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Red light for pain and inflammation
Pain and inflammation can have many causes. It is important to understand that both pain and inflammation are not bad per se, but serve a purpose. However, our body is not perfect either and so it can happen that pain and inflammation do us more harm than good.
Near infrared (NIR) and red light have been shown in various studies to have both a preventive and a regulating effect on pain and inflammation. In this article you will learn how this can be explained and how you can make use of this mode of action.
A plea for pain and inflammation
What would life be like without pain? Probably one thing above all: very short. After all, pain warns us of health risks in many situations and thus ensures that we make the right decisions for our bodies. The situation is similar with inflammations, which are initially nothing more than the body's own defence reaction to a harmful stimulus, such as pathogens.
It only becomes problematic when the cause of a pain is not recognisable or we ignore it, or when an inflammation gets out of control. Then pain and inflammation can become chronic and harm us and our body.
Preventive and regulating effect on inflammation
Among the various studies that have been conducted on the effects of near infrared (NIR) and red light, there are many that attribute their positive effects to an anti-inflammatory effect of the NIR/red light. On the one hand, healthy cells are prepared for future inflammations and on the other hand, already existing inflammations are alleviated.
This mode of action of NIR/red light takes on a very special significance when one considers that science now sees chronic inflammation as the main cause of most chronic diseases. These include heart disease, cancer, depression, Alzheimer's disease and chronic fatigue syndrome. Moreover, autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis or diabetes (type 1) are also based on chronic inflammation.
The ways in which red light achieves this anti-inflammatory effect are still being researched. What is certain, however, is that red light has a demonstrable anti-inflammatory effect wherever mitochondria are found in the cells; and this is the case in the majority of cells - from the tissue to the joints to the most diverse organs.
Painkilling light
Not all pain is the same: there are different types of pain that are triggered by different causes. To come straight to the point: NIR/red light will not be able to help with all forms of pain. However, the general effectiveness for chronic pain is quite high.
What does that mean now? Well, NIR/red light has been shown to relieve pain for the following complaints:
- Chronic neck pain
- Knee pain
- Fibromyalgia
- Lower back pain
- Chronic pain in the elbow, wrist and fingers
- chronic joint diseases
- Pain in the sacro-iliac joint
- chronic toothache
- Osteoarthritic pain
- Tendonitis
- myofascial pain syndrome
Red light as a natural pain reliever
The very highest priority should always be to identify and address the cause of the pain or inflammation. But sometimes this is easier said than done, and for some forms of chronic pain and inflammation, medicine still has no solution.
Different wavelengths of red light or near-infrared light can support the treatment of pain and inflammation. True to the motto "less is sometimes more", you should not overdo it with the amount of red light. Even short applications show their effect and can help your body to help itself.
Runner: @jopanuwatd via Twenty20
References:
- Hamblin, M.R. (2017): Mechanisms and applications of the anti-inflammatory effects of photobiomodulation. AIMS Biophys. 2017;4(3):337-361. doi: 10.3934/biophy.2017.3.337. Epub 2017 May 19. PMID: 28748217; PMCID: PMC5523874.
- WHITTEN, Ari (2018): The Ultimate Guide to Red Light Therapy. Archangel Ink.
- When the immune system becomes the enemy: Chronic inflammatory diseases - Retrieved 19.02.2021, from gesundheitsforschung-bmbf.de
3 comments
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Since the application is very pleasant and simple, you can look at the whole thing positively for now. I am now starting the treatment of chronic bursitis trochanterica. Report the result later, in a month.
Very good explanation ...
Very good information.
LG. Manfred Zach
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Lichtblock replied:
Thanks Manfred!