Ever heard of red light therapy? It’s a trendy wellness treatment that’s getting lots of attention lately. But what is it, really? And how does it help? In this article, we’ll deep dive into red light therapy. We’ll talk about how it works, what it’s good for, and how you can use it. Whether you’re new to this idea or already curious, stick around to learn all about red light therapy and how it could benefit you.
History of Red Light Therapy
Before we discuss what red light therapy is, let’s take a little trip back in time to see where red light therapy began. Way back when, even without all the tech we have today, the Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans had this hunch that sunlight could make you feel better. They’d hang out in the sun to help heal their cuts, soothe skin troubles, or just boost their mood.
Skip ahead to just over a century ago, when this Danish doctor named Niels Ryberg Finsen started really digging into the whole “light as medicine” idea. He figured out that certain types of light can treat certain diseases, like tuberculosis of the skin. This was such a big discovery that he even won a Nobel Prize.
Once people figured out electricity, they started using artificial lights for therapy. By the middle of the 1900s, doctors and researchers used lamps like the ones you have at home to deliver the right amounts and types of light to help treat various health conditions.
In the 1960s, lasers were invented, and that changed everything. Lasers allowed doctors to control the exact kind of light and how strong it was. At first, lasers were mostly used for surgery and finding out what was wrong with patients. But soon enough, researchers found out that low-level laser light could be used to help treat many health problems. This discovery led to something called low-level laser therapy (LLLT) or photobiomodulation, which is what we know now as Red Light Therapy.
The Science Behind Red Light Therapy
To understand RLT, we have to talk about wavelengths, think of them as the special feature that makes RLT work. In Red Light Therapy (RLT), not just any light will do. Think of the light wavelength like a radio frequency that can only reach certain channels. Wavelength matters because different lengths of light waves have different impacts on our body. It’s this specific type of light that can dive through the skin and talk to our cells, prompting them to get to work and boost our health.
It’s like picking the right temperature for your shower – not too hot, not too cold, just perfect. The wavelength is all about choosing the right kind of light that can speak to your body’s cells and encourage them to kick into high gear.
Differences Between Red and Near-Infrared Light
In RLT, you’re dealing with two types of lights – red and near-infrared. They’re like siblings in the light family: similar but unique in their own ways.
Red Light is the visible one, kind of like the sun on your skin during a cozy sunrise. It’s perfect for taking care of your skin’s top layer, talking to the cells and telling them to make more collagen to keep your skin fresh and repair little damages.
Near-Infrared Light is the invisible one. You can’t see it, but it works like a deep tissue massage, reaching into muscles and bones, helping to mend the deeper parts of your body and ease pain that’s hiding underneath.
The Spectrum Used in RLT
RLT devices typically use a spectrum that includes both red and near-infrared light, spanning wavelengths from 620nm up to past 1200nm. The reason we use this range? Because this is where the magic happens for a variety of health benefits.
Red light in the 620nm to 750nm range is perfect for those on-the-surface issues like skin health, where it can reach fibroblasts that make collagen and help with fine lines, wrinkles, and even to alleviate acne.
Near-infrared light, which can fall into a higher wavelength beyond 1200nm, is a superstar for deeper trouble. It’s not visible to us, but it’s great for invisible healing work like helping to ease the pain deeper within our bodies or promote tissue repair beyond just the surface.
In essence, the spectrum used in RLT is carefully chosen to target different depths and types of cells in our body. It’s like having a team of healing lights, with each type of light targeting specific issues to promote overall health and well-being.
Mechanism of Action
Now, to fully understand how RLT does its magic, we need to dive a bit into how things work at the microscopic level within our bodies.
At the Cellular Level
Every cell in our body has a tiny “powerplant” called the mitochondria. These power plants are responsible for producing energy in a form that cells can use to perform all their functions. This form of energy is known as ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate).
Now, here’s where RLT comes into the picture. The mitochondria need light to work at their best, specifically, they thrive on the wavelengths of light provided by RLT. When your skin is exposed to this red and near-infrared light, the light photons penetrate the skin and are absorbed by the mitochondria. This boosts their performance and leads to an increase in ATP production. More ATP means more energy for cells to repair and regenerate, which is the key to RLT’s effectiveness.
Role of Mitochondria and ATP Production
Think of mitochondria as the workers in a factory and ATP as the goods they produce. When the factory workers are happy (stimulated by the right wavelengths of light), they produce more goods (ATP). This increase in production doesn’t just mean cells have more energy to work with; it means they can do their jobs better, faster, and more efficiently. This includes repairing damage, rejuvenating themselves, and sometimes even returning to a healthier state after being diseased or damaged.
For instance, when RLT is used, it tends to increase the overall energy available to our bodies by enhancing mitochondrial function. This extra energy then supports various body functions such as improving muscle recovery after exercise, aiding in the healing of wounds, and even supporting the health of our thyroid gland, which plays a crucial role in our metabolism.
To put it simply, Red Light Therapy works by energizing our cells to perform their best. It upgrades the energy production in our cells, allowing them to rejuvenate, repair, and renew more efficiently. Think of it as giving your cells a little boost, helping your body to heal itself in a natural, non-invasive way.
Health Benefits of RLT
Now that we’ve understood how RLT works, let’s explore the health benefits that have been discovered through various studies and clinical applications.
Reducing Oxidative Stress
Oxidative stress happens when harmful substances called free radicals build-up in your body. These free radicals can damage your cells, a bit like rust damaging a car if it’s not kept clean.
So, where does red light therapy fit in? Well, red light therapy works its wonders by carefully controlling the creation of certain molecules called Reactive Oxygen Species (or ROS for short), which are like tiny oxygen-filled packages that help your cells communicate each other. If there’s too much ROS, it can harm the body’s tissues and potentially lead to illness. Red light therapy helps keep ROS levels in check, making sure your body keeps running smoothly.
The exciting part is how red light therapy does this. As I mentioned earlier, every cell in our body has an energy factory, the mitochondria. When red light hits your skin, it goes all the way down to the mitochondria and boosts their energy-making ability, helping your cells work better, and keeping ROS at healthy levels.
However, it’s important to remember that red light therapy is a delicate balance – it doesn’t get rid of all ROS because some are necessary for our bodies to work properly. Instead, it helps to control the numbers so they can do their job without causing harm.
Reducing inflammation
Inflammation is like your body’s personal alarm system. It jumps into action when you get hurt or when germs invade, trying to heal you and keep you safe. But sometimes, it goes a bit overboard and doesn’t know when to stop, leading to more issues. It turns what’s usually helpful into something that can cause discomfort or pain. That’s where red light therapy comes into play, offering a non-invasive and gentle option for reducing inflammation.
As we talked about earlier, red light therapy uses low wavelengths of red light to penetrate the skin. But how does this help with inflammation? You might wonder. Well, when cells in the body absorb this red light, it triggers a cascade of cellular activities. One of the key effects is the stimulation of the mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell, which leads to an increase in cellular energy (ATP) production. This process supports the cells in repairing themselves and functioning more efficiently.
Red light therapy also helps reduce inflammation by increasing circulation and reducing oxidative stress. Improved circulation means that more oxygen and nutrients can reach affected areas, promoting healing. Reducing oxidative stress decreases damage to cells from free radicals, which can contribute to inflammation and tissue damage.
Improving Blood Flow
One of the remarkable health benefits of red light therapy is its ability to improve blood flow. But, how does this occur? It all comes down to a process known as angiogenesis, which essentially is the formation of new blood vessels. But how does red light therapy contribute to this?
When our bodies are exposed to red or near-infrared light, a type of light that’s used in red light therapy, our cells respond by increasing their activity. This is especially true for the cells that line our blood vessels, called endothelial cells. The exposure to red light stimulates these cells and kickstarts a series of biochemical processes.
One of these processes involves the increase of calcium ion (Ca2+) influx, which in simpler terms, indicates more calcium is taken up by the endothelial cells. This uptake facilitates cell progression and proliferation, meaning new cells divide and form faster. This activity plays a crucial role in angiogenesis, as the creation and growth of new vessels relies on active and productive cells.
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor
Another key outcome involves elevated production of a protein known as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). VEGF is crucial for angiogenesis because it essentially serves as a signal protein that promotes the formation of blood vessels. So when red light boosts the production of VEGF, it indirectly supports the creation of new vessels too.
Further, the red light also stimulates the NO (Nitric Oxide) generation in these cells. Nitric Oxide is a powerful vasodilator, meaning it helps relax and widen blood vessels, subsequently improving blood flow.
So, to sum it up, red light therapy utilizes our body’s own biochemical processes to increase angiogenesis, resulting in improved blood flow. The therapy stimulates the active cells in our blood vessels to increase calcium absorption, VEGF production, and NO generation, all of which combined, contributes to forming more blood vessels for more effective blood circulation.
Increasing collagen production
Collagen is the most abundant protein our bodies produce, and it’s critical for bone, joint, skin, and hair health. Collagen is hard, fibrous, and extremely strong. There are over 20 different types of collagen, but 90% of it is called Type I collagen, which is made of densely packed fibers, and is a key component of human skin, tendons, bones, ligaments, and teeth. Type II collagen, made of more loosely packed fibers and found in your cartilage and eyes, is also common.
These fibrous types of collagen pack together to form fibrils. If you were to look at these fibrils under a microscope you’d see a repeating pattern of bands, similar to the tightly woven lines of fabric in cotton garments. These fibrils are incredibly strong and can stretch without being broken.
So, collagen literally holds us together, and the more you can produce naturally, the better. Many people take collagen supplements or use creams to improve their skin or joint health, but there’s no substitute for your body making more of the real thing.
This is where RTL comes helps. Red Light Stimulates Natural Collagen Production. Fibroblasts are cells that use amino acids to create collagen in our bodies. It’s a job that requires lots of energy, which comes from ATP production in the mitochondria of our cells.
Red and near-infrared wavelengths of natural light stimulate the mitochondria in your cells. With this boost, mitochondria can take light, oxygen, and nutrients from the food we eat and turn it into usable energy for our bodies through the process of cellular respiration.
So when our bodies take in the healthy natural wavelengths of red and infrared light, the mitochondria in our cells can produce energy more efficiently. That increased energy allows your fibroblast cells to create more natural collagen.
Help For The Thyroid
Thyroid issues can be really frustrating and challenging. If you’re searching for something new to try, red light therapy might catch your interest. But how can just light make such a difference?
Improved Functioning: Your thyroid is like a control center for your metabolism, the process that turns your food into energy. Red light therapy helps make sure this center is running smoothly. It encourages your thyroid cells to work better, which might help you feel more like yourself again.
Boosts Hormone Production: One of the key problems with thyroid issues is the imbalance of essential hormones like T4. Red light therapy comes to the rescue by nudging your thyroid to produce more T4. This helps in balancing things out and reducing the symptoms of thyroid diseases.
Fights Inflammation: Inflammation is a troublemaker, especially with autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto’s or Graves’ disease, which often target the thyroid. Red light therapy has a cool way of calming inflammation down, giving your thyroid some much-needed relief.
Stress Buster: Living with thyroid issues is stressful. Stress, in turn, can make your symptoms worse. It’s a vicious cycle. Red light therapy can help you relax, lower your stress levels, and, in doing so, lessen the severity of your condition.
Final Word
Red Light Therapy (RLT) is a fascinating and innovative way to help our bodies heal and perform better, simply using specific wavelengths of light. At its core, RLT works by boosting the energy production in our cells, specifically in the mitochondria, which are like tiny power plants inside each cell. This extra energy not only helps cells to repair, regenerate, and renew themselves more efficiently but also has a cascade of positive effects throughout the body.
