Pain is a complex and often distressing issue that has a significant impact on individuals and those around them. It can be the result of an injury or disease but should be seen as a separate condition rather than just a symptom of other ailments.
A 2016 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that 50 million American adults (equal to 20.4% of the U.S. adult population) have experienced discomfort every day or most days for the past six months. To put that into perspective, that means that a fifth of Americans suffer from pain most days. Now that we’re eight years down the line, we can only expect that this number has risen.
When taking this further, health economists from John Hopkins University estimated the cost of chronic pain to be around $635 million a year. Again, when putting this into perspective, that’s more than the cost of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease combined.
With pain medication providing a temporary band-aid to a deep wound, alternative relief methods such as red light therapy, also known as photobiomodulation (PBM), have been proposed to promote the body's natural healing processes. So, how can red light therapy possibly help? What are the supposed benefits? Let’s take a look!
Relieving pain and aiding healing with red light therapy
Millions of people suffer from pain, which can negatively impact their quality of life. Luckily, there's a new, at-home solution that can help you say goodbye to pain forever: Red Light Therapy.
At first glance, it might sound too good to be true, but the science behind red light therapy is real. Using red or near-infrared light, this therapypromotes healing and reduces inflammation, making it a promising alternative to traditional medicine.
The best part? Thanks to recent advancements in technology, you can now use it in the comfort of your own home!
In this in-depth guide, we'll give you everything you need to know about using red light therapy at home for pain.
Before we look at the different ways red light therapy can help, let’s give a brief overview of what it is and how it actually works!
What Is Red Light Therapy?
If you're curious about red light therapy, you might be wondering what it is and how it works. Essentially, red light therapy is a type of treatment that uses red or near-infrared light to stimulate healing and reduce inflammation in the body.
Many people have found red light therapy to be an effective and non-invasive way to treat various types of pain and inflammation.
Ultimately, this safe, drug-free therapy may offer a promising alternative or complement to other forms of healthcare.
In the next section, we'll dive deeper into how red light therapy works, so keep reading if you want to learn more!
How Does Red Light Therapy Work?
So, let's get into the nitty-gritty of how red light therapy works!
Basically, when you use this therapy, the red or near-infrared light travels into your skin and interacts with the mitochondria in your cells.
Now, these mitochondria are like little energy factories in your body. When the light stimulates them, they produce even more energy, which helps your cells work better and heal faster.
But that's not all! Red light therapy can also increase blood flow to the area you're treating, which can help reduce inflammation and speed up the healing process.
To put it simply, red light therapy works by triggering a natural healing response in the body. This type of therapy is non-invasive and drug-free, making it a promising option for those seeking natural and alternative forms of healthcare.
Here’s a more in-depth look at how it works…
Increases Cellular Energy Production
When the red light is absorbed, it stimulates the mitochondria in our cell’s to work harder. We can think of the mitochondria as the powerhouses of our cells that produce energy. When they increase their function, they produce more adenosine triphosphate or ATP. This is known as the energy currency of the cell.
Better mitochondrial function and more energy in the form of ATP means our cells can work better and heal faster. Great news for pain relief!
Cell Repair And Regeneration
Red light therapy can help your body repair and regenerate cells by activating the enzymes and cellular pathways involved in this process.
RLT can help stimulate the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in cells which is an important energy source for cells and is necessary for many cellular processes.
In other words, red light therapy is like hitting the "fast-forward" button on your body's healing process. It helps your cells work better and more efficiently, which can lead to quicker recovery times and better overall health.
Increases Blood Flow
Blood flow is a key factor when it comes to tissue repair and healing. Blood needs to flow to the affected area to deliver oxygen and nutrients for our body's natural healing process to take place.
An important gas involved in this vial process is nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is essential for healthy arteries — it helps them relax, fights free radicals to reduce oxidative stress, and helps to regulate blood pressure.
The light energy stimulates the production of nitric oxide, allowing our blood vessels to relax and deliver more oxygen and nutrients. Better blood flow means more natural healing!
Increases Collagen Production
Red light therapy can help the body produce more collagen, which is a protein that helps keep our skin and cartilage supple. [3]
Collagen is a protein that provides structure to our skin, bones, muscles, and connective tissues. It accounts for approximately 30% of our body's total protein, making it a vitally important component of health.
When we get an injury, the separated tissue is stitched back together via a network made up of collagen. This is an important part of the overall healing process.
Red light therapy stimulates fibroblasts, cells responsible for making collagen, to produce more. More collagen production means better skin, improved wound healing, and reduced joint pain.
By increasing collagen production, red light therapy can improve the texture and tone of our skin, reduce joint pain, and even promote wound healing!
What’s the difference between Infrared Light and Red Light Therapy?
In the world of red light therapy, there are two main types: infrared light and LED red light.
So, what's the difference between these two? Well, it all comes down to the type of light they use….
Infrared light uses a longer wavelength than red light, which means it can penetrate deeper into the skin.
This makes it ideal for deep-seated issues like osteoarthritis and cartilage problems, as it can go deep enough to help reduce pain and inflammation in these areas.
On the other hand, LED red light uses a shorter wavelength of light, which means it can't penetrate as deeply into the skin. This makes it perfect for things like low-level inflammation, stimulating collagen production, and improving circulation.
So, whether you need to target deep tissues or improve the surface of your skin, there's a type of light therapy that can help you out.
What Kind Of Pain Can Be Treated With Red Light Therapy At Home?
Wondering what kinds of pain red light therapy can treat? The answer is: a lot! This innovative therapy can help alleviate all kinds of pain, from chronic conditions to everyday aches and pains.
Here are a few types of pain that red light therapy can help with:
Back Pain
If you suffer from back pain, red light therapy may be able to help. Back pain can be caused by a variety of factors such as poor posture, injury, or muscle strain.
As we already touched on, red light therapy can help alleviate pain and discomfort by reducing inflammation in the affected area and speeding up the healing process.
Recent research looking at chronic lower back pain showed that red light therapy is “effective in reducing chronic low back pain, and no adverse effects were observed”. [4]
Nerve Pain
Nerve pain, also known as neuropathy, is a condition that can cause discomfort or even sharp, shooting pain. This type of pain can be caused by several factors, including diabetes, chemotherapy, or injury.
Red light therapy can help alleviate nerve pain by stimulating cellular function and increasing blood flow in the affected area.
This increase in blood flow can help reduce inflammation and promote healing, leading to relief from nerve pain. [5]
Moreover, the light energy delivered by red light therapy helps activate the body's natural healing processes, which can help reduce nerve pain by repairing damaged nerve cells.
By enhancing cellular function and increasing blood flow, red light therapy provides a natural and effective way to reduce nerve pain and improve overall well-being.
We looked at this subject in more detail in our blog The Best Home Remedies To Treat Nerve Pain In The Knees, so be sure to check that out if you haven’t already!
Joint Pain
If you have joint pain, you know how debilitating it can be. Joint pain can be caused by various conditions, including arthritis, injury, or overuse. Red light therapy can provide relief for joint pain by reducing inflammation and promoting tissue repair.
The light energy delivered by red light therapy can penetrate deep into the affected joint and stimulate cellular function, enhancing the body's natural healing processes.
As a result, red light therapy can help alleviate joint pain, reduce stiffness, and improve joint mobility.
In short, red light therapy is a versatile and effective way to treat a variety of different types of pain.
So, whether you're dealing with back pain, nerve pain, or joint pain, it's worth giving red light therapy a try!
What are the benefits of red light therapy?
When correctly applied, red light therapy may offer several benefits as part of your recovery routine. Here are just some of the main ones that we think are worth knowing.
Improves Injury and recovery time
As we continue to search for ways to improve performance, injury and recovery time have been identified as key focus areas. When we dive a little deeper, we can see that red light therapy has made significant strides forward.
During the Rio Olympics, the USA track and field team decided to bring a red light therapy bed along with them. At $181,000, we can tell what they thought of its important recovery powers!
Fast forward several years and you can see that the US team was ahead of their time. Nowadays, many top-level athletes are using red light therapy to recover faster and train harder.
Here’s a quote from 10x CrossFit Games athlete, Noah Ohlsen:
“I expend enough energy breaking my body down that I want to find ways to build it back up that don’t require any extra output. Kineon provides just that. When I’m at home watching a movie on the couch with my wife, I can have the Kineon helping the ache in my knee go away.“
To read more on this topic, check out our article that specifically focuses on the benefits of red light therapy for sports performance.
Few side effects
Potential side effects are often a huge consideration when starting a new treatment or using something new. While we have a lot of research out there that’s specifically designed to test new technology and medication, we can’t always guarantee complete safety.
Red light therapy is FDA-registered. This means that the treatment has been deemed safe and effective for its intended use. When a company is FDA-registered, it means that the manufacturing facilities can meet federal production standards.
We won’t brag too much, but the MOVE+ is FDA-registered. Its something we’re proud of and stand by when looking at innovative recovery tech.
Of course, there are always certain precautions you need to take and things that can happen with incorrect use. We’ll discuss this more in the next section.
Non-invasive
One of the best things about red light therapy is that it’s non-invasive. In simple terms, this means that it doesn’t require the skin to be opened or anything to be inserted into the body. Most red light devices simply require you to place them against the skin with no clothing present.
Using non-invasive treatment and recovery methods such as red light is great for several reasons. No scars, no recovery period, and fewer chances of any infection or side effects occurring. It really is one of the least invasive recovery methods you can use!
Do it on the go
As we come toward the end of 2024, gone are the days of taking things slow and watching the day go by. In a world full of new technology and more people than ever before, efficiency is now the aim of the game.
The real beauty of red light therapy is that you can now use it on the go, thanks to the ingenious inventions of gadgets such as the MOVE+. It doesn’t matter if you’re at home, at work, or even sitting at your favorite coffee shop, you can attach a handheld device and let it go to work while you get on with your day.
Can target different types of discomfort
Red light therapy is a versatile treatment option for many types of discomfort. It provides targeted relief depending on how you use it which means it’s beneficial for several conditions. These include:
Joint Pain — Common conditions include arthritis, injury, and overuse. The light can penetrate deep into the affected joints and stimulate the body's natural healing processes.Nerve Pain — Commonly caused by diabetes, injury, and chemotherapy. The increased cellular function and blood flow can help to reduce inflammation and promote healing. In time, this may help to repair damaged nerve cells.Back Pain — As one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, back pain can result from poor posture, muscle strains, and injuries. Decreasing inflammation by using red light therapy may help to reduce discomfort and speed up the healing process.
What Are The Risks Of Getting Red Light Therapy At Home?
If you're considering trying red light therapy at home, you may be wondering what the risks are. The good news is that there are very few risks associated with red light therapy if you purchase from a reputable company.
Because red light therapy is non-invasive, it’s widely regarded as safe, and there have been very few reported side effects.
To ensure your safety, it's important to purchase your red light therapy device from a trusted company that uses high-quality materials and follows industry standards for safety and efficacy.
Are there side effects of red light therapy?
Before we look at the potential red light side effects, let’s quickly discuss where we are in terms of scientific evidence. Like most things, we don’t have all the information to support every single claimed benefit. With so much information out there, this is always going to be the case.
However, we do have hundreds of credible scientific studies that support the safe use of red light therapy for a number of acute and chronic conditions. Examples include reducing inflammation, healing injuries, and improving skin condition.
With this, we feel completely confident in saying that we have a recovery method based on proven science with real-life results.
Here’s what Ben Greenfield said after using the MOVE+:
“I used the MOVE+ on my knee to help me recover from my recent stem cell procedure, and it was a huge game-changer in my path to full recovery.So many applications and a fantastic tool for any biohacker or athlete or anyone else who wants to harness the power of red light!”
Generally speaking, red light therapy is considered to be safe and effective with no known side effects. In some cases, users have reported burns and blistering but this resulted from falling asleep and faults with the device. This is why it's really important to buy from a reputable company who have done the testing and has many real-world reviews to prove it!
With the long-term effects of painkillers becoming more widely known, more people are looking for natural, holistic ways of healing such as red light therapy.
Can you combine red light therapy with other therapies?
Red light therapy is a powerful recovery method all by itself. Even so, it doesn’t hurt to combine the effects of different beneficial treatments for an added boost! In some cases, combining treatments can even enhance their effectiveness!
Red light therapy and dry needling
Dry needling involves inserting sharp needles into myofascial trigger points to increase blood flow, decrease tightness, and reduce the associated discomfort. Red light therapy uses red or near-infrared light wavelengths to stimulate healing and reduce inflammation at a cellular level.
While both use different mechanisms, they both aim to stimulate healing in the cell. Both look to reduce inflammation, increase blood flow, and promote cellular efficiency. Therefore, combining them may improve the healing process.
Red light therapy and physical therapy
Physical therapy, commonly known as physiotherapy, includes exercise, massages, and treatments based on physical stimuli. The general aim of physical therapy is to strengthen muscles, improve mobility, and speed up recovery time.
Using physical therapy with red light therapy may help these benefits to be amplified. Because red light therapy helps to reduce inflammation and promote faster healing, it may improve the effectiveness of physical therapy provided such as exercises and stretching routines.
Red light therapy and medication
So, we’re not necessarily promoting the use of medication. As we mentioned above, it has lots of long-term side effects and isn’t always the best way. However, if you’ve been prescribed medicine to manage discomfort, combining it with red light therapy may enhance its effectiveness.
What we mean by this is that using red light therapy may allow you to lower your pain medication dosage which can help to minimize the long-term side effects. In some cases, it may even allow you to come of it all together. Of course, this is something you would need to discuss with your doctor first!
The future of red light therapy
While we can’t see into the future, the future of red light therapy is definitely promising. We already have hundreds of reputable scientific studies suggesting beneficial applications for joint pain, skin health, inflammation, hair growth, and wound healing just to name a few. Studies being performed currently are exploring potential applications for conditions such as Alzheimer's and depression.
The one thing we do know for sure is that technological advances are continuing to shape the future of red light therapy, improving its efficiency and accessibility to a much wider audience. We can say that above anything else, we are genuinely excited to continue sharing our passion and helping others to live a healthier and happier lifestyle with red light therapy.
For more tips and guides on using red light therapy at home, read:
- Can Red Light Therapy Damage Your Eyes? Safety Tips For Red Light Therapy at Home
- How Often Can You Do Red Light Therapy?
- Red Light Therapy Benefits for Pain Relief
- Cryotherapy and Red Light Therapy: Everything You've Asked
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