Red Light Therapy: Your Key to Faster Fitness!
Fitness and sports are always evolving to employ the best tools in favor of the athlete’s interest. Red light therapy is a revolutionary way to use a particular spectrum of light. It was initially thought for acne, scars, and other skin conditions. But studies are finding every day more applications to this new technology, including muscle recovery and performance.
Did you know about this painless way to recover from strenuous exercise? Would you believe me if I say that red light therapy repairs muscle tissue? I’ve got some compelling evidence for you, and it all comes from scientific sources.
Why Is Red Light Therapy Gaining Popularity In The Fitness World?
Red light therapy has been used successfully to stimulate recovery in the skin and other body parts. But the muscle is one of the tissues that undergo more trauma every day. Even when we’re not aware, there is muscle tissue breaking and tearing apart. New muscle fibers are created in a continuous cycle.
If you’re training regularly, the number of torn muscle fibers you need to recover every day can be overwhelming, sore and affect your performance. Naturally, a technology that speeds up recovery can be tempting if you’re worried about your gameplay.
Besides increasing your blood flow, red light therapy also speeds up the production of antioxidants. Thus, your muscles are more protected against free radicals created during strenuous exercise and so, building muscle by promoting protein production and preventing further damage.
USING RED LIGHT THERAPY BEFORE WORKOUT
Using red light therapy before your workout: It protects your muscle fibers from free radicals and other muscle damage sources. It reduces the degree of inflammation and the strain in your body. Thus, you may experience a reduction in muscle soreness and recovery time.
USING RED LIGHT THERAPY AFTER WORKOUT
Using red light therapy after your workout: It accelerates your muscle tissue recovery after it has been damaged or torn. It contributes to muscle adaptations to exercise by promoting the synthesis of proteins. It also modulates inflammation that is usually triggered after your workouts.
Modalities and available devices
Traditionally, you would need to go to a medical facility to use red light therapy. Now it is available for the general public with different types of LED light sources. What you need to know about these devices is that they can use red or infrared technology. Ideally, they should offer both because each one penetrates the skin to a different depth. You can use them safely as red light and infrared therapy are non-invasive with no side effects.
The type of device you want to use depends on the area you wish to treat, and your budget. Handheld devices are are affordable and easy to maneuver. However they are often low powered and treatment is either not effective or takes a long time to perform. Large hard-shell units are becoming popular and can be placed against the wall or over a door for full body rejuvenation, however these devices are cumbersome, expensive, and best for general wellness. The patented Nushape wraps put targeted light therapy treatment into a flexible, hands-off, portable body wrap – and at the fraction of the cost of hard shell options.
Ora Red Light Therapy
Red Light Therapy FAQ
Are other, more scientifically vetted approaches a better choice for my skin condition? See your healthcare provider to confirm a diagnosis and discuss appropriate treatment options.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Red light therapy is being promoted as a treatment for some common skin conditions. It’s still an emerging therapy but holds a lot of promise. If you’re interested in RLT treatment, it’s best to first discuss this with your healthcare provider or dermatologist. Your skin professional will examine your skin first and then confirm a diagnosis. Then, you’ll work together to discuss treatment options that’ll achieve your desired result. Options may or may not include red light therapy. Never hesitate to ask your healthcare provider about treatment options — including if you have an interest in a particular therapy, if it’s appropriate to use for your skin condition and if it’s safe and effective.
Red light therapy just five minutes before a workout can have substantial positive effects on your workout, including improved performance, decreased oxidative stress, reduced fatigue, shortened post-workout recovery time, and less muscle damage. It can even help you lose weight… and improve grip strength!
After workout
Red light therapy has shown much improvement in speeding up the recovery process after a particularly trying workout. Overuse of muscles can quickly lead to inflammation, so partaking in red light therapy post-workout can attack that inflammation before it surfaces.
The effects are photochemical, just like photosynthesis in plants. When the correct parameters are used, light reduces oxidative stress and increases cellular energy (ATP). This in turn improves cell metabolism and reduces inflammation. PBMT appears too good to be true as it has many applications, but really it does just one thing and it does it very well.
It reduces oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is essentially an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the ability of the body to counteract or detoxify their harmful effects through neutralization by antioxidants, is critical in helping the body recover. Oxidative stress is accepted as the underlying trigger for most diseases and degenerative conditions.
It is also a component in the inflammatory phase of acute and chronic injuries. Extensive research during last two decades has revealed oxidative stress can lead to chronic inflammation, which in turn contributes to chronic diseases including cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, neurological disorders and pulmonary diseases.
Red Light Therapy has been effectively used as a nonmedical intervention for reducing recovery time resulting in athletes:
Running faster and longer with less fatigue
Lifting heavier weights
Achieving higher benchmarks sooner
As a non-medical intervention for musculoskeletal conditions such as:
Arthritis
Muscle soreness
Joint pain and stiffness
As a non-medical intervention for inflammatory conditions such as:
Fibromyalgia
Chronic fatigue
Rheumatoid arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis
See our Research & Case Studies page for how Red Light Therapy can help boost Athletic Performance and manage these conditions.
Manage Pain & Inflammation
Boost Weight Loss
Enhance Athletic Performance
Rejuvenate Skin
Reduce Fatigue
Pregnancy and cancer and clients that have had organ transplants. More research is necessary to detect any potential adverse effects on patients with these conditions before PBM Therapy can be utilized by these clients.
Yes, with parental informed consent.
All persons present during device operation must wear approved protective eyewear. Prescription contacts or glasses can be worn under goggles. Protective goggles are provided.
It is recommended 3 x per week until desired effects until goals are met. At that time you can reduce to 1 or 2 x per week for maintenance and wellness depending on your goals.
PBMT does not heat tissue, it does however increase circulation so a warming sensation is often experienced. Reported subjective feedback:
Temporary euphoric feeling.
Increased energy levels.
Improved sleep patterns.
Improved mood.
Improved skin clarity and tone.
Improved bowel function.
Decreased swelling of extremities.
Increased energy.
Increased mental clarity.
Increased general sense of well being.
These outcomes may not apply to every person, and are not intended to guarantee, promise, represent and/or assure that anyone will achieve the same or similar results. Occasionally some clients may experience mild fatigue, discomfort, or aches after treatment. These responses should reduce after 24-48 hours, if they persist notify your technician at your next appointment.
This Full Body Wellness Light Pod is a General Wellness Device. The device is built according to current Good Manufacturing Practices and is in compliance with applicable standards as required by FDA.
THE CLASS I INTENDED USES ARE:
Restoration of motion to joints
• Redevelop muscles
• Adjunct to obesity as part of a diet and exercise program
THE CLASS II INTENDED ARE:
Relaxation of muscles and relief from muscle spasms
• Temporary relief of minor muscle and joint aches, pain and
stiffness
• Temporary relief of minor pain and stiffness associated with
arthritis
• To temporarily increase blood circulation
No. The LEDs are cooled by a patent-pending cooling system to keep you comfortable.
10 – 15 minutes.
Every person’s condition is unique, therefore the treatment course is as well. However, there are some general rules of thumb that apply to PBMT.
Acute injuries and inflammation from muscle strains and sprains, cuts, bruises, burns, etc typically show very rapid improvement and can resolve in 3/4 times a weeks. Long-term, chronic conditions can take 2-3 weeks to get significant benefits, weeks to months for maximum benefits, then weekly or bi-weekly sessions may be necessary to maintain benefits. We recommend starting with 3 sessions for 3 weeks. Maintenance is 1 or 2 sessions a week depending on your goals.
To date there are over 550 Randomized Controlled Trials and over 4000 laboratory studies have been published using PBM devices. PBMT is used in thousands of clinics, hospitals and elite sports institutions in over 70 nations. There are approximately 40 new papers per month being published. The primary evidence is in musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction, however a wide variety of conditions are being studied as well. To review the published research, go to PubMed.gov and search by the terms Photobiomodulation, LLLT or Low Level Light Therapy.
Red Light Therapy can now be delivered to the entire body using a state of the art FULL BODY DELIVERY SYSTEM. Now in just 10 minutes, a full body light session that targets inflammation and stimulates repair can be delivered.
Wear whatever you want, preferably something easy to take off.
In your session, you will want to take off all clothing since light will not penetrate through cloth.
