the Curve could change your life.”

Other advertisements tout Willow Curve as “clinically proven” and the “world’s first digital biosensory, biotherapeutic laser smart device” — even though there is no scientific evidence to support those claims, according to the FTC complaint.

The FTC also alleges that Shapiro and Sutton deceptively claimed Willow Curve comes with a “risk free money back” guarantee. In reality, consumers who returned the device had to pay shipping and handling costs, and often did not receive a refund at all or had to wait more than a year to get their money back.

The settlement imposes a $22 million judgment against the defendants, which will be partially suspended if Shapiro and Sutton each pay $200,000. It also asks the judge to issue a permanent injunction to prevent future false advertising of the Willow Curve. The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.