This article brought to you by Sky Forest Inn Event and Retreat Center
Article by Billie Bueler – Rim Chiropractic
Light Therapy goes by lots of names, like Cold Laser Therapy, Low Level Light Therapy (LLLT), Photobiomodulation, and plenty more. But it’s all the same thing, and it all works the same magic! We are going to simply call it Light Therapy for the purpose of this article.
Light Therapy uses multiple wavelengths or colors of light. For instance, with red light, the wavelengths are between 620 nm (nanometers) and 700 nm. Blue light wavelengths are measured at 450 nm- 485 nm, and so on. These wavelengths are absorbed into the skin at various depths, from about 1/2 mm to as much as 10 mm.
When the light penetrates into the skin, the mitochondria in the cells increase production of a substance called ATP, or Adenosine Tri-Phosphate. ATP is the energy, the very life of a cell. Increasing the ATP in a cell results in lowered inflammation, removal of more toxins, and increased collagen in the skin. These processes are experienced by the patient as less pain, more flexibility in muscle tissue, increased blood circulation and a more youthful, firm appearance to the facial skin if that is the area of treatment.
Light Therapy is typically a cumulative process, and the process slows a bit with age. A child is going to experience faster healing, for instance. What cumulative means is treatment is administered 3 times a week over a period of 3-6 weeks with each treatment bringing the patient closer to the desired result. A shoulder can be treated four or five times in a 40-year-old patient before the patient can report less pain, or more range of motion. The key, really, is to keep up with the treatment on a regular schedule, to get the most benefit.
This technology was discovered somewhat by accident when NASA was experimenting with various light to grow vegetables, according to Linda Herridge at NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center. Since then the technology has improved and come into its own as a wonderful addition to the tools available to those who wish to speed healing in infections, wounds, and injuries and also those who wish to address cosmetic issues like wrinkles and acne without the use of pharmaceuticals. There are home use devices that can be bought, but the ones used in a professional setting are much more powerful and will provide faster results. And you have the added assurance that the area is being treated appropriately.
Light therapy is painless, non-invasive and beneficial for many different problems. It’s used extensively in the world of veterinarian medicine, as well as human health care. It’s considered very safe, but as always, the best advice is to speak to a laser therapist and find out if this treatment might be right for you.