Did you know that by 2030, total knee replacement surgeries are expected to grow by 673%? That works out to be a staggering 3.5 million procedures per year![1]
Since knee surgery is a common occurrence for many people, many are looking for natural ways to promote healing after this procedure.
In this article, we will focus on one of the latest and most effective natural treatments that can help promote faster healing and recovery time after a knee replacement surgery: red light therapy!
We’ll look at what the science says about red light therapy after knee surgery, as well as the best ways to incorporate this natural treatment into your recovery plan.
Read on to learn more!
What Science Says About Knee Rehabilitation with Red Light Therapy
Although red light therapy is still a fairly new phenomenon, there has been significant research carried out on this topic over the past few years. To date, more than 6000 studies have been published on the efficacy of red light therapy for treating a variety of medical conditions!
Here are a few of these studies that relate to red light therapy and knee surgery:
Wound Healing
Although not solely related to knee surgery, wound healing is nevertheless an important part of recovery after such an invasive procedure. The effects of LED phototherapy on wound healing were examined in a 2006 study.
The results of this study showed that LED phototherapy was highly effective at promoting wound healing in these patients! In particular, the researchers observed that patients treated with LED phototherapy experienced a significant reduction in the duration and severity of their wounds – and noted that it cut the overall healing time by up to 50%! [2]
Post-Surgery Pain Relief
Another commonly cited benefit of using red light therapy to treat pain following surgery is its ability to improve local blood circulation and reduce swelling.
In a recent 2022 study, researchers looked at the therapeutic effects of photobiomodulation (another term for red light therapy) in patients who had received a knee arthroplasty, and their results were promising.
They found that not only did the patients experience less pain when using red light therapy, but they also needed less morphine in the 48 hours following the surgery! [3]
As you can see, there is a great deal of evidence that supports the claim that red light therapy can help to accelerate the healing process following a knee replacement surgery.
This is why we believe that incorporating red light therapy into your treatment plan is a great way to speed up your recovery following knee surgery!
How To Use Red Light Therapy After Surgery
If you are recovering from knee surgery, the best thing you can do to speed your recovery and get back to enjoying your life as soon as possible is to follow the post-operative instructions from your surgeon closely. This will help you reduce complications, minimize pain and maximize your chances of a successful outcome.
In addition to following your doctor’s orders, you can supplement your recovery with a safe and effective red-light therapy device.
You can a red light therapy this device alongside any other therapies or medications your doctor has prescribed for your recovery.
Simply use for 10-15 minutes per day while you are at home resting or following your physical therapy exercises to speed up your recovery and get the fast relief you need to get back to enjoying your normal life again!
Are There Any Risks Associated With RLT After Surgery?
The benefits of using red light therapy during and after surgery are well documented and are supported by research from a range of sources including academic institutions and professional medical associations, and thankfully there are no known risks associated with the use of this non-invasive technology.
This is one of the few instances where the use of new technologies can actually improve patient outcomes and increase quality of life while reducing healthcare costs. This is great news for patients who would otherwise face a long and painful road to recovery without any treatment options at their disposal!
As you can see, it can be a very simple and effective form of treatment that many people can benefit from!
But it’s important to remember that it’s not enough just to use the device on its own… you have to also follow your doctor’s instructions for post-op care and perform all of the recommended exercises in order to get the best results possible!
Tips To Getting The Most Out Of RLT After Surgery
We recommend starting your red light therapy as soon as you get home from the hospital and before beginning any light exercise or other physical therapy activities. This way, you give your body a head start on the healing process so that you can get back to doing the things you love as quickly as possible!
As we’ve mentioned before on the blog, the key to red light therapy is to use it consistently. It’s not uncommon for patients to experience some pain relief after their first treatment session, but the key is to continue using the device on a regular basis in order to see the full benefits that it provides!
For best results, we recommend that you use the device for at least 10-15 minutes every day while lying down or sitting comfortably, either before or after you perform your other physical therapy exercises.
This can be as easy as using it while you’re watching TV or even when you’re eating your breakfast! Just pick whatever time works best for your schedule and use it every day for 4-6 weeks for the best results!
We hope you found this information helpful and that it helped you to learn more about the benefits of red light therapy and how it can help you to recover faster after knee surgery!
As always, if you have any specific questions or concerns that we haven’t addressed in this blog post, please feel free to contact us at hello@kineon.io so that we can help you to feel better and get back to doing the things that matter most to you!
Sources:
1 – https://www.thecenteroregon.com/medical-blog/knee-replacement-surgery-by-the-numbers/
