Have you heard about red light therapy?
In our San Diego acupuncture practice, we’ve been using red light therapy for our patients for several years now and are obsessed with the results!
So, what exactly is red light therapy, and why are we so excited about it?
Let’s break it down …
Red light therapy, also known as photo biomodulation or low-level laser therapy, exposes the skin to small doses of red or near-infrared light. It’s gaining popularity for its remarkable healing properties and wide range of benefits.
But how does the magic happen? Well, red light therapy works by stimulating the mitochondria in our cells—the powerhouses responsible for producing energy. By enhancing cellular function and promoting the production of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), red light therapy helps boost cellular repair and regeneration. This leads to a myriad of health benefits.
How We Use It
We treat patients with medical grade, red light devices as part of our customary acupuncture session at no added cost to you. At Concept Wellness, we bring everything to bear on your care—both ancient wisdom and time-honored tools as well cutting edge treatments and emerging technology. All of it is applied in your typical session at our practice.
Knee pain, for example? We will use acupuncture to trigger a response in points that reduce inflammation and discomfort, but we layer on the added benefits of red light. Similarly, if you come to us for microneedling and all the radiance it can produce, you
may find we employ red light to reduce redness and promote healing.
What are the overall benefits of red light therapy, you ask? Below are five of the most common results these tools can deliver:
- Skin rejuvenation: Red light therapy can help reduce wrinkles, fine lines, and other signs of aging by promoting collagen production and improving skin elasticity.
- Muscle recovery: If you’re an athlete or simply active, red light can help speed muscle recovery, reduce inflammation, and alleviate muscle soreness after intense workouts.
- Sleep improvement: By regulating circadian rhythms and promoting relaxation, red light treatment can improve sleep quality and help alleviate insomnia and other sleep disorders.
- Pain relief: Shown to reduce pain and inflammation, red light is often effective in treating chronic pain conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, and back pain.
- Brain health: Emerging research suggests that red light therapy may have neuroprotective effects, improving cognitive function, and supporting brain health.
What conditions does red light therapy treat?
Red light can be an effective modality to treat a number of conditions including:
Skin conditions
Red light can:
- Treat the signs of aging by increasing the production of collagen, which gives skin its structure, elasticity and rigidity.
- Help improve skin conditions, including acne, acne scarring as well as active acne lesions, eczema and psoriasis.
- Promote wound and skin healing by increasing blood flow to the area.
- Help with sun damage by reducing reduce redness and inflammation.
Muscle repair
Red light therapy can relieve myalgias and muscle pains by decreasing inflammation.
Pain management
Red light therapy tackles pain by:
- Stimulating cell production. This promotes healing, reduces inflammation and improves blood circulation.
- Increasing cell energy production. This can help release neurotransmitters like endorphins, which are natural pain killers.
- Regenerating cells and increasing collagen production. This helps repair damaged tissue.
Using red light to increase blood flow also facilitates detoxification by enabling built-up toxins and wastes to pass through the skin.
One way that red light therapy is used in cancer care is for patients with oral mucositis, or mouth sores. More broadly, red light therapy may also help patients with general pain and inflammation. For example, our clinic is conducting research on how laser therapy can be used to help manage cancer pain and chronic pain in general.
Red light also has proven benefits for helping with hair growth. There are red light caps and devices specifically for those with thinning hair.
Red light risks?
Red light therapy uses very low levels of heat and doesn’t hurt or burn the skin. Unlike the light used in tanning booths, it doesn’t expose your skin to damaging UV rays. You may feel warmth from the light which we find contributes to your relaxation.
In red light therapy, you expose your skin to a lamp, device, or laser with a red light. It uses an LED (light-emitting diode) that emits the correct spectrum of light. Red LED light travels deeper into the skin than blue LED light, which is sometimes used to treat
skin surface conditions such as acne.
There is a chance that exposure to red light can hurt the eyes. So, when we use devices on the face, we offer you eye protection.
Types of devices
In our practice, we employ a host of different red light devices—a wand that targets specific points; a flexible panel that can, for example, wrap around a knee; a panel that has broader coverage; a face tool that reduces redness after microneedling and facials;
among others.
We also recommend red light tools and companies that offer discount rates so you can enjoy the benefits of low level laser therapy at home, between your sessions at Concept Wellness. Just ask us about purchasing one so we can share tips for usage and our
affiliate discount rates.
Your home routine with red light
You can incorporate red light into your routine at home. Here are a few tips:
- Start with short sessions: Allow your body to adjust to the therapy by beginning with five to 10 minutes.
- Gradually increase duration: Once accustomed to the red light, slowly build up to longer 20 to 30-minute sessions to allow for full effects.
- Increase frequency: Aim for three to five red light therapy sessions each week. Consistency promotes the best results.
- Consider using full-body devices: Full-body red light beds or panels enable the light to reach more areas and enhance detoxification and other benefits
throughout your system. - Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water before and after your red light sessions.
Whether you’re seeking radiant skin, faster recovery, better sleep, or relief from pain, red light therapy offers a safe and effective solution to support your health and vitality.
Ready to experience the transformative power of red light therapy for yourself? Book your appointment today by calling our office at 858-272-8215 or booking an appointment at the link below.
Let’s take that first step together towards a healthier, more vibrant you!