SYH Staff – Page 10 – Shape Your Happiness

Red Light Therapy: Benefits and Side Effects Red Light Therapy is a newer form of therapy which has caused scientists to get busy conducting studies so they can further confirm the benefits and side effects of the therapy. As of now, doctors and clinical psychologists have performed several studies to figure out what the side effects and benefits are for people who take part in red light therapy. Through these studies, professionals have been able to build a strong list of the benefits and side effects. However, they also have a strong list of information they continue to research. In Red Light Therapy, low-level wavelengths of light are used to help people who have certain skin conditions they want to improve. These conditions range from wrinkles to skin conditions and scars. Most people who use Red Light Therapy say it does work to treat the conditions they’ve gone in for, which is a definite benefit. This type of therapy has even helped people who suffer from Achilles' tendons as it helped relieve their inflammation and pain. Patients have reported a variety of side effects such as insomnia, eye strain, headaches, and mood swings. While Red Light Therapy is on the newer side of therapeutic approach, the more professionals study it and the more people try it, the more we learn about Red Light Therapy. Through the years, we’ve learned about nearly a dozen benefits which have helped hundreds of people feel better about themselves. We’ve also started to learn the side effects, both positive and negative, about Red Light Therapy. Tid Bits of Red Light Therapy Red Light Therapy came about in the 1990s. During this time, scientists realized how much the light helped the growth of plants. From there, scientists decided to see how it could help humans as a form of medicine. Over time, they came to realize that it worked great in helping people with skin conditions and scars. Red Light Therapy has been called many things in the past, such as cold laser therapy, soft laser therapy, photobiomodulation, and low-level light therapy. So this might not be the first time you’ve heard about it, just the first time you’ve heard it under its current name. What is Red Light Therapy Used For? Over the last couple of decades, scientists have been finding out what they can about Red Light Therapy including its uses, benefits, and side effects. So far, it has been used to help a variety of people with skin conditions, wounds, and other injuries. Some of the many results through hundreds of studies have concluded that it can help people who suffer from carpal tunnel and can help some patients with reducing their side effects from cancer. Red Light Therapy has helped with easing oral mucositis, a severe side effect which is found in patients suffering from neck and brain cancer. On top of these conditions, Red Light Therapy is used for a variety of other conditions, such as healing wounds, whether it's from diabetic foot ulcers or other types of wounds. It has also been used to help heal skin damage, stop cold sores from recurring, help reduce scars, and promote hair growth for those who need it. Because scientists aren’t completely sure what Red Light Therapy can do and what it can’t, they’ve even tried some things that might work with it. Some of these conditions were treating mental illnesses, such as seasonal affective disorder and depression, help one lose weight, help fight acne, treat cancer, and boost the immune system. The Benefits That Red Light Therapy Might Hold Through all the research and studies, scientists have been able to find a few benefits that Red Light Therapy seems to produce. One of these benefits is improving blood flow. Just like heat, Red Light Therapy decreases the body’s resistance to constrict blood vessels, which makes it easier for blood to flow through the body. There is an added benefit to this, which is more oxygen reaching the blood. If a person is lacking oxygen in their blood, they can suffer from many diseases, some of which they aren’t even aware of. Another benefit which has helped a lot of people in the studies is reducing their amount of pain. The therapy helps in this way because it can reduce conditions such as joint stiffness, inflammation, and muscle spasms. All of these conditions often make people feel they’re in pain. As stated above, Red Light Therapy helps relieve joint stiffness and muscle spasms. It works for joint stiffness because heat helps relieve pain by up to 20%. While there are still studies to be done to confirm that Red Light Therapy can relieve that much pain or more, it’s known to relieve some. One of the reasons that Red Light Therapy can reduce muscle spasms is because it allows muscles to relax and provides more oxygen in the blood. Increased brain function seems to be another big benefit, especially for people who have survived traumatic brain injuries. Studies have known that patients who accept Red Light Therapy as a treatment not only noticed relief with depression and anxiety but also improved brain functioning when performing tasks or in social settings. These patients also noticed their sleep improved during and after they used Red Light Therapy. The Side Effects of Red Light Therapy Just like any other treatment, Red Light Therapy includes benefits and side effects. While the research and study stages are still in their infancy, through the hundreds of studies completed over the last couple of decades, scientists have learned a few side effects. Thankfully, for patients, some of the side effects of Red Light Therapy are short-term. A few of the notable and most common side effects of the therapy are headaches, irritability, and eye strain. Many scientists believe that the reason these side effects occur is that the light can be strong to some patients during therapy. Other than these side effects, no other major effects have been noted in studies. However, this doesn’t mean that Red Light Therapy won’t produce other side effects as it often takes decades of studies to really tell the benefits and side effects of new therapies. When scientists and other people found out that Red Light Therapy can cause eye strain, they began to question if it’s safe at all for the eyes. Science has already proven that bright lights are bad for the eyes, so why would doctors continue to use therapies that can cause eye problems? Sometimes, healing conditions such as slow-to-heal wounds and reducing the pain of joint stiffness can be more pleasing than worrying about your eyes because there are ways to protect yourself from the bright light. For example, you’re not only given glasses but it’ll help to never look directly into the light. It also helps to make sure you’re not too close to the light. Questions You Might Have How does Red Light Therapy work? Scientists believe this therapy works because the mitochondria’s cells are strengthened by the red light. This works because a biochemical effect is produced from the light. Because mitochondria have more energy, it can produce more adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This helps the cells function better so they can do things like repair damage caused to them. Are other treatment options which are similar to Red Light Therapy possible? Yes, there are other treatment options available if you don’t yet trust the effects of Red Light Therapy. Some of these treatment options are Blue or Green Light Therapy, natural sunlight, laser treatments, and Sauna Light Therapy. Most of the treatments which are similar to Red Light Therapy are going to include types of UV light.