This past year has shaken us up, leaving many of us in new routines that we’re still adjusting to. Unless you’re an essential worker, many of us are now working from home to reduce contact with others. Though working from home was a dream for many, it’s safe to say we didn’t imagine things working from home looking like this.
The quick transition from in-office to working from home has left many unprepared. Aside from working under stressful conditions, most people simply brought home their laptop, thinking this would be a short-term situation. But things didn’t go as planned.
A year has passed, and those same people are still working from their kitchen table. The problem? Working from home can do more harm than good when it comes to our mental and physical health. And with that, there’s an increased risk of burning out, injuring yourself from a lack of proper office equipment, and the blurred lines between one’s personal and work life.
So how do you divide work life from home life if your home has become your workplace?
When all these issues compile on top of each other, it’s a recipe for disaster. More people who work from home are experiencing neck and joint pain, increased screen time, poor sleep, eye strain, and heightened stress and fatigue levels.
Naturally, most doctors will say the remedies for these symptoms is to reduce stress by working out, meditating, going into nature, taking more breaks, massaging sore muscles, or working with proper equipment. But with lockdowns and quarantines implemented, those solutions aren’t necessarily available.
However, red light therapy is an all-in-one treatment therapy that can promote quality sleep, reduced stress, and alleviate neck and joint pain.
But how does red light therapy work?
Let’s take a look at how light therapy treats neck and shoulder pain.
Most treatments for neck and shoulder pain consist of physical therapy, massage, or pain relief medication. But red light therapy has proven to be a non-invasive option for significantly reducing neck and shoulder pain.
Red light therapy works by reducing inflammation, which is usually both the cause and symptom of neck and shoulder pain. Red and infrared light penetrates through the skin, reaching the cells that produce energy (adenosine triphosphate) in the mitochondria. By increasing the function of the mitochondria, cells make more adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and begin the process of rejuvenating and repairing themselves.
When inflammation occurs in the body, red light therapy repairs those damaged cells in the muscles, tendons, and ligaments, reducing the pain felt in the neck and shoulders.
However, as we stated earlier, red light therapy isn’t only for neck and joint pain. When it comes to inflammation, it occurs everywhere in the body, including the eyes.
When working from home, we are typically spending three more hours per day in front of our electronic devices. This has a serious impact on eyesight and overall well being. Research has shown that red light therapy treatments can help heal the eyes from injury, reduce inflammation, and protect against vision loss.
As we spend more time in front of our devices, we experience more fatigue and reduced quality of sleep. Red light therapy helps trigger our natural circadian rhythm and promotes improved sleep, thus reducing fatigue.
Working from home hasn’t been the dream we’ve all hoped for. In fact, it’s negatively impacted our mental and physical health. However, there’s a solution to your symptoms and it’s red light therapy.
Kaiyan Medical manufactures MDA-certified and FDA-approved laser light therapy devices, ideal for people who are experiencing symptoms from working from home, including eye strain, fatigue, stress, and neck and shoulder pain.
