Red Light Therapy is a newer way of treating chronic pain. The treatment is effective for individuals who suffer from Osteoarthritis, particularly those who have knee pain from OA, as well as people suffering from back, neck and other chronic bodily aches and pains. There is scientific evidence that shows that Red Light Therapy, does in fact, gives pain sufferers relief.
How Red Light Therapy Works:
Conducted with a laser, this type of therapy is given either as low intensity (scientific validity is still in question) and high intensity that penetrates on a deeper level (there is more scientific validity to this class laser).
The infrared light penetrates the skin, which stimulates the cells to help heal and increase the production of proteins and collagen. This reduces the inflammation that ultimately causes the pain. The advantage of Red Light Therapy is the avoidance of cutting the skin for surgeries or other types of invasive treatments.
Low intensity therapy gives low levels of infrared light treatment that targets the pained areas—this generally poses little or no risk to the skin like burns or tissue damage. Conversely, high intensity therapy penetrates the skin, treating the tissues on a much deeper level. The higher the intensity, the more risks to the patient and doctor or clinician due to the light’s intensity—wearing eye protection is always recommended to avoid eye injury.
For people with Osteoarthritis (OA), in particular knee osteoarthritis, this high intensity therapy reduces pain and increases the knee’s function, range of motion and its overall functionality; effective pain relief for joints, sport injuries, neuropathy, sprains, muscle stiffness and soreness can be accomplished with this therapy.
Back and neck pain sufferers can increase their range of motion and improve their overall functionality after these types of treatments. Studies have shown great results when coupled with exercise. In addition, low intensity light increases the flood flow to the skin, providing some pain relief.
For people with tired, aching and sore feet, there are LED medical slipper devices that can provide pain relief. And for people who suffer from carpal tunnel, repetitive stress injuries, wrist and hand joint pain, sport injuries, neuropathy, sprains, muscle stiffness and soreness, there are flexible wrist wraps available that can help.
Red Light Therapy requires more than just a few visits to see positive results. Therefore, repetitive treatments will probably be required. Sometimes, a patient may notice an increase in pain after a few treatments. This is thought to be a part of the healing process, not the laser treatment itself. Note: Red light bulbs that you purchase in a hardware store will not do anything.
Source: Paindoctor.com
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