Chronic inflammation has recently been proposed as being the common underlying cause of the “four horsemen of the medical apocalypse”, which are heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer’s Disease. Inflammation has also been suggested as a biological cause of depression. And it is a hallmark of other diseases such as arthritis, ulcerative colitis, and inflammatory bowel disease.
Not surprisingly, some of the most widely used drugs are anti-inflammatory medications, both prescription and over the counter. By 2030, the global market for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) is projected to reach over 31 billion USD. However, many of these drugs have serious side effects, such as hypersensitivity reactions and ulcers.
Red and near infrared light have anti-inflammatory effects, and unlike medications, do not cause harm. Studies have found that red and near infrared light affect levels of many molecules involved in inflammation, such as prostaglandins. The ability of red and near infrared light to reduce inflammation suggests that it could have therapeutic potential in many chronic diseases that involve inflammation, including arthritis, Alzheimer’s Disease, and depression.
Red and near infrared light therapy devices come in panels and wearable forms such as wraps. Wearable wraps provide more flexibility in terms of application while panels are better for general irradiation of larger surfaces. Fringe makes a 12x12 inch red light panel as well as a variety of light therapy wraps that are specific to certain areas (such as the head, knee, shoulder, or elbow) as well as small and large wraps that can be used on most parts of the body. Designed to mimic the intensity of the sun using LED light chips, these products are a great addition to an anti-inflammatory wellness plan.
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Patient History:
21-year-old collegiate football player with chronic Achilles tendon pain for 3-4 years, playing in his third college football program and has been treated for this condition at each of his previous institutions. He doesn’t recall any specific mechanism of injury, but states that he has pain while sprinting and jumping. Pain is at its worst upon waking in the morning and approximately 60-90 minutes into football practice.
Treatment History:
Pain medications, NSAIDs, Prednisone Taper, Rest, IASTM, Cupping, Eccentric Loading, Stretching, Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Injection, chiropractic care, shoe changes. Pain rises to 6/10 during football activities and cannot finish practice. None of the treatments that he has received at previous schools has improved pain.
Current Treatment:
Red Light Therapy was placed over his Achilles for 20 minutes daily at the end of his therapy session. Therapy sessions include daily soft tissue work (IASTM, joint mobilizations, stretching, etc), trunk stabilization exercises and strength training, including blood flow restriction training (BFR) 2-3 times per week. Over a period of 3-4 weeks, pain improved to peak levels of 2-3/10, which allowed him to resume full football training. After the initial treatment time, he stopped using BFR and gradually ceased regular therapy session, except for daily red-light therapy, which he preferred for pain control and overall healing. Five months after starting this treatment plan, he is pain free and playing football at a high level at a NCAA FBS school.
Discussion:
Patient was very skeptical of the treatment plan, having tried multiple other treatments without success. The combination of daily Red Light Therapy with Blood Flow Restriction training several days per week was a key differentiator from other treatments he had received. Red Light Therapy has been shown to reduce pain and normalize the inflammatory process, playing an important role in both increasing activity levels and optimizing tissue healing. BFR training has also been shown to improve tendon health over time, allowing it to be progressively loaded. Patient is grateful for the approach, as he is pain free for the first time in his college career.
Summary of improvements over a 5-month treatment:
1. Decreased pain to 6/10 to 0/10 with all college football training activities.2. Improved ankle mobility.3. Can now play high level football without any modifications.4. Improved happiness and mental health with a new ability to play after having been unable to compete in several years.
Conclusion:
Red Light Therapy can be an important part of a comprehensive treatment plan for chronic Achilles Tendon Pain along with strength and mobility training in a NCAA FBS football player
Patient History:
17-year-old multisport high school athlete. Patient initially sustained a partial avulsion of the distal aspect of the Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) while playing summer travel baseball. He is a catcher and felt pain and mechanical symptoms after attempting to throw the ball to second base. Initial pain was rated at 7/10 and he had palpable pain over his distal UCL and spasm in his common flexors of his forearm. Patient also complained of neurological symptoms in his ulnar nerve distribution.
Treatment History:
Patient was initially treated conservatively with rest and not allowed to throw for approximately 4 months. He progressed back into lifting weights and football activities within approximately 4-8 weeks, using pain as his guide. During the spring season, he re-injured his elbow while throwing a baseball in from the outfield to home plate. Shortly thereafter, he had a UCL repair with an internal brace and ulnar nerve transposition.
Current Treatment:
Red Light Therapy was initiated approximately 24 hours after surgery to control pain, reduce swelling and optimize tissue healing. Minimal pain medications were used initially and completely eliminated 48 hours after surgery. Daily Red Light Therapy continued for approximately 4 weeks as range of motion, strength training and formal rehab began.
Discussion:
Patient recovered very well from a rather complex surgical procedure. His pain was minimal throughout the recovery process, his incision healed very quickly, and he initiated contact drills with his high school football team 3 months post-surgery. He continues to feel good and will initiate a return to throwing progression at approximately 5 months post operatively. He uses red light therapy as needed for soreness and irritation during the football season.
Summary of improvements over 3-month treatment:
1. Minimized post operative pain.2. Optimized post operative incision healing.3. Moderated the inflammatory process to reduce swelling.4. Return to full football activities pain free at 3 months5. Improved mental approach to sports now that he can play without pain.
Conclusion:
Red Light Therapy can support tissue healing and pain control as part of a comprehensive post operative rehabilitation process in a young, healthy athletic population
Red light therapy comes in a variety of forms. All of them offer advantages for specific patients and situations. Knowing which red light tool to use in a specific situation can make a big difference in patient satisfaction and outcomes.
Red Light Panel
For many of us, red light panels were our first exposure to LED red light therapy. They are very accessible, versatile and of course, look great on social media.
Red light panels are designed with a greater intensity of light as compared to red light wraps. Because of this, panels should not be used directly on the skin because it will increase the risk of skin irritation. They are designed to be placed 4-6 inches away from the treatment area. Panels allow you to treat a large area of the body, which is ideal for recovery and athletic performance enhancement applications. Because there is no direct skin contact, panels are also ideal for clinical settings where skin contact presents a lot of challenges. Panels also offer the ability to perform complimentary modalities, such as dry needling, IASTM, cupping or massage simultaneously.
Red Light Wraps
Wraps are intended to be placed directly on this skin, thus they deliver light therapy at a lower intensity for a slightly longer period of time in order to get to the prescribed overall dosage. Wraps are extremely portable, simple to use, safe and very affordable. All Fringe red light wraps are intentionally designed with a 2:1 ratio of near infrared light to red light. This allows the light to penetrate deep into ligaments, tendons, bones, and soft tissue.
There are a variety of sizes and styles to pick from:
Regular Wrap:
This is the Swiss Army knife of red light therapy. It can be used virtually anywhere on the body for all kinds of conditions and injuries. The regular wrap is extremely affordable for clinics and patients alike.
XL Wrap:
A longer version of the red light wrap. The XL wrap works well on the spine, shoulders, hips and anywhere that you might want some extra coverage.
Multi Joint Wrap:
The multi joint wrap fits well on ankles, knees and elbows. It has integrated Velcro straps to help it fit snuggly over the joint, even while moving. The multi joint wrap also offers built in vibration, which is great for pain relief.
Head Wrap:
The head wrap is designed to promote brain health. It is ideal for treating headaches, concussions, MS, Parkinson’s, Autism, Anxiety, Depression and more. The head wrap utilizes 3 wavelengths of light (650nm, 850nm, and 1050nm) to ensure that the light is absorbed through the skull and into the brain.
Face Mask:
The face mask is designed with both red and blue wavelengths of light. The red wavelengths are ideal for encouraging collagen production and skin health. The blue wavelengths of light are anti-microbial, which will help with things like acne. The mask is designed in such a way that it won’t irritate the eyes while delivering healing light to the surrounding areas.
Neck Wrap:
The neck wrap is made to improve the health of the neck region. It will target both superficial and deeper tissues, such as the Thyroid. By improving the function of the Thyroid, patients will experience a wide array of health benefits.
Pelvic Wand:
The pelvic wand is one of the most innovative products that Fringe has to offer in their red light therapy lineup. The want is designed primarily for women’s pelvic health, helping to solve a variety of conditions that lead to pelvic pain and chronic infections. The wand emits both red and blue light and also offers vibration to further decrease pain.
Pricing:
All medical providers automatically qualify for wholesale pricing, making Fringe red light therapy products not only the highest quality on the market, but also some of the most affordable. To receive the discount (20-40% off depending on quantity purchased), clinicians need to register online at Fringeheals.com or contact customer service.
Conclusion:
There is a wide variety of options available for the clinician that is lookingto integrate red light therapy into their clinical practice. Choosing the rightoption will depend on the condition and body part being treated, theclinician’s specific treatment approach, and other variables such as cost.
Regardless of what is going on with the patient, there is a good red light solution available today from Fringe.
