You don’t have to look very far these days to see some form of red light therapy. Recovery businesses are popping up in local communities around the country, panels and wraps are available from a variety of online stores, and social media loves pictures of people illuminated with bright red lights to cure their various ailments. But does red light therapy really do all that it promises?
Red Light 101
Photobiomodulation is the scientific term for red light therapy. It can be defined as a non-thermal form of light therapy in the visible and near infrared spectrum to stimulate cellular functions. Simply put, it is the use of specific wavelengths of light to stimulate local cells to be more efficient, resilient and robust.
Red light therapy uses wavelengths of light in the range of 600-1000nm (usually 600s and 800s) which have been shown to interact with the mitochondria within local cells to boost ATP production (increased energy), modulate oxidative stress, and enhance cellular repair. This cascade of events that occurs can be incredibly powerful for tissue healing, reducing pain and even enhancing athletic performance. Because the light is acting on a cellular level within the body, the effects of photobiomodulation are wide ranging and very powerful.
Inflammation Modulation
The inflammatory process is vital for tissue healing, so it is important that we optimize the progression following any injury. Slowing this process down while the body is trying to heal can compromise tissue healing on a local level. This is the reason that many clinicians have moved away from ice during an acute phase of an injury. Ice is great for pain relief, but because it slows blood flow and cellular function, the pain relief can come at the cost of tissue healing.
The red and near infrared wavelengths of light that are produced by red light therapy devices are designed to improve cellular function. They promote tissue healing by accelerating the inflammatory process, especially after an acute injury or in the post operative patient. Photobiomodulation has the pain-relieving effects of ice without the negative effects associated with a compromised inflammatory process. Red light therapy can also be used to reduce inflammation in the chronically inflamed patient. This often happens in the case of longer term tendonitis/tendinosis injuries. By optimizing cellular ATP and respiration, inflammation can be reduced with red and near infrared wavelengths of light. This is an extremely useful modality for patients that are caught in a pain-spasm cycle.
The lesson is that red light therapy can modulate inflammation; accelerating it when needed but also reducing it if that is warranted. The body is much smarter than we are, so the goal is to set the body up to heal itself and let it go to work.
Pain Reduction
Chronic pain affects approximately 20% of adults, making this a huge issue for millions of people every day. Photobiomodulation is a great way to reduce pain quickly and effectively without the use of harmful medications or narcotics.
The pain relieving effects can partially be explained because of its connection to the inflammatory process. By reducing inflammation in chronically inflamed tissue, pain will be reduced. Pain is further modulated with red light therapy by desensitizing pain nocioceptors in the body and increasing the release of endogenous opiates, which are the body’s natural pain relievers.
As mentioned above, red light therapy has a similar pain-relieving effect of ice and heat without the negative effects that can often accompany those modalities.
Enhanced Wound Healing
Red light therapy is a powerful tool for wound healing. It has been shown to improve fibroblastic activity and enhance collagen production, the basic building blocks that are needed to improve healing.
Photobiomodulation is also effective at improving angiogenesis, which is the formation of new capillaries within the body. With improved blood flow to local tissues comes increased oxygen and nutrients being delivered to local tissues which plays an important role in tissue repair.
Scar Tissue Reduction
Scars can be extremely problematic for many patients (but often ignored). They can be painful, thick and adhered to deeper layers if not managed well. When healing tissue is exposed to red and near infrared light, scar quality is improved by regulating TGF-Beta to improve proper collagen alignment. Also, because red light therapy regulates fibroblastic activity, it can improve scar formation by reducing hyperactivity and mast cell activation.
The end result us a scar that tends to look, feel and move better.
Athletic Performance Enhancement
ATP is the energy source for all cells and red light therapy stimulates our cells to produce more of it. When cells have more ATP, they are better at their specific job. Thus, exposing large parts of our body to red light therapy can be thought of as an ergogenic aid.
When our muscle cells have more ATP, theoretically that can lead to greater power output. Red blood cells can potentially carry oxygen more efficiently after exposure to red and near infrared light. Nerve cells can become more proficient and on and on. None of these items on their own will make a huge difference for most high-level athletes, but put together, meaningful changes can be observed. Most athletes measure success in very, very small increments, so even slight improvements can be extremely impactful when looking at athletic performance enhancement.
Conclusion
When you understand how red light therapy works, you understand how to use it. This powerful modality offers a lot of positive results with almost no risk, making it an attractive tool for clinicians to use with a wide variety of patient populations.
