We all know light is essential for various biological processes. However, many people are unaware that red light is considered the most beneficial light source in the natural light spectrum. Modern medicine has long proven that the human body needs adequate red light to function optimally. Red light therapy, also called photobiomodulation (PBM), is not just an alternative form of medicine. It is a non-invasive and painless innovative technology that emits 600-700 nm red and near-infrared light waves through a special filter. These anti-inflammatory light waves precisely penetrate the human body to promote blood circulation, enhance immunity and metabolism, etc. Nowadays, many clinics, health centers, spas, and gyms worldwide have introduced various kinds of red light therapy equipment to combat chronic diseases.
Red light therapy has gained recognition over a hundred years as a powerful treatment for rehabilitation and recovery in various fields, including sports medicine, physiotherapy, and general well-being. Let's look into the healing potential of red light therapy.
1. Red Light as a Potent Analgesic
Millions of people worldwide have arthritis and suffer from musculoskeletal pain. Over the past three decades, red light has been proven to reduce pain and enhance muscle recovery and growth. Red light therapy is a safe treatment for chronic pain and inflammation relief. It works effectively by stimulating various body tissues through acupuncture points and skin layers. Since the depth of penetration of red light through the skin is 8-10m and about 80% of the energy is absorbed in the first 2cm, it can affect nerves, tendons, muscles, ligaments, joints, and bones. A study published in the Journal of Lasers Med Sci demonstrated that red light therapy reduces pain in patients with lower and upper limb bone fractures.
Red light not only improves physical function but also prevents muscle soreness and fatigue after a workout. Before exercise, a red light bath generates enough heat in the body and makes it less prone to soreness, and after a workout, it can reduce knee muscle fatigue.
Red and near-infrared light can reach deep into the muscles and joints,
- Healthy, natural red light stimulates mitochondria (the power source of cells), increasing cellular metabolism and glycogen content, protein synthesis, and adenosine triphosphate breakdown. As a result, it promotes cell synthesis, helps the body self-energize, regenerates tissue, heals faster, andreduces joint pain.
- Causes vasodilation, accelerates blood flow, and strengthens tissue nutrient metabolism. Improved blood circulation removes excess fluid, cellular debris, and inflammatory substances, relieving internal soreness and swelling.
- Reduce skeletal muscle tone, relax gastrointestinal smooth muscle, and relieve muscle spasms caused by stress.
- Block the conduction of nerve fibers by decreasing pain signals sent to the brain and stimulating the release of endorphins, a natural muscle pain and stiffness relieving compound.
2. Red Light Therapy, a Magical Wound Healer
Whether you have an injury due to an accident or wounds and scars left after surgery, red and near-infrared lights, "resonance" and "penetration" and warming effects accelerate the self-healing process by triggering a cascade of therapeutic responses.
If the wound is severe, can it heal more quickly? Red light therapy can not only reduce pain but also shorten the wound healing time without scarring. Red light therapy is one of the most promising applications as a safe antibacterial device. When photosensitizers are exposed to red light, they generate toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) to eliminate pathogens. The wound infected by the bacteria does not heal quickly and disrupts the differentiation of fibroblasts, eventually directly damaging other normal tissues and the immune system in the body. Red light after surgery can help promote local blood circulation and wound healing.
In a clinical trial, Trelles and Allones administered 633 nm red light treatment (20 minutes, 96 J/cm²) to patients after eyelid ablative laser surgery. The findings showed that the wound healing time on the side treated with red light was shortened, and the erythema and edema were reduced compared with the side treated with red light.
Wound healing is a complex repair process. Red light acts on all phases of wound healing, i.e., cell proliferation, metabolism, and release of various active factors.
- The biological stimulation of red light can effectively promote the proliferation of tissue fibroblasts and endothelial cells, increase cell metabolism, and rapid wound healing.
- Strengthen intravascular cell repair and reduce exudation, which prevents complications such as infection and minimizes discomfort for the patient.
- Enhance the phagocytosis (cell self-digestion) of white blood cells, improve the body's immunity, and promote the dissipation of inflammation.
3. Red Light Therapy as a Metabolism Booster
Malfunctioning body metabolism is known to be a root cause of several chronic disorders-for example, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, gout, obesity, etc. Red light has been shown to improve thyroid hormone production in hypothyroidism, a condition in which the body produces low energy due to low hormone activity or slow metabolism of the thyroid gland. Red light therapy activates cells at the metabolic level. This can affect how the body processes nutrients and energy, improving physiological function, weight loss, and vitality.
4. Red Light Therapy Bone Strengthening
In addition to a healthy lifestyle, a magical red light has great benefits for bones. Red light baths can increase bone mineralization by regulating bone growth factors and stimulating osteoblast activity. In rodent models, it has also shown a very positive effect in the treatment of osteoporosis. A 2017 study analyzed red light for age-related osteoporosis in rats. The researchers found that red light therapy could "effectively improve osteoporosis, increase bone mineral density, improve bone structure, and biomechanical performance in older rats."
The wavelength of red light can penetrate deep tissues and bones, stimulate mitochondria in cells, and help the body produce more collagen to self-energize, regenerate, and heal. Collagen is the most abundant and widely dispersed protein in the human body and is crucial for bone strength.
Red Light Therapy Equipment
Red light therapy devices have many advantages, such as precise penetration, low toxicity, high efficiency, stable performance, and biomodulation effect. So, it is considered one of the most ideal light sources in healthcare. Moreover, it contains no harmful substances such as mercury and lead. It has no far infrared and ultraviolet rays and does not cause any environmental pollution during use.
Bestqool provides a unique range of high-quality red light therapy devices. In addition to high experience efficiency, they are simple and lightweight to use. With the whole body red light therapy pro200, you can experience a professional health service anytime, even if it is inconvenient to leave home.
Sources and References:
[1] Glass G. E. (2021). Photobiomodulation: The Clinical Applications of Low-Level Light Therapy. Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 41(6), 723–738.
[2] Neto, F. C. J., Martimbianco, A. L. C., de Andrade, R. P., Bussadori, S. K., Mesquita-Ferrari, R. A., & Fernandes, K. P. S. (2020). Effects of photobio-modulation in the treatment of fractures; systematic review & meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials Lasers in medical science, 35(3), 513–522.
[3] Ishiguro, M., Ikeda, K., & Tomita, K. (2010). Effect of near-infrared light-emitting diodes on nerve regeneration. Journal of orthopaedic science journal of the Japanese Orthopaedic Association, 15(2), 233–239.
[4] Trelles, M. A., & Allones, I. (2006). Red light-emitting diode (LED) therapy accelerates wound healing post-blepharoplasty and periocular laser ablative resurfacing. Journal of cosmetic & laser therapy;official publication of the European Society for Laser Dermatology, 8(1), 39–42.
[5] Zhu, L., Gao, X., Lv, Y., Yu, S., Tang, L., & Liu, T. C. (2023). Integrated Dose-Effect Relationship of Near-Infrared Light-Emitting Diode Light on Bone Regeneration in Disuse Osteoporosis Rats. Photobiomodulation, photomedicine, and laser surgery, 41(7), 312–319.
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