Red Light Information
Red Light and Near-Infrared Therapy: A Comprehensive Overview
Red Light Therapy, also referred to as Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) or Photobiomodulation - utilizes red light (and/or near-infrared light) to improve unwanted conditions within the body.
What is the difference between mW and mW/cm2 measurement?
mW/cm2 is the only measurement that is important in comparing red light therapy systems. The mW/cm2 is the measurement of light intensity coming from the diode. The mW is the measurement of the power needed to run the diode. So, for example, let us say you are looking at a high-performance car that does 0 to 60 in 2.5 seconds. If you ask what the mW are it is like asking what gas the car runs on. You would want to know the horsepower the car has or mW/cm2. There are many different types of diodes some are regular, and some are high efficiency and everything in between. So, a highly efficient diode might only be 25mW but have a light intensity of 60mW/cm2 or a regular diode might be 120mW and only be 60mW/cm2. Both are putting out the same amount of light intensity and doing the same job but the highly efficient one takes less power to do it.
Closeness to the body in relativity for system performance.
We understand there are many different red-light therapy systems on the market today. We have worked to develop the top performing red-light therapy systems on the market today. Red light dissipates extremely fast, so the farther the diode from the body the less effective it is on the body. There are many systems on the market that have repurposed tanning beds into red light therapy systems. These are very easy to produce, but highly compromised for treatment effectiveness. The problem many of these beds have is a 3” to as much as 12” gap between the diode and the body…..this results in unacceptable clinical performance. With a light meter, we use to calibrate the diodes to their correct measurement, as an example, placing the meter on the diode for measurement of 40mW/cm2 then moving it only 2” away, the reading drops dramatically to only 19mW/cm2, less than half of the light intensity of the diode. You can now easily imagine how poorly a system works 6”-12” away from the body.
Our beds are designed to be as close as possible to the body to avoid large gaps in the treatment area. This is one factor relating to the performance superiority of our beds.
Are more diodes better on a bed then one that has less?
This is a great question. The only diodes involved in effective treatment are those directly under the skin. There could be thousands of other diodes on the bed pointed at the ceiling and they are useless for treatment. Other bed systems with gaps that leave 3” to 12” from the body are doing next to nothing for treatment but are more for show, creating a perception of relative value to increase cost. This is why every Body Balance System bed is designed with high light intensity at extreme proximity for the diode to the body.
The other more important factor is mW/cm2 the measurement of light intensity in determining what system you should purchase.
We are not here to just sell you a bed, but to assure you and your clients we are here to make your business more successful.
We hope this helps clear up common confusion with respect to Red Lght therapy. As one of the only Red Light equipment manufacturers in the USA, we want to help keep you and your clients well informed.
The Top Benefits of Near-Infrared and Red-Light Therapy
- Slow Hair Loss and Re-Grow Hair
- Lower Inflammation and Potentially Inflammation-Related Diseases
- Improve Joint Health and Combat Arthritis
- Decrease Pain
- Enhance Muscle Gain, Strength, Endurance and Recovery
When one explores the 50,000 plus scientific and clinical studies conducted on Red Light Therapy to date, one will find that no matter what type of health complication an individual may have, s/he is likely to benefit tremendously from Red Light and Near-Infrared Light Therapy.
The research into the power of red light to improve health and treat disease continues to gain momentum. What is being discovered through this research is that red and near-infrared light therapy can benefit virtually every system of the body. This light can improve the way one looks – reduce the signs of aging, regrow hair, increase the results from workouts, reduce pain, speed healing, boost hormonal health, and lower inflammation.
A MORE DETAILED LOOK AT THE BENEFITS OF RED LIGHT THERAPY
Expanding on the specific benefits of red and near-infrared light that have been shown in studies, below are the major benefits that have been proven by scientific research for Near-Infrared and Red-Light Therapy:
Slow Hair Loss and Re-Grow Hair with Near-Infrared and Red-Light Therapy
Near-infrared and Red Light Therapy has proven to help women with alopecia to significantly regrow and thicken hair. Near-infrared and Red Light Therapy has also proven to regrow hair in men with hair loss in several studies.
Combat Inflammation (and Potentially Inflammation-Related Diseases) with Near Infrared and Red-Light Therapy
Red and near-infrared light therapy is highly effective in treating chronic inflammation. Since chronic inflammation is now being recognized as a major contributor to most chronic diseases from heart disease, depression, and cancer, to Alzheimer’s and chronic fatigue syndrome, this effect of Red-Light Therapy on inflammation is a very big deal. Many aging scientists now speak of “inflammaging” — the concept that the genes and pathways that control inflammation may very well be the key drivers of aging and disease.
Studies have even shown that red/NIR light therapy can have anti-inflammatory effects on par with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs),149 which are the anti-inflammatory drugs routinely prescribed and typically, the over-the-counter drugs people buy when in pain.
Help Tendinitis with Near-Infrared and Red-Light Therapy
One of the most common uses for red and near-infrared therapy in clinics is for injuries and tendinitis. Because red light stimulates collagen production, speeds wound healing, and is highly anti-inflammatory, it has been shown to bring great relief to people suffering from tendinopathy and tendinitis. A systematic review of the research concludes that near-infrared and Red-Light Therapy has proven highly effective in treating tendon disorders in all 12 studies conducted.
Improve Joint Health and Combat Arthritis with Near-Infrared and Red-Light Therapy
Numerous studies have shown that near-infrared and Red-Light Therapy can profoundly help people with osteoarthritis (often called just “arthritis”).
Decrease Pain with Near-Infrared and Red-Light Therapy
Here are several conditions where red/NIR light has proven effective:
- Chronic neck pain
- Knee pain
- Fibromyalgia
- Low back pain
- Chronic pain in the elbow, wrist and fingers
- Chronic joint disorders
- Sacroiliac joint pain
- Chronic tooth pain
- Osteoarthritic pain
- Tendinitis and myofascial pain
In a recent systematic review, researchers concluded that Red Light Therapy has proven “beneficial for many individuals suffering from pain, regardless of the condition that is causing it.”
Enhance Muscle Gain, Strength, Endurance, and Recovery with Near-Infrared and Red-Light Therapy
Red/NIR light with exercise makes a potent combination. Not only does red/NIR light help you recover faster, it seems to amplify everything that happens with exercise – increased muscle gain, fat loss, performance, strength, and endurance.
How does red and near-infrared light affect muscles – what is it doing to cause these benefits? It works through several important mechanisms in the body:
- Red and near-infrared light help promote the production of internal antioxidants by your cells, which prevents oxidative stress and damage to the muscle tissue (when light is applied before exercise).
- Red and near-infrared light help reduce inflammation that will lead to cellular damage (and fatigue) in the muscle tissue as well.
- Protect damaged muscles from secondary damage from further exercise.
- Pre-conditioning: By using the light prior to exercise, it creates a “preconditioning” effect where the muscle cells suffer less damage from the exercise, as well as display higher strength/stamina in subsequent exercise following the initial bout of exercise.
- Red and near-infrared light decrease lactic acid production by muscles.
- Red and near-infrared light improve mitochondrial function during exercise.
- Increases acetylcholine receptors on muscles (this is the neurotransmitter released from nerve cells that stimulates muscle contraction).
- Red and near-infrared light increase the production of specific types of heat shock proteins that protect cells from oxidative damage, stress, and apoptosis (early cell death).
- Red and near-infrared light also enhance muscle growth, as well as increasing strength significantly.
- Red and near-infrared light therapy promotes the development of muscle stem cells, myosatellite cells, which develop into specific varying types of muscles.
- Red and near-infrared light also have the profound benefit of increasing mitochondrial adaptations and mitochondrial biogenesis (the creation of new mitochondria) following exercise.
Why Power Density of The Light Matters
Power density is important because your cells need to receive a certain intensity of red light to benefit. To understand power density, one simply needs to know the wattage of the light and the treatment area.
For maximum efficacy, a sizable light that has a power density of at least 100mW from close range is essential. This power density allows for one to get up to the therapeutic levels that are used in the studies – especially for the deeper tissues.
Utilizing a device with a higher power output that also treats a large area at once, that’s where the magic is.
Higher powered devices, like the Slim Sculpt Systems, deliver over 100mW! This is a huge benefit.
Having a high-power light that is also large enough in size allows you to treat large areas of your body at once in just a few minutes.
You can treat an area like the face, the whole torso or legs, or even do multiple parts of the body effectively, the entire body, in just a few minutes!
Why the Combination Near-Infrared and Red Light in a Large LED Panel is the Best Option
Generally, if one wants to treat deeper tissues and/or skin issues, near-infrared with red light is the best option. In fact, for most purposes, a large LED panel with a mix of 630nm and 850nm is the best choice.
For most purposes and for most people, the best choice is a combination of the 630nm and 850nm LEDs in a large LED panel that will treat a large area of the body at once. This option is best because it works for basically any and all purposes you could possibly need it for. A combined near-infrared and red-light therapy device offering both 630nm and 850nm will allow one to treat anything one needs on any given day – whether anti-aging treatments on skin, or healing an injury or lower back pain, or muscle recovery and fat reduction.
Final Words
If all the science has you feeling overwhelmed, let’s end with some simplicity.
Contact Body Balance Systems to discuss which system is best for you and your specific needs. Once you receive your own Slim Sculpt System, you can immediately start using it to:
- Increase energy
- Improve muscle recovery and athletic performance
- Improve mood and cognitive function
- Increase muscle size and strength
- Speed healing from injury
- You now know everything you need to know to start using this powerful technology. Now go start using it to take your clients or your own health, body and energy to new heights!
Contact your Support Specialist at Body Balance Systems, LLC to discuss how the we can benefit you and/or your practice today.
