Light Pain Relief

Most people enjoy the warmth of the sun. It energizes our bodies, lifts our spirits and soaks deep into the bones, loosening muscles and joints. Many scientific studies have shown that light affects cells and DNA, promoting faster healing. You can relieve pain with light therapy because it also causes the body to secrete more prostaglandins. Light therapy can provide a natural, medicine-free way to help reduce pain.

Light is energy that behaves like a wave, and is emitted in a stream of particles called photons. Photon streams have unique frequencies, and electrical and magnetic (EM) properties. The effect of light on the body depends on which frequency of the EM spectrum the light falls. X-rays and UV light have high frequencies and damage cells, while television and radio waves have longer, lower frequencies and are benign. Infrared and near-infrared light is somewhere in between the two, and this range is what is used to get pain relief with light therapy.

Most light pain relief devices on the market use light emitting diodes (LED) as their source of light. NASA uses LEDs to grow plants on the space station since near infrared light increases the energy inside cells, making them grow up to 200% faster. This acceleration of cell growth also speeds up the wound healing process.

In the first LED clinical study, children undergoing bone marrow transplants were treated with LED therapy for mouth and digestive ulcers. The ulcers commonly occur as a side effect of chemotherapy and radiation treatments used with the transplant procedure, and make swallowing and eating food extremely painful. With LED treatment only 53% of the patients developed ulcers. The normal rate for ulcers was 70% to 90%. Doctors also found LED light therapy significantly decreased the amount of pain the patients developed from the sores as well, greatly increasing their quality of life.

Besides increasing the prostaglandin levels, light therapy also increases the speed of sensory stimuli from the skin and internal organs and increases blood flow to treated tissues. This can help reduce pain from carpal tunnel syndrome, TMJ, tendonitis, bursitis and arthritis. As with most medical treatments, there are some individuals and conditions that should not be treated with light therapy including cancer, eyes, and thyroid conditions. Pregnant women should not use LED therapy.

LED pain relief therapy has many benefits. There is scientific proof that it increases cell growth and relieves pain. Infrared light therapy is natural and since the patient does not have to take any medication, provides an alternative way to relieve pain. With ongoing clinical trials that seek to relieve pain with light therapy, we can all look forward to new light therapy treatments and devices in the future.