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INFRARED LIGHT THERAPY FOR PAIN RELIEF.

Infrared Light for Pain?


Physicians, physiotherapists and sports professionals find red and infrared light for pain therapy’s are an indispensable tool to assist healing, and to accelerate injury recovery. 

 

The same red and infrared light wavelengths are also very effective for general and chronic pain relief.

The rapid results mean clinicians find light therapy one of their most satisfying treatments for pain management.

Home Infrared Treatment Devices for Sport Injury.


If you are weekend fun runner, or a serious competitor pushing your body to its limits, having home infrared and red therapy devices at home can conveniently help to manage your injury, and speed recovery.

infrared for pain

Light therapy can significantly shorten the time spent sidelined due to injury.

Home Infrared Treatment Devices for Chronic Pain.


If you suffer from chronic pain, then infrared and red light therapy treatment offers a drug free treatment alternative, or at the very least an auxiliary treatment option. It is especially prescribed for arthritis sufferers.

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Unlike many drug therapies, the effect of light therapy does not diminish over time.

How does infrared light for pain work?


Light therapy works on many levels.  It reaches into, and below the surface of the skin. The depth the light penetrates depends on the wavelength being used.

For example red light offers many of the therapeutic values of infrared, but treats the dermis tissues at a shallower depth than infrared.

As the light spectrum passes from red through to the much broader invisible infrared band, the light waves lengthen, and so are able to penetrate the tissues to an increasingly greater depth.

The light energy stimulates production of nitric oxide, a naturally produced and short lived gas,

This is the actual cornerstone molecule of the pain management.

In particular nitric oxide widens and relaxes the blood vessels.and the large veins and arteries. An obvious first benefit of this is to regulate blood pressure, but it also discourages platelet clumps forming.

The expanded veins enhance blood flow to bring more oxygen and nutrients to the area being treated.  The result is fast inflammation reduction and effective pain relief, as well as enhanced injury recovery time.

What Can Infrared Light Therapy Treat?


Many conditions characterised  by pain and inflammation can be successfully treated by infrared and red combination therapy. It is most widely prescribed for:

  • Tendonitis
  • Bursitis
  • Ligament injuries

  • Arthritic pains
  • Strain Injuries.
  • Back pain

  • Pinched nerves
  • Disc pain
  • Sciatica

Choosing a Device.


There are a large selection of devices available for home use. We have chosen the three best from the three most useful categories. Hand held, hands free and super portable.

When considering the devices we have picked the ones offering what we consider the best chance of good and fast treatment outcomes.

Our first two choices are based on the LED density as well as the infrared and red wavelength mix. The third is a pure red light, but has been chosen because it is a super portable device that gives excellent highly targeted treatment from a single powerful light source.

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1. LightStim for Pain

From our research the LightStim for Pain is easily the stand out corded hand held device. It offers the best all round combination of scientifically tested red and infrared wavelengths.

The large 3 inch treatment head houses an array of 72 LEDs. 18 x Red at 630nm 18 x Red at 660nm 18 x Infrared at 855nm 18 x Infrared at 940nm

The only device on the market that offers two different red light wavelengths, and two infrared built into one device. This gives the user a wider wavelength treatment envelope, and treatment depth, to insure a better outcome.

LightStim has called this “Multiwave Technology”. The four wavelengths of light combine for deep and targeted pain relief.

This is the top of the class of three. It is a corded device, if that is not an issue, then this is the best choice.

2. DPL Flex System

The hands free DPL Flex System is particularly effective to fully wrap joints like elbows and knees.

It’s  9.75 x 5 inch flexible treatment panel houses 60 Medical Grade LEDs. Forty are in the infrared spectrum ( 880nm)  and twenty are red wavelength ( 660nm )

With the included adjustable Velcro straps the pad can be easily secured around the leg, shoulder, or elbow .  Being made from a neoprene makes it not only anti-slip but also a very lightweight device.

Though not officially sold as a portable device, it should be possible to connect up a small portable power pack via the USB plug. Check compatibility before buying the power pack.

We think the DPL Flex System’s combination of lights in a contour hugging blanket, is a really credible, drug free alternative to pain and sprain management at home.

3. Tendlite Pain Relief Therapy Lamp

The Tendlite is a compact, powerful LED device that targets a 1 inch beam of intense red LED light to the area of the body requiring treatment.

This is a particularly good anti inflammatory and analgesic tool. Because of its super focused and intense LED light it is ideal to treat small joint pains and arthritis.

Not simply for home use though. It’s super portability and light weight means it can be used in the field, or at home with equal effect. It is actually our preferred device for pet owners wanting to treat their best friends at home. Because of its power treatment time is very short, typically just one minute. Obviously ideal for pets, but also brilliant for their owners too!!!.

Made in the USA, the Tendlite has become a standard piece of kit found in many physiotherapy and health clinics.  Used by health professionals, it is also available to the public for home use.

Clinical Trials

1 infrared light for painTo date red and infrared light have seen over 1000 laboratory studies published. Proven in over 100 successful randomised double blind controlled clinical trials. 

Scientific papers have been published on osteoarthritis, sports injuries as well as back and neck pain management.

 


 

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Scientific Studies
Low level laser therapy for sports injury.
The Lancet
Effect of low-level laser therapy (904 nM)


 

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Acknowledgement:  Text body  Graphics by Freepik