The Healing Power Of Red Light
If you hear the term “red light therapy,” you could be forgiven for picturing the bizarre-looking face masks that have flooded social media platforms in recent years. However, this science-backed form of therapy has rapidly moved beyond cosmetic use, emerging as a powerful, non-invasive treatment that supports overall health and well-being. If you use a treadmill, you need help with post-workout recovery, or you suffer from a range of skin or other health conditions, red light therapy can play a valuable role in your day-to-day wellness as well as keep your wrinkles at bay.
[A person lies on a treatment bed while a clinician in pink scrubs and clear gloves gently places a white LED light therapy mask over their face. The red light from the mask glows beneath it, suggesting a skincare or therapeutic facial treatment.]
Red light therapy, also known as RLT, is sometimes referred to as low-level laser therapy, low-power laser therapy, or photobiomodulation. It uses very low levels of heat that won’t hurt or burn the skin and is a safe, effective, non-invasive tool used by doctors, in pain clinics, as part of physiotherapy treatment, and by professional athletes to improve performance and reduce the incidence of injuries. Red light therapy combines red and near-infrared light that penetrates the skin and stimulates the body’s cells. The light energises the cells while also initiating blood flow to the affected area; this triggers the healing process, and it is believed to help cells to repair, regenerate, and function optimally.
As a result, red light therapy has benefits that extend beyond skin rejuvenation. Numerous studies support its use for a range of health issues, including reducing inflammation and promoting muscle recovery, as well as easing musculoskeletal pain and restoring joint motion and function. And in terms of specific health conditions, red light therapy can be an effective tool to help manage chronic pain, skin conditions such as acne, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia and more.
[A person wearing a light-colored T-shirt sits beside a tall red light therapy panel, with their arm extended toward the glowing red LEDs. The intense red light bathes the room, suggesting the use of red light therapy for healing or wellness purposes.]
If you have a TENS machine, you already know it can help manage and avoid a variety of health problems. This is because TENS, or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, is a non-invasive form of therapy that provides quick, drug-free pain relief (1) (2) while also accelerating the healing process (2) (3). Meanwhile, EMS, or electrical muscle stimulation, is also featured in PainPod and Hidow machines, and is a form of therapy that helps with muscle strengthening and recovery from physical activity by increasing blood circulation and reducing muscle soreness (4).
New to PainPod is red light therapy, offering the convenience of at-home treatments using a new BodySystems Red Light Belt accessory. Users have the convenient option of combining red light therapy with TENS/EMS while using their PainPod or Hidow machine, or simply enjoying red light therapy on its own, as the Red Light Belt is independently powered. The Red Light Belt is an accessory ideal for targeting large muscle groups or areas of pain, such as the lower back, hips, quadriceps, thighs, abdominal muscles, upper arms or knees.
[A close-up view of the PainPod BodySystems Red Light Belt, a black and red wearable accessory with two built-in conductive pads surrounded by 36 LED and Infrared lamp beads.]
For more information about PainPod and Hidow machines and accessories, click here.
Resources:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/
https://journals.humankinetics.com/
Studies:
1. Vance, et al. Using TENS for pain control: the state of the evidence. Pain Management. 3: 197-209, 2014
2. Mankovsky-Arnold, T., et al. TENS attenuates repetition-induced summation of activity-related pain following experimentally induced muscle soreness. 14 (11): p. 1416-24, 2013 (NEW STUDY ADDED FROM LIST, NUMBER 9 ON SPREADSHEET)
3. Taylor, et al. The impact of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on recovery after intensive, muscle-damaging, maximal speed training in professional team sports players. J Sci Med Sport. 2015 May;18(3):328-32
4. Kwon, DR. et al. Short-term micro-current electrical neuromuscular stimulation to improve muscle function in the elderly: A randomised, double-blinded, sham-controlled clinical trial. Medicine. 96:26, 2017
