Glow of Wellness Coming From Red Light Therapy
Reporter: Joe Ross / Producer: Aimee Radatz
There’s a growing body of research from Harvard to the Cleveland Clinic supporting the broad wellness effects of Red Light Therapies (RLT). Starting in the late 1980s NASA scientists legitimized the therapy in research looking for ways to improve astronauts’ health during space flights. U.S. Navy tested RLT on sailors with training injuries. The tests produced more than a 40 percent greater improvement in musculoskeletal injuries and a 50 percent faster healing time for lacerations, compared to control groups.
Medical doctors, chiropractors and other health care professionals are boosting wellness with Red Light Therapies.
CR News Report Conclusion:
There’s a growing body of research supporting the broad wellness effects of Red Light Therapies (RLT). NASA scientists legitimized the therapy in research looking for ways to improve astronauts’ health during space flights. Their research helped demystify, legitimize, and simplify medical uses for long known but little understood light therapy.
A multitude of studies and research institutions show the positive aspects of RLT. They also concur more research is needed to clarify the growing list of ailments RLT improves on and to what degree it improves health.
The key to successful treatments is the dosage of light focused on a specific body area. If the dose is not at the correct level, the treatment will not be effective. Lower doses target more surface-level issues while higher doses can be used to treat deep tissue and joint pain. It is recommended you consult with a medical/health care professional trained in the specific RTL tool used. Trained RTL practitioners can determine the dosage you should receive to target the area you need treated.
Light therapy is safe and has measurable effects in the brain, according to a pioneering study by researchers from the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).
This study is one of the first prospective, randomized, interventional clinical trials of near-infrared, low-level light therapy (LLLT) in patients who recently suffered a moderate brain injury. If further trials support these findings, light therapy could become the first widely-accepted treatment for this type of injury.
Over the past few years, Red Light Therapy (RLT) has taken off in medicine where lights are used as surgical lasers and skincare treatments. Medical practices, including chiropractic care also use it as a healing tool. The therapy is much more complex than the devices you can purchase online and can be used for a variety of reasons, including treatment of burns, acne, redness, wrinkles, joint pain, and muscle recovery. RLT has shown immaculate results in patients.
Red Light Therapy works by using red light wavelengths to target the Mitochondria or “powerhouse of the cell.” Energy produced by the mitochondria is transferred to a molecule called Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) that helps bodies store and use energy. As people get older, ATP levels decrease, resulting in the physical effects of aging. RLT stimulates your cells to help reverse these impacts.
This study is one of the first prospective, randomized, interventional clinical trials of near-infrared, low-level light therapy (LLLT) in patients who recently suffered a moderate brain injury. If further trials support these findings, light therapy could become the first widely-accepted treatment for this type of injury.
Dr. Amy Blasen of Lansing Michigan explains red light therapy beds boost the body’s natural healing cycle. Her clinic’s RLT bed has all four wavelengths and is cleared by the FDA.
Joe Ross is a reporter at CR News
CR News broadcasts on social media channels covering complex issues and under reported stories. We focus on Michigan and Midwest topics.
