red light therapy · Dec 21, 2022

what does red light therapy do?

How does red light therapy work?

Red light produces a biochemical effect in cells that strengthens the mitochondria. The mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell — it’s where the cell’s energy is created. The energy-carrying molecule found in the cells of all living things is called ATP (adenosine triphosphate).

By increasing the function of the mitochondria using red light therapy, a cell can make more ATP. With more energy, cells can function more efficiently, rejuvenate themselves, and repair damage. For more on improving Mitochondria check out: Mitochondrial Health

Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) shows promise as a self-administered, noninvasive treatment option for COVID-19. Shortly after the 1960 discovery of the monochromatic light source [51], PBMT was accidentally discovered by the Hungarian Endre Mester in 1967 [52]. Mester was using a red laser to reduce the size of cancerous tumours in mice, but the laser had a lower power than he intended. Instead of observing changes to the tumour as predicted with the high-power laser, he noticed that the wounded skin of the laser-treated mice healed faster. The laser caused hair to grow back faster in the shaved areas and the wounds healed better, so low-level light appeared to be promoting tissue repair. Mester spent the rest of his career investigating this phenomenon, carrying out further promising experiments on wounds, skin defects, burns, ulcers and bedsores [53,54].

PBMT is defined as a light-based therapy for the stimulation, enhancement and healing of cell and tissue function. This use of low-energy light to stimulate biological effects was formally named low-level laser therapy (LLLT), although this name was later changed to the more accurate ‘photobiomodulation’. This was because light-emitting diodes (LEDs) can more safely deliver the same beneficial effects as lasers, and ‘low-level’ was considered subjective [55,56,57]. The effects of PBM appear to be limited to a specified set of wavelengths of light, most commonly the red (600–700 nm) and near infrared (NIR, 750–1300 nm) regions of the electromagnetic spectrum [56,58]. More current investigations have identified distinct optical windows within the near infrared spectrum (810nm and 1064nm) with marked differences in production of oxygenated hemoglobin and cytochrome c oxidase [59]. PBM effectiveness is also dependent on the energy dosage supplied [58], following a ‘biphasic dose response’ curve. This obeys the Arndt–Schulz law, where doses higher or lower than the optimum dose cause reduced or, in the case of very high energy levels, negative therapeutic effects via ‘bio-inhibition’ [56,60,61].

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