Red Light therapy has been around for almost 50 years. Discovered in Hungary in the 1960s during an experiment using a ruby laser to try to cure tumors in rats, it was found that the low-powered laser didn't cure the tumors. It did however lead to faster hair growth and increased wound healing in the rats. Since that time, red-light therapy has gone by more than 75 names, including low-level light/laser therapy, cold laser therapy, monochromatic infrared light energy therapy, and photostimulation.
In recent years it has been most commonly known as photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy, a form of nonthermal light therapy that utilizes nonionizing forms of light sources, including lasers, LEDs, and broad-band light, in the visible and near-infrared spectrum.
PBM, therefore, is different from other forms of light therapy, like infrared saunas -- which use far-infrared radiation to heat the body -- and intense pulsed light, which uses high-intensity light sources to target the surface of the skin.
Red Light Therapy involves exposing an area of the body to visible and infrared light. These wavelengths of light penetrate the skin where they are absorbed by cells and give the mitochondria a boost. The mitochondria then produce more energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). More ATP means higher functioning cells that can do things like repair and rejuvenate tissue.
Red light therapy is widely used for pain reduction, wound healing, and inflammatory-related conditions like arthritis. But in recent years it's also been billed as a treatment for a wide variety of issues, including but not limited to:
Acne
Cancer
Cellulite
Depression
Low testosterone
Migraines
Poor sleep
Scarring
Traumatic brain injury
Weight gain
Red light therapy can be used to spot treat areas of pain or wounds as well as total body exposure similar to daylight therapy used to treat seasonal affective disorders. The near-infrared light can penetrate deep into the tissue to help relieve inflammation and pain while total-body exposure can help energize the cells and increase blood flow, raise free testosterone, and increase collagen production. If you are interested in more info on red light therapy or would like to schedule a session with us email us at info@sobotortraining.com.