A Glowing Review

The Benefits of Red Light Therapy

“Dana, girl! You’re not hearing me! You HAVE TO TRY RED LIGHT THERAPY and learn about it so you can help people suffering from chronic pain, skin issues, insomnia, inflammation, hair loss, Lyme symptoms—even Covid!”

After two years of my weariness about the idea of acquiring another “miracle” product that would die in the back of my closet, my friend Emma sent me one (FDA-approved) with a note, “Just try it.”

In 2018, she was suffering neuropathy, joint pain, extreme temperature dysregulation (she was always freezing) due to poor circulation and disrupted sleep.

“I’m now 98% pain-free and my sleep is vastly improved. Through changing my diet and the daily use of photobiomodulation (aka PBM/ red light therapy), my quality of life has been radically transformed,” she marvels.

Emma started with an infrared tent, then infrared light panels, and now sometimes uses a clinical-grade Firefly light.

With my very own red light in hand, I had no good excuse not to try it.

I generally feel well, but often have trouble falling or staying asleep. The first night, I used the red light for ten minutes before bed and felt so relaxed that I fell into a deep sleep with no tossing and turning. I assumed it was a fluke so tried it again the next few nights. No insomnia! I mean, this has been going on for me since I got Lyme in 2014. It’s the one symptom that never fully resolved.

A few weeks later, I strained both arms carrying heavy bags from the Farmer’s Market.

I wrapped the red light machine around my arms (one at a time, obviously), and the pain was completely gone in 15 minutes.

It even helped my 14-year-old Tibetan Terrier’s hip arthritis (vet approved) and I’ve been able to reduce her anti-inflammatories by 1/2. Hi, Lucy!

I am no expert but am convinced this therapy can help a variety of ailments, and has few downsides (pls review them, though!). My friend Miranda recently shared that it significantly decreased the pain and swelling in her knees (she has RA).

Stanford neuroscientist Andrew Huberman is also a big fan. A 6-minute clip of him extolling red light’s virtues below (his much longer, more comprehensive talk here).

This Medcram video is also a great primer, with interesting info on how it can help with Covid:

I don’t sell, make money from, or endorse any specific red light machine (or any products at all). My only “skin in the game” is to share things I find helpful:

Here are ten benefits of red light therapy backed by science:

1. Pain relief: Red light therapy may help alleviate pain in people with chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia. A study published in the Journal of The American Geriatrics society concluded that low-power light therapy is effective in relieving pain and disability in degenerative osteoarthritis of the knee.

2. Improved sleep: Red light therapy can help regulate sleep patterns and improve sleep quality. A 2012 study concluded that red-light treatment improved sleep, serum melatonin level, and endurance performance of elite female basketball players. It offered a nonpharmacologic and noninvasive therapy to prevent sleep disorders.

3. Reduced depression and anxiety: Red light therapy may help improve mood and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. This review found that PBM (photobiomodulation) appears to be a promising treatment for depression that is safe and well-tolerated. Additionally, clinical preliminary evidence suggested the efficacy of PBM in treating comorbid anxiety disorders, suicidal ideation, and traumatic brain injury.

4. Improved wound healing: A 2016 study found that red and near-infrared light therapy appears to be a promising drug-free approach for promoting wound healing, reduction in inflammation, pain and restoration of function.

5. Improved skin health: Red light therapy may help reduce the signs of aging and improve skin health. A 2014 study published in Photomedicine and Laser Surgery found that red light therapy improved skin complexion, reduced fine lines and wrinkles, and increased collagen production.

6. Reduced swelling & inflammation: Red light therapy has anti-inflammatory properties and can reduce swelling and inflammation. A 2017 research review found that in patients with plaque psoriasis, 2 red light sessions per week for 4 to 5 weeks healed 60-100% of their skin.

7. Reduced hair loss: Studies have shown that red light therapy stimulated hair growth in mice subjected to chemotherapy-induced alopecia and also in alopecia areata. Controlled clinical trials demonstrated that it stimulated hair growth in both men and women. The main mechanism is hypothesized to be stimulation of epidermal stem cells in the hair follicle bulge and shifting the follicles into anagen phase.

8. Improved muscle recovery: Red light therapy may help speed up muscle recovery after exercise or injury. It can increase muscle mass gained after training, and decrease inflammation and oxidative stress in muscle biopsies.

9. Improved Neuropathy, Nerve regeneration: Red light therapy has been reported to reduce degeneration of an injured optic nerve and promote tissue growth. In this study, red light therapy improved nerve regeneration and increased antioxidation levels in the chamber fluid. The authors posit that antioxidation induced by light therapy may be conducive to nerve regeneration.

10. Improved bone health & Osteoporosis: Red and infrared light therapy has been shown in studies on animals and humans to aid in healing bone breaks, fractures, and defects. It stimulates energy production, blood vessel formation and circulation, decreases inflammation, increases bone growth factors, and enhances collagen and procollagen production to stimulate bone cell growth.

If you’ve used red light therapy, I’d love to hear how it went. Please drop a comment! xx dp