Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) is a kind of light therapy that exposes biological tissue to a specific wavelength light source according to different therapeutic purposes, and has been used in stomatology, dermatology, osteology and other fields for a long time. In the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA), a large number of clinical practices and basic medical researches have confirmed that PBMT, as a physical therapy, can effectively reduce the pain of patients with OA, promote the metabolism and clearance of inflammatory factors, significantly enhance the repair ability of tissues, and accelerate the regeneration of different tissues and nerves, providing a new treatment option for patients with OA. However, the specific operation and dose control of PBMT in practical applications have not yet formed a unified standard, and the evaluation of therapeutic effect is subjective and uncertain, and there is still a large space for exploration. Although a number of review articles have explored this aspect, the anti-inflammatory effects of PBMT are mainly discussed through the treatment of OA with PBMT, ignoring the holistic nature of OA as a disease involving whole joint tissues and the complexity of the effects of PBMT on OA. This paper system-atically reviews the application of PBMT in the non-surgical and surgical treatment of OA, considers the limitations of PBMT in the overall treatment of OA, pays special attention to the problems existing in the actual operation of PBMT, and analyzes in depth the future development trend, so as to provide references for the development of advanced OA treatment methods and medical devices by making full use of the characteristics of PBMT, which are non-invasive, painless and without side effects.