In photobiomodulation therapy most basic form, it is a type of therapy that applies light to the skin. Thousands of studies to date prove that living cells are able to absorb light and convert it into usable energy. When this conversion occurs, it triggers a cascade of cellular activity and dramatically increases metabolism. This increase in normal body functions is what leads to relief in the areas affected (e.g. relief from back pain, muscle pain, arthritis, etc.), thus reducing recovery time.
In a more detailed look, several things happen in the body as a result:
In photobiomodulation therapy, photons emitted from red and infrared LEDs safely and non-invasively enter treated tissue as non-ionizing light energy. This energy is absorbed by mitochondria, the powerhouse of living cells, and converted directly into the energy-transport molecule adenosine triphosphate or “ATP” used to power cellular metabolism. In turn, the generated ATP drives RNA transcription and protein synthesis stimulating natural repair mechanisms in DNA, cells, tissue, and organs. The benefits of photobiomodulation, i.e. cellular repair during photobiomodulation therapy, are many, including the spontaneous catalyst synthesis (such as acetylcholine), normalizing intracellular pH, along with encouraging angiogenesis (new arterial growth), neurogenesis (new nerve growth), and phagocytosis (removal of dead cells and scar tissue). Concurrently, the release of nitric oxide (NO) induces vasodilation, improving tissue oxygenation and combatting inflammation.
The combination of the foregoing mechanisms and other parasympathetic effects facilitates pain relief through release of natural analgesics within the body. Light therapy is successfully used in acute pain therapy, chronic pain management, and rheumatology with excellent therapeutic effects in the treatment of shoulder humerus periarthritis, tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome. Able to treat large areas with its broad spectrum, LED based photobiomodulation therapy outperforms the efficacy of lasers while offering superior photobiological safety. Compared to magnetic therapy or electro-stimulation, photons are uncharged particles, and therefore do not interfere with the body’s natural mechanisms of ionic charge transport and electrical conduction in neurons. As such LED photobiomodulation therapy represents the most natural, least invasive from of energy-based physical medicine available.