Benefits of Red Light Therapy

Benefits of Red Light Therapy

The average American spends approximately 90 percent of their time indoors, and while our schedules are packed and lives busy, what are we missing out on by not getting enough natural light? Sure, we are surrounded by light all day, but the light emitted from our phones, TVs, and computers is nothing more than artificial blue light. While technology continues to advance, one thing that has not changed is our body’s cellular energy production and circadian rhythm still being designed to follow regular sunlight. 

It can be difficult to get out in the sun and reap its benefits, but red light therapy, a panacea of sorts, treats a wide variety of maladies in an FDA-approved, non-invasive, safe way. Xperience Fitness has partnered with Joovv, an FDA-approved light therapy company providing light for a modern world. 

What is red light therapy?

Red light therapy, or photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy, is defined by the North American Association for Photobiomodulation Therapy as a form of nonthermal light therapy that utilizes nonionizing forms of light sources, including lasers, LEDs, and broad-band light, in the visible and infrared spectrum. Simply put, red light therapy uses red, low-level wavelengths to treat skin issues, like wrinkles, wounds, and scars, improve hair growth, and relieve pain and inflammation, among other conditions.

How does red light therapy work?

When the body is exposed to red light therapy, it produces a biochemical effect in cells that strengthen the mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell, or where the cell’s energy is created. Increasing the function of the mitochondria through red light therapy also increases the amount of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy-carrying molecule, created. In short, the more functional the mitochondria is, the more ATP created, and the more energy cells can use to function more efficiently, rejuvenate themselves, and repair damage.

Benefits of red light therapy

Skin health 

Research has proven time and time again that red light treatments have improved appearance, boosted collagen, improved healing times, lowered inflammation, and reduced acne and scarring. 

Red light therapy works through stimulating the mitochondria in your cells, nearly mimicking natural sunlight; this reduces oxidative stress and increases circulation. The increase in circulation indicates tissues are receiving more oxygen and other essential nutrients important for healing, while also ridding them of toxic byproducts. 

Breaking it down further, red light therapy improves: 

• inflammation, both acute and chronic, by increasing blood flow to damaged tissues and increasing the body’s antioxidant defenses. 
• rejuvenation, through collagen production. Collagen is the most abundant protein in our bodies and is critical for skin, joint, and bone health. Collagen creams and supplements may help a little bit, but nothing compares to your body producing the real thing. Studies have shown that those treated with near-infrared light have a much higher natural collagen production. 

Through collagen production, red light therapy counteracts signs of aging in skin through smoothing wrinkles and enhancing skin tone. 

A 2017 trial assessed 30 women aged 30-55 who used red light therapy. The researchers concluded that red light therapy “had positive effects on wrinkle and moisture content of adult women’s faces.” 

• acne through impacting sebum production, which contributes to acne. 
• healing injuries and scars through the promotion of new blood vessels and tissue formation, which leads to faster overall healing times for injuries and wounds. Studies have also shown that red light therapy allows faster recovery from surgeries and acts as a natural pain reliever. 

In conclusion, red light therapy has been proven to be a safe, effective natural skin treatment. Red light therapy has been proven to improve appearance, boost collagen, improve healing times, lower inflammation, and reduce acne and scarring.

Fat loss

Losing weight and, more importantly, fat, is a top goal for many people. It does not matter if you want to lose weight for cosmetic or medical reasons, red light therapy can help you with your journey. 

Researchers believe red light therapy affects adipocytes, or cells that store fat, causing the lipids to disperse. Additionally, a 2012 study in the International Journal of Endocrinology found that light can affect hunger levels, which can stop the production of fat before it begins. 

In just a brief overview, red light therapy helps with:

• reducing cellulite. A 2011 study of women who went on the treadmill and did red light therapy twice a week and women who just went on the treadmill found that red light therapy and exercise was more effective than exercise alone. 
• reducing waistline. A 2011 study in the Journal of Obesity Surgery found that the participants had achieved a statistically significant reduction in waistline girth.
• targeted fat loss. A similar study to the aforementioned found light therapy to reduce the circumference of specific areas of the body treated with natural light.
• Reducing overall body fat. A 2018 study found that pre-exercise treatment can decrease body fat in healthy volunteers when compared to a placebo.

To summarize, red light therapy has been clinically proven to reduce fat and aid in weight loss, as well as being an efficacious method of body contouring and cosmetic improvement. 

Muscle recovery

Red light therapy helps promote antioxidants, which are imperative in reducing the oxidative stress associated with muscle fatigue. Additionally, antioxidants increase the production of heat proteins – proteins that help protect cells from stress and early cell death. Studies have also shown an increase in circulation after light therapy, showing that tissues may be receiving more oxygen and other nutrients important for healing. 

Red light therapy helps with many facets of muscle recovery, here are just three ways it helps:

• reduces delayed onset muscle soreness. Researchers in a 2014 trial found that pre-exercise light therapy significantly increases performance, decreases DOMS, and improves biochemical markers related to skeletal muscle damage. 
• reduces soreness and damage after intense workouts. A 2014 trial found that light therapy significantly reduced muscle strength loss, less muscle soreness, and fewer range of motion impairments. 
• reduces damage after running. A 2012 trial found that light therapy decreased exercise-induced oxidative stress and muscle damage, likely through the modulation of the redox system. 

Joint pain

Arthritis and related joint problems affect over 50 million American adults and is the nation’s number one cause for disability. Typically, joint pain is managed with medication and surgery, but red light therapy offers clinically-proven results and is safe, effective, and non-invasive.

Researchers have concluded that red light therapy has a significant effect on reducing joint pain and increasing function and activity for people with arthritis. Red light therapy may even be able to treat the root cause of arthritis. Researchers published a study in late 2018 showing that red light therapy decreased all cytokine levels after therapy and increased immune cell populations in mammals.

“Our results indicate that light therapy could change the inflammatory course of arthritis, tending to accelerate its resolution through immune cells photobiostimulation,” researchers concluded. 

Here are a few ways red light therapy helps:

• Knee and osteoarthritis: In 2018, two separate studies found that red light therapy in addition to exercise or stretching was significantly more effective at treating osteo-related knee pain than just stretching or exercise alone. 
• Hand and wrist pain: A 2015 review in Lasers in Medical Science and a 2016 study published in Lasers in Surgical Medicine found red light therapy plus ultrasound showed strong results for treating hand osteoarthritis in women and found light therapy significantly reduce pain and ring size and increased range of motion in those suffering from Bouchard’s nodes and Heberden’s nodes.
• Arthritis: Those who have rheumatoid arthritis saw a 70 percent reduction in their pain through light therapy while those with morning stiffness found their stiffness was reduced by 27.5 minutes in the morning through red light therapy. 

Is it safe?

Red light therapy is safe, not associated with harmful side effects, non-invasive, and does not use chemicals or drugs. Other light therapies, like the use of lasers, cause damage to the skin to induce tissue repair, but red light therapy does not cause any damage to the skin. 

How do I learn more?

Xperience Fitness Woodbury offers Joovv red light therapy through US Cryotherapy. Visit https://www.uscryotherapy.com/location/woodbury-mn/ or call (651) 288-2796 for more information.