red light therapy

Introduction

Red light therapy (RLT) and near-infrared light therapy (NIR-LT) have gained attention for their potential therapeutic benefits across various medical conditions. These therapies utilize specific wavelengths of light to penetrate tissues and stimulate biological processes, offering non-invasive treatment options for conditions ranging from skin disorders to neurological injuries.

Key Insights

Therapeutic Penetration and Delivery Methods:
- Red and near-infrared light can penetrate human skin, skull, and brain tissues, but the effectiveness depends on the thickness of these tissues. For deep brain targets, alternative delivery methods like optical fibers or implanted light sources are necessary .
Neurological and Cognitive Benefits:
- Red/NIR light therapy can enhance mitochondrial function, increase ATP synthesis, and stimulate anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective responses. This has shown promise in treating conditions like dementia, Parkinson's disease, stroke, brain trauma, and depression .
- Specific studies have demonstrated significant improvements in cognitive performance and reduced symptoms of PTSD in patients with chronic mild traumatic brain injury following red/NIR light therapy.
Pain and Inflammation Reduction:
- Red light therapy has been effective in reducing mechanical sensitivity, neuronal cell death, and neuroinflammation following spinal cord injury. This suggests its potential as a non-pharmacological approach for managing pain and promoting recovery in such injuries .
Skin and Aesthetic Applications:
- Red light therapy, particularly when combined with near-infrared light, has been shown to increase collagen and elastin production in human skin, making it a viable treatment for photo-aging and skin rejuvenation .
- The use of red light-emitting diode (LED) therapy in photodynamic therapy (PDT) with methyl-aminolevulinate (MAL) has proven effective in treating actinic keratoses, showing superior results compared to placebo treatments.
Oxidative Stress and Cellular Health:
- Red/NIR light therapy can reduce oxidative stress and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in various models of central nervous system injuries, although the effectiveness can vary based on the wavelength and intensity of the light used.

Conclusion

Red and near-infrared light therapies offer promising non-invasive treatment options for a variety of medical conditions. They have demonstrated efficacy in enhancing cognitive function, reducing pain and inflammation, and promoting skin health. However, the effectiveness of these therapies can depend on factors such as tissue penetration, wavelength, and delivery methods. Further research and optimization of treatment parameters are necessary to fully harness the potential of red and near-infrared light therapies across different medical applications.

Summary

Introduction

Key Insights

Conclusion

Sources and full results

A new perspective on delivery of red-near-infrared light therapy for disorders of the brain.

Natural sunlight can be used as a source of therapeutic red-near-infrared light for disorders of the brain, but its contribution must be considered when assessing and controlling therapeutic doses.

Topical methyl-aminolevulinate photodynamic therapy using red light-emitting diode light for treatment of multiple actinic keratoses: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

MAL PDT using red light-emitting diode light is an effective treatment alternative for multiple actinic keratoses, with superior lesion and patient response rates compared to vehicle PDT.

Red-light (670 nm) therapy reduces mechanical sensitivity and neuronal cell death, and alters glial responses following spinal cord injury in rats.

Red-light therapy reduces mechanical sensitivity and neuronal cell death in the subacute stage after spinal cord injury, potentially offering a non-pharmacological approach to treating pain.

Brain Photobiomodulation Therapy: a Narrative Review

Brain photobiomodulation therapy using red to near-infrared light shows potential in treating neurological and psychological conditions, enhancing neuron metabolic capacity and stimulating anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and antioxidant responses.

Low‐level red plus near infrared lights combination induces expressions of collagen and elastin in human skin in vitro

Low-level red and near infrared LED combination effectively induces collagen and elastin expression in human skin in vitro, potentially offering a safe alternative treatment for photo-ageing and photo-damaged skin.

Significant improvements in cognitive performance post-transcranial, red/near-infrared light-emitting diode treatments in chronic, mild traumatic brain injury: open-protocol study.

Scalp application of red and near-infrared light-emitting diodes (LED) significantly improves cognitive performance in patients with chronic, mild traumatic brain injury.

Differential Effects of 670 and 830 nm Red near Infrared Irradiation Therapy: A Comparative Study of Optic Nerve Injury, Retinal Degeneration, Traumatic Brain and Spinal Cord Injury

Optimal red/near-infrared irradiation therapy at 670 nm is more effective for treating optic nerve injury and retinal degeneration, while 830 nm is partially effective for traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury.

RED LIGHT TREATMENT

Infra-red light treatment has potential therapeutic effects, as it is a non-chemically and biologically inactive ray of sunlight, with potential benefits for various diseases.

Method for the assessment of effects of a range of wavelengths and intensities of red/near-infrared light therapy on oxidative stress in vitro.

This study successfully delivered red/near-infrared light therapy at varying wavelengths and intensities to cultured cells exposed to glutamate, enabling optimization of therapeutic doses for reducing reactive oxygen species in vitro.

Light-emitting diode red light therapy: evidence base for aesthetic indications

LED red light therapy offers affordable, effective, and minimally invasive skin rejuvenation, stimulating regenerative processes without causing damage to the skin.

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