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Red Light Therapy
•Last Updated: October 24, 2023
Red light therapy refers to the practice of exposing the body to light in the red and near-infrared (NIR) spectrum with the goal of producing health benefits. Red light therapy can be beneficial for hair loss, joint pain, and childhood myopia.
Red Light Therapy is most often used for
Last Updated:October 24, 2023
Red light therapy involves exposing the body to red and near-infrared light to achieve health benefits. The practice varies in terms of the light wavelengths, power intensity, exposure duration and frequency used and the specific body areas treated.
Red light therapy primarily benefits pain reduction in conditions like joint pain and fibromyalgia and during recovery from hip surgery and also promotes hair regrowth in androgenic alopecia. Additionally, it may slow the progression of childhood myopia and has potential cognitive benefits for people with dementia.
Red light therapy can pose risks to the eyes by potentially damaging the retina, so it should be used under medical supervision for eye conditions. Aside from eye-related risks, it is generally safe; mild side effects can occur, like itchy skin and the potential for a sunburn-like effect, particularly in individuals with darker skin.
Red light therapy is believed to work by increasing cellular energy generation, primarily through stimulation of the mitochondrial protein cytochrome c oxidase, which enhances ATP production. This boost in ATP synthesis may lead to improved tissue repair, altered gene expression, and the production of cell signaling molecules.
Note that Red Light Therapy is also known as:
- Photobiomodulation (PBM)
- Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT)
- Infrared-Light Therapy
To discuss the dosages used in red light therapy, some important terms need to be covered:
Power intensity (also called irradiance): The amount of power delivered per square centimeter of body area per second, often expressed as mW/cm2/s (milliwatts per square cm).
Power density: The product of power intensity and duration of exposure, often expressed as J/cm2 (joules per square cm).
Total energy (the “dose”): The product of power density and body area exposed, usually expressed as J (joules).
Red light therapy for eye conditions uses the lowest doses, with most studies using power intensities below 1 mW/cm2 for around 3 minutes per session, corresponding to a power density well below 1 J/cm2. Red light therapy for hair loss typically involves power intensities of around 3–90 mw/cm2 for around 15–20 minutes per session, resulting in a power density of around 1–10 J/cm2. Finally, some research suggests the effective dose for knee osteoarthritis is around 4–8 J per spot for light with a wavelength range of 780–860 nm and around 1–3 J per spot for light with a wavelength of 904 nm.
Research FeedRead all studies
- ^Stausholm MB, Naterstad IF, Joensen J, Lopes-Martins RÁB, Sæbø H, Lund H, Fersum KV, Bjordal JMEfficacy of low-level laser therapy on pain and disability in knee osteoarthritis: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised placebo-controlled trials.BMJ Open.(2019-Oct-28)
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- ^Amaris N Geisler, Evan Austin, Julie Nguyen, Iltefat Hamzavi, Jared Jagdeo, Henry W LimVisible light. Part II: Photoprotection against visible and ultraviolet lightJ Am Acad Dermatol.(2021 May)
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- ^Baroni BM, Rodrigues R, Freire BB, Franke Rde A, Geremia JM, Vaz MAEffect of low-level laser therapy on muscle adaptation to knee extensor eccentric training.Eur J Appl Physiol.(2015-Mar)
- ^Fritsch CG, Dornelles MP, Teodoro JL, da Silva LXN, Vaz MA, Pinto RS, Cadore EL, Baroni BMEffects of photobiomodulation therapy associated with resistance training in elderly men: a randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled trial.Eur J Appl Physiol.(2019-Jan)
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- ^Pinto HD, Vanin AA, Miranda EF, Tomazoni SS, Johnson DS, Albuquerque-Pontes GM, Aleixo IO, Grandinetti VD, Casalechi HL, de Carvalho PT, Leal-Junior ECPhotobiomodulation Therapy Improves Performance and Accelerates Recovery of High-Level Rugby Players in Field Test: A Randomized, Crossover, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Study.J Strength Cond Res.(2016-Dec)
- ^De Marchi T, Leal Junior EC, Bortoli C, Tomazoni SS, Lopes-Martins RA, Salvador MLow-level laser therapy (LLLT) in human progressive-intensity running: effects on exercise performance, skeletal muscle status, and oxidative stress.Lasers Med Sci.(2012-Jan)
- ^Tomazoni SS, Machado CDSM, De Marchi T, Casalechi HL, Bjordal JM, de Carvalho PTC, Leal-Junior ECPInfrared Low-Level Laser Therapy (Photobiomodulation Therapy) before Intense Progressive Running Test of High-Level Soccer Players: Effects on Functional, Muscle Damage, Inflammatory, and Oxidative Stress Markers-A Randomized Controlled Trial.Oxid Med Cell Longev.(2019)
- ^Forsey JD, Merrigan JJ, Stone JD, Stephenson MD, Ramadan J, Galster SM, Bryner RW, Hagen JAWhole-body photobiomodulation improves post-exercise recovery but does not affect performance or physiological response during maximal anaerobic cycling.Lasers Med Sci.(2023-Apr-26)
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- Muscle Soreness - Nampo FK, Cavalheri V, Ramos Sde P, Camargo EAEffect of low-level phototherapy on delayed onset muscle soreness: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Lasers Med Sci.(2016-Jan)
- Power Output - Luo WT, Lee CJ, Tam KW, Huang TWEffects of Low-Level Laser Therapy on Muscular Performance and Soreness Recovery in Athletes: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Sports Health.(2022)
- Carpal Tunnel Symptoms - Bekhet AH, Ragab B, Abushouk AI, Elgebaly A, Ali OIEfficacy of low-level laser therapy in carpal tunnel syndrome management: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Lasers Med Sci.(2017 Jun 5)
- Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms - Brosseau L, Robinson V, Wells G, Debie R, Gam A, Harman K, Morin M, Shea B, Tugwell PLow level laser therapy (Classes I, II and III) for treating rheumatoid arthritis.Cochrane Database Syst Rev.(2005-Oct-19)
- Fibromyalgia Symptoms - Yeh SW, Hong CH, Shih MC, Tam KW, Huang YH, Kuan YCLow-Level Laser Therapy for Fibromyalgia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Pain Physician.(2019-May)
- Pain - Huang Z, Ma J, Chen J, Shen B, Pei F, Kraus VBThe effectiveness of low-level laser therapy for nonspecific chronic low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Arthritis Res Ther.(2015-Dec-15)
- Osteoarthritis Symptoms - Stausholm MB, Naterstad IF, Joensen J, Lopes-Martins RÁB, Sæbø H, Lund H, Fersum KV, Bjordal JMEfficacy of low-level laser therapy on pain and disability in knee osteoarthritis: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised placebo-controlled trials.BMJ Open.(2019-Oct-28)
- Hair Regrowth - Lueangarun S, Visutjindaporn P, Parcharoen Y, Jamparuang P, Tempark TA Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials of United States Food and Drug Administration-Approved, Home-use, Low-Level Light/Laser Therapy Devices for Pattern Hair Loss: Device Design and Technology.J Clin Aesthet Dermatol.(2021-Nov)