Red Light Therapy For Knee Pain

What Types Of Pain Does Red Light Therapy Treat

Red light therapy has proven to be versatile for treating many pain types, including chronic, joint, neck, osteoarthritis, and more. Because it provides targeted pain relief, it’s incredibly versatile for various conditions. We’ve provided a list of the many pain types red light therapy helps along with studies.

How Does Red Light Therapy Help People With Arthritis

Arthritis is the leading cause of disability, described as recurring pain from inflammation in one or more body joints. Arthritic symptoms typically include pain, aching, stiffness, and swelling in or around the joints. They can make simple everyday tasks a struggle and can often greatly limit physical activity. While arthritis has various forms and is commonly associated with the elderly, it can affect anyone.

Arthritis treatment generally centres on easing symptoms and increasing joint function. A treatment plan can include rest, physical therapy, exercise, medication, and sometimes even surgery to correct joint impairment.

Light Therapy

Red light and near-infrared have actually been used in the clinical treatment of arthritis since the late 1980s. There have been hundreds of clinical studies looking to determine the parameters of effectiveness. With over 40 years of research, enough scientific data has been collected to recommend it for all arthritis sufferersno matter the cause or severity.

Light Therapy and Its Use On Arthritis

Many factors are playing a role in the cause of arthritis, however, its evident there is some connection to reduced energy production and the subsequent effect that has on the body, eventually leading to the joint inflammation.

How Does Red Light Therapy Work?

Takeaway

Safe For All Skin Types

Red light therapy is generally a secure method of treatment. There are no reports of red light therapy being harmful to any skin type in all of the research conducted. However, it should be noted that extensive exposure to any light type can be damaging to the skin. It’s vital to practice moderation.

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How Does Far Infrared Therapy Help With Joint Pain And Inflammation

Far Infrared therapy is an effective and safe remedy for pain and inflammation. It can penetrate deep through the layers of the skin, to the muscles and bones. Since infrared therapy enhances and improves circulation in the skin and other parts of the body, it can bring oxygen and nutrients to injured tissues, promoting healing. It helps ease pain, relieve inflammation, and protect against oxidative stress.

Far Infrared therapy is a gentle, non-invasive, natural therapy method that has proven to show positive results in less than a few weeks.

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Types Of Light Therapy

Light therapy at home is easy, effective and safe. Its important to note that light therapy can be combined with other treatments for pain management, such as physical therapy, medications, exercises, acupuncture, etc.

In light therapy, the desired light therapy is delivered with therapeutic intent. Different types of light therapy have different effects on the human body. The longer the wavelength and intensity, the deeper the penetration, delivering energy to the target cells so they can benefit from it. FDA-cleared devices deliver light therapy at correct parameters such as wavelength, irradiance, treatment repetition and duration. Light therapy devices, usually placed over the site of pain, are noninvasive and painless.

The various types of light therapy include red light therapy, infrared light therapy, dual optical energy, low light therapy and green light therapy as well as other light therapies.

Red Light Therapy :

Red light therapy works on the red light frequency, visible to the human eye and easily distinguishable. Red light therapy for pain uses light to penetrate the skin without causing pain. It uses low levels of heat that do not hurt the skin or burn it, nor does red light therapy expose the skin to damaging UV rays.

Red light therapy at home has the advantages of best red light therapy for pain, in the comfort and safety of your home.

Infrared Light Therapy :

Low Light Laser Therapy :

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Beurer Infrared Heat Lamp Review

Beurer Infrared Heat Lamp is an excellent option for those looking to treat larger parts of the body such as the back and thighs. It can also be used for treating bronchial congestion caused by colds.

The lamps heat helps improve blood flow, reduce inflammation, and can heal muscle pain. The lamp can be tilted to target other areas of the body including, shoulders, knees, legs, and arms. The tilt function is one that I certainly love as it helps to reach those hard to reach areas.

In comparison to the Tendlite and the DPL Flex Pad, the Beurer infrared heat lamp is quite different.

The Beurer Infrared Heat Lamps heat zone is quite large with dimensions of 11.8 inches by 15.7 inches. To use it simply position the lamp in the direction of the target area. You can set the treatment duration from 1 minute to 15 minutes depending on the area being treated. You should use the device on the target area several times a day.

Is the heat lamp near or far infrared?. If you dont even know what they mean, its just basically a measurement 1n nano-meters . Near infrared having a nm frequency of 800 to 1400nm. Far is from 3000nm onwards. This device has a maximum of 2500nm. So its mid range. What this means is that it pentetrates deeper into the body than near infrared, but not quite as far as far infrared.

Red Light Therapy For Joint Pain And Arthritis: Summary & Final Thoughts

Red light therapy, and photobiomodulation in particular, have been around for decades. But scientists have made significant advancements in the past few years, coming to better understand how this technology can be used to treat both acute and chronic joint pain.

With that said, the benefits of light therapy go way beyond joint pain and arthritis. A systematic review of photomodulation for spinal cord injury revealed that PBM has an anti-inflammatory effect, is effective in reducing the size of spinal cord lesions and helps to absorb administered proteins and stem cells to the lesion site. Another meta analysis concluded that photobiomodulation is effective for the management of oral mucositis in cancer patients.

As far as joint pain is concerned, exposing the affected tissue to specific wavelengths of light increases oxygenated blood flow, helps grow new cartilage and bone tissue, reduces pain and normalizes inflammation.

Ive experimented with light therapy over the past few months in the context of infrared saunas, as well as for pain management.

Im 40 years old but fortunate to not suffer from knee pain or other chronic joint issues. However, I do occasionally overexert myself during CrossFit workouts, and Ive strained more muscles than I care to remember.

Light therapy has been an excellent tool in my arsenal to treat those injuries and to speed up the recovery process.

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What Kind Of Red Light Therapy Is Best For Arthritis

Weve been discussing the benefits of red light therapy, meaning both red and NIR wavelengths. Does red light therapy work better, or is NIR light therapy more effective for pain relief and slowing the progression of arthritis?

Red light absorbs into the skin to a depth of about 4mm, or .16 inch, which is nearly the thickness of the skin. Thus, red lights ability to absorb into the deeper layers of skin means that its ideal for treating skin deep conditions.

NIR wavelengths are longer so they penetrate deeper, to a depth of about 5mm, or slightly over 3/16 of an inch. This means cartilage in your knee, hand, foot, and elbow the areas where arthritis is most prevalent can receive the healing benefits of light.

In the case of arthritis, NIR light therapy becomes particularly important. The deeper penetration of NIR wavelengths means they could stimulate cellular health and offer pain relief much deeper in the body than is possible with red wavelengths alone.

Use red light along with NIR light to positively affect cartilage that is close to the skin such as in the knuckles and to receive bonus benefits, such as treating the signs of aging.

How To Treat Joint Pain With Photobiomodulation

Now that you have a better understanding of why photobiomodulation is so effective for treating joint pain, lets talk about how to get started.

If you want to treat your joints at home , youll need to purchase a photobiomodulation device. Ive had great success treating my injured shoulder with the Kineon Move+, so thats the device I recommend.

The device I use comes with an adjustable strap that fits perfectly around the knee, shoulder and similar body parts. Three separate light modules blast red light from three sides to ensure comprehensive joint coverage.

The standard treatment protocol includes one five-minute session each day, but the company told me that increasing the treatment time to 10-15 minutes leads to faster results. Ive been using Move+ on my shoulder over the course of two weeks for 2×15 minutes per day and Ive noticed a significant reduction in pain, improved mobility, and strength thats almost back to my baseline.

What I love about Move+ is that its a passive device. You can slap it on while watching TV without having to take any manual action. If you read my Solio Alfa+ review , you might remember that one of the disadvantages of that product is its usability, as it requires you to move the device over the affected area in a circular motion similar to an ultrasound probe.

As far as treatment length is concerned, you can expect to notice improvements within the first two weeks. But some users have reported improvements after only one session.

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How Does Red Light Therapy Help Pain

Poor circulation and the lack of oxygen and other essential molecules ) in blood vessels can cause pain or a lack of sensation. Light energy stimulates the release of nitric oxide, causing blood vessels to increase in diameter and allowing more blood flow, oxygen, and other important factors to be delivered. This increase in oxygen and nutrients, along with stimulation of the light energy emitted from Celluma, increases ATP production, which activates pain relieving pathways. This decreases pain and inflammation and increases tissue regeneration in the localized area to promote healing. This reduction in inflammation is what those suffering from osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are searching for.

Be Consistent With Treatment

Expose bare skin to the light for 10 to 20 minutes at a time, three to five times per week for one to four months initially, or until symptoms ease. Get close to the device to ensure optimal absorption of light photons into your tissues being farther away can give peripheral benefits such as improved skin tone, but for the light to absorb into your joints, youll want to be no more than 68 from the panel.

Since red light therapy isnt a cure for arthritis, you may need ongoing maintenance treatments to prevent the condition from flaring up again. These maintenance sessions can be the same duration , but you may only need one to four sessions per week.

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Ok I Think I Understand Infrared Light Therapy For Rheumatoid Arthritis Now Tell Me About Infrared Light Therapy For Rheumatoid Arthritis

Infrared heat therapy has also been demonstrated to reduce joint pain in arthritis and improve different symptoms in many areas of the body.

Infrared Heating Pads are perfect for arthritis pain as its a continuous condition and youll want daily relief. It is commonly associated with the elderly but it is, in fact, the leading cause of disability among people of different ages and genders.

LED technologies for treating arthritis are not just effective, theyre also affordable, and natural.

A number of studies are done on the effect of whole body hyperthermia therapy in the shape of dry infrared heat on the signs of arthritis. RA patients throughout the world are increasingly exploring alternative solutions to alleviate the pain, inflammation, stiffness and discomfort connected with RA flares.

Red light therapy doesnt only help in osteoarthritis, but many ares of life. Cats claw is a strong anti-inflammatory and anti-viral that could be quite helpful for rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis. You might produce the pain worse and boost your risk of creating joint deformities.

There are a lot of infrared light therapy benefits and virtually all of them are scientifically proven and all of them are safe as well.

A mix of cold laser and electric stimulation, cold laser therapy is among the best healing therapies in the health care community today.

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Impact On Quality Of Life

According to doctors at the Mayo Clinic, with osteoarthritis, cartilage cushions the ends of the bones and allows nearly frictionless joint motion but enough damage can result in bone grinding directly on bone, which causes pain and restricted movement. This wear and tear can occur over many years or it can be hastened by a joint injury or infection.

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Skin Conditions And General Skin Health

Red light therapy is a popular option for treating redness, scars, acne, and wrinkles. This may be due to the light’s effect on collagen production and blood circulation in skin tissue. Red light therapy may help in the following ways:

• Antiaging: Red light therapy is used to enhance the appearance of skin that has been damaged or aged by sunlight. It may stimulate the rapid production of cells that secrete collagen proteins. This helps lift and tighten lax skin, reducing wrinkles.
• Acne: Cold laser therapy could be an effective treatment for acne vulgaris, but evidence is scarce. The light might decrease inflammation, irritation, and sebum production in the skin.
• Hair growth: Low-level laser light therapy may help treat pattern hair loss in women and men, but more research is needed.
• Wound healing: Red light therapy has the potential to help heal chronic wounds. The technique might also encourage new skin growth and help new blood vessel networks form.

The Move+ Is For You If You Live With Chronic Pain:

• Youve had a traumatic injury in the past
• You suffer from osteoarthritis and/or cartilage degradation
• You skip participating in sports/athletic activities because you know you’ll pay for it the next day.
• Experience restless nights because your joints ache.
• You don’t want to go down the route of expensive and risky surgeries

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What Are The Risks Of Red Light Therapy For Pain

There are very few risks associated with red light therapy for pain. The most common injury suffered during treatment occurs when the laser is shone directly into the eyes . Proper safety precautions include instructions to not look directly at the laser. Eye protection should also be provided to the patient.

For high intensity light therapy, continued use in the same location can result in burns or skin irritation. This is rare. Most patients feel only a pleasant warmth in the treatment area.

In some cases, the treated area may have a slight increase in pain after the first few treatments. This may be a result of the healing process being stimulated and should go away after a few days. This increase in pain is not due to the laser itself.

Would you try red light therapy for pain?

Combine Red And Nir Light Wavelengths For Best Results

Based on the unique benefits of red and near-infrared wavelengths, its the combination of the two that delivers the most potent benefits in treating pain and inflammation.

The therapeutic benefits of red light are skin-deep, since red light is only absorbed into the skin and subcutaneous layers. However, since joints like knuckles and elbows are not deep in the body, red light can promote cell-level healing and collagen production that can create healthy joints from inside out.

NIR light absorbs deeper into the body, including bones and connective tissue. Its main benefit is reducing inflammation, which could lead to a reduction in morning stiffness and offer relief from swelling and tenderness.

Only one red light therapy device on the market, the PlatinumLED BIOMAX series, allows you to bathe your body in both red and NIR light for the maximum therapeutic results.

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Circulation Is Key To Relieve Knee Pain

Scientific studies confirm that red light therapy knee pads are beneficial for relieving pain and can accelerate the bodys ability to heal itself. Increasing circulation is key to speeding up healing and reducing the severity of pain in your knee. Red light therapy for knees relieves pain by supporting the natural healing process, which helps the body to repair itself and also to restore sensation in the knee, leading to better balance and mobility.

How To Treat Runners Knee Fast And Other Ailment: Additional Treatments

Along with P.R.I.C.E., here are other ways to support your knees.

If youve been pushing through muscle pain and running with stiff and achy muscles due to delayed onset muscle soreness , you could be contributing to knee pain because of altered biomechanics.

Red light therapy can reduce delayed onset muscle soreness and help you maintain a loose, flexible stride that allows natural joint movement.

Generally, the best way to prevent pain after running and prevent runner’s knee is to improve the strength and flexibility of your quadriceps muscles. This is especially true of the vastus medialis oblique muscle, to stabilize the knee to ensure that your patella tracks properly. Leg extensions, squats, and lunges are great knee-strengthening exercises.

However, don’t focus on the quadriceps exclusively. Muscle imbalances refer to both strength and flexibility, so make sure that your strength training program develops the entire leg, as well as the core muscles that stabilize your upper body. The forces exerted by the movement of your upper body are directly transferred to the knees.

Aim for overall flexibility. Tightness in the hamstrings can cause you to alter your stride and put excess stress on the knee, but so can tightness in the hips, calves, and lower back.

Yoga is one of the best ways to ensure that all parts of your body become looser, more flexible, and stronger.

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