Benefits and History of Red Light Therapy

By infiniteone Red Light Therapy 1 Comment

Red light therapy has been used to heal the body and the mind since before recorded history.

It is also known as low-level laser therapy (LLLT), low-power laser therapy (LPLT), and photobiomodulation (PBM).

What are the Benefits of Red Light Therapy?

Although the western world is behind the times with red light therapy, there is strong evidence to support its health benefits from other countries. RLT has been FDA approved for chronic joint pain, slow to heal wounds, wrinkles, hair loss and acne. But others have used it successfully for other issues, like psoriasis, improved circulation and better immune function. Studies show that Red Light can be used to improve a person’s overall health¹ which includes:

Improved metabolic cell function – giving you a boost in energy by facilitating the production of ATP from the cell’s mitochondria²
Stimulating DNA/RNA synthesis³
Faster healing, especially for burn and trauma victims⁴. It works by decreasing inflammatory cells, increasing fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis – which all boosts the body’s ability to heal at a faster rate
Skin-care. We already know that lasers can renew your skin, but the process must damage the skin first before healing it. Red Light therapy does not damage the skin. It allows the tissue to rejuvenate and heal naturally over a longer period of time.⁵ It has been used to successfully treat acne and inflamed acne marks, bug bites, bruises, dry skin and Psoriasis and Rosacea, scars and stretch marks, sunburns, wrinkles, mycosis fungoides, morphea, scleroderma, and many others.
Pain reduction. Carpal tunnel syndrome was one of the earliest ailments treated with red light. But it can also help chronic back, neck and knee pain as well as muscle pain or muscle spasm.⁶
Anti-aging properties. Achieved by increasing collagen production.⁷
Reversing hair-loss⁸ by stimulating hair follicle growth.⁹
Treating arthritis¹⁰ ¹¹ and improving musculoskeletal health.¹²
Activating the lymphatic system, which in turn helps the immune system.
Improving blood circulation and aiding in the development of new capillaries.
Restoring damaged connective tissue.
A better immune system and reducing side effects for Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.¹³
Improving the quality of sleep¹⁴. The human body needs to be exposed to natural light¹⁵ in order to regulate body functions. Being deprived of light can upset our circadian rhythm which leads to poor sleep, fatigue and mood swings.
There are even studies that show red light helps with weight-loss.¹⁶
A variety of brain benefits. Red light improves brain function and facilitates faster learning and better memory retention. It has been used to treat, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease¹⁷, Parkinson’s disease¹⁸ and traumatic brain injury.¹⁹
Helps with psychiatric disorders by stimulating the production of melatonin²⁰. Depression²¹, insomnia, anxiety²², seasonal affective disorder and stress can be more easily managed with a little light.
Reduces the intensity of chronic migraines.²³

The History of Light Used as Therapy

It has been around for a while, and we don’t mean just the sun.

Heliotherapy – the general term for light therapy dates all the way back to Ancient Rome, China, Greece, and Egypt.

There are written records that indicate the presence of light temples in the city of Heliopolis (City of the Sun) where the windows were covered with colored fabric to filter light.

The temple Ba’albek²⁴ is built in such a way that it channels the sunlight at the equinoctial sunrise.

In the 1870’s Augustus Pleasanton uses blue light to stimulate gland secretion and affect the nervous system. He publishes The Influence of the Blue Ray of the Sunlight and of the Blue Color of the Sky in 1876 ²⁵.

Edwin Babbitt publishes The Principles of Light and Color in 1876 where he talks about the effects of light on humans.²⁶

In 1903 physician Niels Ryberg Finsen won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for successfully treating smallpox and lupus with red light²⁷.

John Ott publishes Color and Light: Their Effects on Plants, Animals, and People²⁷ in 1970.

Russia uses low-level laser therapy in their standard medical care since the 1970s and has published hundreds of studies over the decades on the benefits of red light therapy

And more recently, NASA has experimented with red light²⁸ in the 1980’s to promote the growth of plants in space. Red light therapy hasn’t had as much success in the US and Western Europe until recently. Although it has almost always been popular in countries like Russia, Japan and China.

Our Takeaway

In conclusion, Red Light Therapy has shown many favorable results and after trying the products for a few weeks we find that it really does help with skincare and overall energy levels. It’s a well-researched, safe, natural and non-invasive way to improve your health with little to no documented adverse effects.