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red light and the sleep quality and endurance performance
Authors: J. Zhao, Y. Tian, J. Nie, J. Xu, & D. Liu Citation: Journal of Athletic Training (2012); 47(6):673-678 Background: Sleep is a critical component of athletic performance, both in terms of quantity and quality. Similarly, regular exercise is considered a “non-pharmacological” intervention for sleep disorders, and it is generally accepted that physical activity is good for sleep. This is a healthy symbiotic relationship, in which sleep supports exercise and vice versa. Combining exercise with other sleep supporting non-pharmacological interventions, such as light therapy, may be especially important in helping athletes sleep and perform better. Objective: This study investigated whether red light therapy improved the sleep quality and athletic performance of Chinese female basketball players. Who Was It? A total of 20 athletes participated in this study, 10 in the light therapy group and 10 in the placebo group. What Was Done? The red-light therapy group received 30 minutes of full body red light therapy for 30 minutes each night for 14 days. The placebo group lay in the red-light therapy device for the same time period but did not receive light therapy. Sleep quality, serum melatonin, and athletic performance were assessed before and after the two-week treatment period. What Happened? Some aspects of sleep quality improved with red-light therapy, including levels of daytime dysfunction. Serum melatonin was significantly higher following light therapy, and better sleep quality was correlated with higher levels of serum melatonin. Athletic performance after light therapy was more improved than in the placebo group. Fringe Commentary: This study demonstrated that the use of red-light therapy at night for two weeks improved measures of sleep quality, serum melatonin, and athletic performance in female basketball players. These results suggest that athletes, athletic therapists, and health care providers can use light therapy as a safe, non-pharmacological intervention to support sleep and physical functioning. Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3499892/pdf/i1062-6050-47-6-673.pdf
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Photobiomodulation and Pain Reduction in Patients Requiring Orthodontic Band Application:
Authors: M.F. Sfondrini, M. Vitale, A.L.B. Pinheiro, P. Gandini, L. Sorrentino, U.M. Iarussi, A. Scribante. Citation: BioMed Research International (2020), Article ID 7460938 Background: Light therapy, or photobiomodulation, involves the application of a light source such as a laser to an area of the body for therapeutic purposes. Light therapy works on the principle that cells absorb light which triggers chemical and physical reactions including stimulation of mitochondria, which produce cellular energy. One of the effects of light therapy is the reduction of pain. Objective: To determine if application of low-level light therapy would reduce pain associated with orthodontic band application in a randomized placebo-controlled study. Who Was It? Twenty-six patients requiring orthodontic band application participated in this study. They ranged in age from 7 to 20 years. What Was Done? Subjects were randomly assigned to the placebo group or the light therapy group. After application of the orthodontic bands, subjects received one session of light therapy to four points around the banded teeth. Researchers were blinded to what group the subjects were in. This study used laser light therapy, which is different from the LED light therapy used in home photobiomodulation devices. Although debated, LED light therapy is thought by many to be comparable or even superior to laser light therapy. The main difference between the two is the narrow focus of laser light, which makes it suitable for targeting a small area of treatment, as in this study. What Happened? The subjects who received light therapy had significantly lower pain at 5 minutes, 1 hour, and 12 hours after treatment as compared to the control group. Subjects in the light therapy group still reported experiencing some pain, which followed a similar pattern to subjects in the control group, albeit at a lower intensity. Fringe Commentary: As a mom of two kids with braces, I couldn’t help but be intrigued by this study. I know how much orthodontics can hurt, and to learn that pain can be reduced simply by the application of light therapy is quite remarkable. It is especially remarkable that pain intensity was decreased with a single session! Light therapy is proving to be extremely versatile, with applications for a range of different outcomes, as we will be exploring in our newsletter this month. Stay tuned next week as we explore the use of light to improve sleep quality. FYI: The technical definition of photobiomodulation is “A form of light therapy that utilizes non-ionizing forms of light sources, including LASERS, LEDs, and broad-band light, in the visible and infrared spectrum. It is a non-thermal process involving endogenous chromophores eliciting photophysical (i.e. linear and non-linear) and photochemical events at various biological scales. This process results in beneficial therapeutic outcomes including but not limited to the alleviation of pain or inflammation, immunomodulation, and promotion of wound healing and tissue regeneration.” (North American Association for Photobiomodulation Therapy, https://www.naalt.org). Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7273483/pdf/BMRI2020-7460938.pdf
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