What is Sound Therapy?

Sound has been used to heal and calm people for thousands of years. Himalayan singing bowls used in Asia during prayer and meditation positively affect one’s health and well-being. This is just one example of age-old instruments from all over the world being applied as healing instruments.

Sound therapy is based on the premise that we are all made up of energy frequencies, and audio frequencies can interact with our body’s energy to rebalance our systems.

Since music is basically just organized sound, it can be deconstructed to affect our physical and psychological well-being positively.

Ailments Sound Therapy can Help:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Autism and learning disabilities
• Dementia
• Behavior and psychiatric disorders

Five Other Benefits of Sound Therapy

• Lower stress responses
• A decrease in mood swings
• Pain management
• Improves sleep
• Lowers blood pressure

How Does Bird Music Help in Sound Therapy?

Our body’s response to noise traces back to when humans began roaming the earth. Think about loud noises  such as your alarm clock in the morning, the rattling of a jackhammer, or the din of the open office. These sounds evoke an instinctive fight-or-flight reaction in our brains, causing a release of chemicals that stimulates immediate action. This reaction has been instrumental to our survival for eons and remains so to this day. The loud honk of a car horn immediately stimulates our brain and body to respond quickly and get us out of harm’s way.

The things we see, hear, and experience moment after moment not only change our mood but impact us on a deeper physical level; it alters the way our nervous, endocrine, and immune systems function.

Listening to birdsong is a wonderful way to reconnect with nature and shift your focus away from the clutter and chaos that is often part of our daily lives.

According to Eleanor Ratcliffe from the University of Surrey, in her thesis examining the restorative perceptions and outcomes associated with listening to birds, bird sounds have the ability to transport yours to nature.

So, not only does bird music affect us positively on a fundamental level of sound frequency, but it also has the capability to make you think you’re in a natural environment, which will in and of itself reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.

Why Is Bird Music So Powerful For Relaxation And Reducing Anxiety?

In today’s fast-paced world, it is vital to make lifestyle choices that will reduce stress and ultimately prolong your life. It has been revealed that listening to slow tempo, low-pitched music with no lyrics can reduce stress and anxiety in people who are to undergo invasive surgery. It also lessens the requirement of subsequent pain medication.

Now, the above are some proven benefits of listening to ordinary music. Just think how powerful it will be to add bird sounds to the mix?

Bird songs and calls are the sorts of natural sounds that most people associate with perceived stress recovery.

During semi-structured interviews conducted with twenty adult participants, Eleanor Ratcliffe determined the following reasons why bird song helps with relaxation and reducing anxiety.

1. Invokes Positive Memories

Bird sounds associated with enjoyable or special events help combat stress and anxiety and ease depressive episodes, as it creates positive emotions linked with particular places and times.

2. Shifts the Focus

Listening to bird music during trying times moves the focus away from the problems and leads to calm.

3. Change of Stimuli

We get used to the everyday sounds of city life. When we listen to bird music, it provides a break from the emotions associated with our surroundings. This short reprieve will help reduce stress.

4. Welcome Distraction

Bird music has the ability to effortlessly take you out of your current environment without you having to move a muscle.

As a symbol of nature, a bird song transports you far from the daily hustle and bustle and removes you from day-to-day demands that may be causing anxiety.

Although science hasn’t yet caught up with bird music believers’ confidence in its healing properties, the evidence speaks for itself since most support is anecdotal.

Bird music is by no means a miracle cure and should still be used in conjunction with medicine as prescribed by your general practitioner.

How Does Bird Music Work Scientifically?

Bird music can clearly have positive effects on a person’s mood, mental health, and physical well-being.

But what real scientific proof is there of music in general’s impact on mental states?

Below you will find some studies that back up what people have been saying for years — music has healing properties.

1. Changes Brain Function

Using electroencephalographs (EEGs) — a device that measures electrical impulses in the brain — established that music with a strong beat stimulates the brain. In contrast, slow beats encourage the brain to relax by promoting a meditative state. When you listen to faster beats, it can lead to deep concentration.

According to a psychologist who was one of the participating researchers, the human brain is usually locked into a specific functioning level. But by speeding up or slowing down the brainwaves, it is easier for the brain to change its speed in reaction to external and internal stimuli.

2. It Increases Blood Flow in the Brain

Thomas Budzynski, an affiliate professor of psychology at the University of Washington, found that the mind enjoys new stimuli. Whenever the brain experiences new sights or sounds, blood flow increases, equalling a better cognitive response. Some anecdotal evidence indicates that this increase in blood flow may help in repairing damaged brain cells.

3. Stimulates the Release of Internal Opioid Peptides

In a review titled The Neurochemistry of music, it is mentioned that listening to music lowers the need for pain medication due to the euphoria often experienced when listening to specific music.

4. Increases Dopamine Levels

Dopamine is responsible for body movements but also plays a role in a person’s emotional response. For this reason, should music raise dopamine, it will be an excellent thing, especially if you’re suffering from mood swings, depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses or associated symptoms.

Using neuroimaging technology, the central dopamine release while listening to enjoyable music was measured, and the results are positive. The right type of music does increase dopamine.

No wonder listening to music is one of life’s most pleasurable and relaxing activities.

Kaiyan Medical

We are pioneers and architects of light therapy products. Slowly, we are implementing sounds into our devices. We no longer design for our skin and muscles but also our ears.

‍

Beard Growth & Light Therapy

“The benefit of having a beard is protection, as well as aesthetics,” says Dave Harvey, M.D. “It's good protection against wind, chafing, and traumatic injury. It’s also a trend, so we see a lot of men with some form of facial hair.”

The Health Benefits of Beards

Beards can:

• Protect skin from sun damage. Beards can help protect the skin from harmful UV rays, though the degree of protection may depend on hair density and thickness. “You’re going to have some protection because hair is a reflective medium,” says Dr. Harvey. “Even though some UV rays get through, there is some scattering of the light, and that’s how it helps protect against sun damage.”
• Keep you warm. Beards can add a layer of protection to your chin and neck, thus keeping you warm in colder weather. The longer and fuller the beard, the better it will insulate your face.
• Make you feel more attractive. A study conducted by the Official Journal of the Human Behavior and Evolution Society found that men with a moderately full beard are most attractive. Men with full beards may be perceived as better fathers who could protect and invest in their children. “Men with beards have a powerful look,” says Dr. Harvey. “And that’s an attractive thing.”

Common Problems for Beard Growers

Growing a beard is not always easy. And if your beard is not properly cared for, it can become a harbinger for bacteria.

“If you don’t clean your beard well, and you let it just do its own thing, sometimes you can accumulate yeast and get dandruff within the beard,” says Dr. Harvey. “With that, you’ll get a reactive scaling on the face and flaking like you would with dandruff. So those patients need to be put on antifungal shampoo.”

Beard growers also face the challenge of ingrown follicles that result in bumps known as acne keloidalis.

“Some men will get a raised scarring type of bump called an acne keloidalis of the neck,” he says. “So we offer them topical antibiotics or Retin A for those particular reasons.”

Low-Level Laser Therapy for Beards

Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is an FDA-approved treatment using laser light energy to circulate blood flow to hair follicles. Laser therapy for hair growth can be used to stop hair loss in men and women. The non-invasive lasers stimulate hair follicles to induce regrowth, resulting in a thicker beard in several weeks of treatments.

Laser hair therapy is also called red light therapy. The process irradiates photons in skin tissue, resulting in photons being absorbed into weaker hair follicles and promoting hair growth.

How Successful Is Laser Hair Restoration?

Laser treatment for hair loss works because photons amp up circulation and stimulation, which brings back hair follicles that may have died off.

Clinical Study

Laser hair restoration therapy is continuing to develop. Still, the National Institutes of Health has conducted multiple studies on laser hair growth therapy to see if it works for those with alopecia and male pattern baldness.

The NIH study used a controlled clinical trial that found laser hair therapy works for men and women, and it’s safe.

Another study from 2013 included male participants aged 18 to 48. The result of laser hair therapy treatment included a 39 percent increase in hair growth for participants over four months.

However, laser therapy is just one piece of the puzzle. Many factors contribute to repeated hair loss, including:

• Age.
• Genetics.
• Medical conditions like diabetes and lupus.
• Hormones.
• Poor diet.
• Side effects of medications, such as chemotherapy.
• Stress.

How Long Does Laser Hair Therapy Take To Work?

From your first treatment, it can take several weeks to see a noticeable difference. This is because red light therapy for hair loss must be administered multiple times over 4 to 6 weeks to begin working.

If you don’t see any growth after 90 days, it’s probably unlikely you’ll regrow hair with this method. You should consult your doctor about the growth cycle and see how long it will take.

‍

Ultraviolet blood irradiation (UBI) was extensively used in the 1940s and 1950s to treat many diseases, including septicemia, pneumonia, tuberculosis, arthritis, asthma, and even poliomyelitis. The early studies were carried out by several physicians in the USA and published in the American Journal of Surgery. However, with the development of antibiotics, UBI use declined, and it has now been called “the cure that time forgot.” Russian workers and other Eastern countries mostly performed later studies, and the modern view in Western countries is that UBI remains highly controversial.

No resistance of microorganisms to UV irradiation has been reported, and multi- antibiotic-resistant strains are as susceptible as their wild-type counterparts. Low and mild UV kill microorganisms by damaging the DNA, while DNA repair enzymes can rapidly repair any DNA damage in host cells. However, UBI treats septicemia cannot be solely due to UV-mediated killing of bacteria in the blood-stream, as only 5–7% of blood volume needs to be treated with UV to produce the optimum benefit. UBI may enhance the phagocytic capacity of various phagocytic cells (neutrophils and dendritic cells), inhibit lymphocytes, and oxidize blood lipids. The oxidative nature of UBI may have mechanisms in common with ozone therapy and other oxygen therapies.

Ultraviolet (UV)

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is part of the electromagnetic spectrum with a wavelength range (100–400 nm) shorter than that of visible light (400–700 nm) but longer than x-rays (<100 nm). UV radiation is divided into four distinct spectral areas, including vacuum UV (100–200 nm), UVC (200–280 nm), UVB (280–315 nm), and UVA (315–400 nm). Only part of UVB and UVA can reach on earth because wavelengths shorter than 280 nm are filtered out by the atmosphere, especially by the “ozone layer.”

In the second half of the nineteenth century, the therapeutic application of sunlight known as heliotherapy gradually became popular. In 1855, Rikli from Switzerland opened a thermal station in Veldes in Slovenia to provide helio-therapy. In 1877, Downes and Blunt discovered by chance that sunlight could kill bacteria. They noted that sugar water placed on a window-sill turned cloudy in the shade but remained clear while in the sun. Upon microscopic examination of the two solutions, they realized that bacteria were growing in the shaded solution but not in the one exposed to sunlight.

Emmett K Knott in Seattle, WA, reasoned that the beneficial effects of UV irradiation to the skin obtained by Ude might be explained by the irradiation of blood circulating in the superficial capillaries of the skin. With his collaborator Edblom, an irradiation chamber was constructed to allow direct blood exposure to UV. The irradiation chamber was circular and contained a labyrinthine set of channels that connected the inlet and outlet ports. All these channels were covered with a quartz window that formed the top of the chamber. The irradiation chamber was designed to provide maximum turbulence of the blood flowing through. This was done to (a) prevent the formation of a thin film of blood on the chamber window that would absorb and filter out much of the UV light; (b) ensure that all the blood passing through the chamber was equally exposed to UV.

Mechanisms of Action of UBI

One of the major obstacles that UBI has consistently faced throughout the almost 90 years since the first patient was treated has been the lack of understanding of action mechanisms. Over the years, its acceptance by the broad medical community has been hindered by this uncertainty. Confusion has been caused by the widely held idea that since UV is used for sterilization of water and surgical instruments; therefore its use against infection must also rely on UV-mediated direct destruction of pathogens. Another highly confusing aspect is the wide assortment of diseases, which have been claimed to be successfully treated by UBI. It is often thought that something that appears to be “too good to be true” usually is.

UBI affects various functions of red blood cells and various leukocytes, as proven in various in vitro studies. A common model is stimulator cells in mixed leukocyte cultures; another is helper cells in mitogen-stimulated cultures. UV also reversed cytokine production and blocked cytokine release. UV can also disturb cell membrane mobilization.

Effects on Red Blood Cells

Anaerobic conditions strongly inhibited the process by which long-wave UV light induces the loss of K+ ions from red blood cells. Has been proved that UV-irradiation could affect the osmotic properties of red blood cells, the submicroscopic structure, and adenine nucleotides' metabolism. Irradiation times (60, 120, 180, 240, and 300 minutes) were used; during the irradiation, ATP decreased while the amounts of ADP, AXP, and adenine compounds increased. UV also increased hypotonic Na +, and K+ ion exchange and the hematocrit value increased.

A two-phase polymer system containing poly-dextran was used to show that circulating erythrocytes' cell surface was reduced after UV irradiation. This contributed to the prolongation of survival of transfused erythrocytes and was suggested to explain the more effective therapeutic activity of autotransfusion blood.

Effects on Lymphocytes (T-Cells and B-Cells)

UBI generally decreases lymphocyte viability. UVC irradiation is the most effective among the three UV spectral regions. UVB and UVC irradiation can abolish the proliferative and stimulatory ability and the accessory/ antigen-presenting ability of lymphocytes in vitro. The cell-surface properties, calcium mobilization, cytokine production and release, and other sub-cellular processes could all be changed by UV irradiation. Areltt et al. used the “Comet “assay to detect DNA-strand breakage (single-cell gel electrophoresis) as an indicator of excision repair to prove that circulating human T–lymphocytes were exquisitely hyper-sensitive to the DNA-damaging and lethal effects of UV-B radiation, raising the possibility that UV-B may contribute to immunosuppression via a direct effect on extra capillary T-lymphocytes.

Effects on Platelets

H2O2 production in platelets is low at a shallow UV dose, but it increased suddenly as the dose increased above 0.4 J/cm2. Pamphilon reported that platelet concentrates (PC) could become non-immunogenic after UVR and after being stored for 5 days in DuPont Stericell containers. Lactate levels, β-thrombomodulin, and platelet factor were higher after UV. In contrast, glucose levels decreased with an irradiation dose of 3000 J/m2 at a mean wavelength of 310 nm applied in DuPont Stericell bags. Ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation of platelet concentrate (PC) accelerated downregulation of CD14 and nonspecifically increased the loss of monocytes by inhibiting the upregulation of ICAM-1 and HLA-DR. However, UV irradiation of platelet concentrates produced a reduction of immunological response in a cell suspension.

Things to consider before buying a UVC device

There are a few things you should consider before investing in a UVC wand or other UVC devices.

The first and most important thing to consider: safety. Experts have said UVC can affect skin cells the same way it kills bacteria; it can cause mutations in them and lead to skin cancer. Looking at UVC lights can cause irreversible blindness, too.

Here in Kaiyan Medical, we suggest that you look for UVC devices that come with safety switches — automatic “turn-off” buttons that halt the light emission as soon as you’re at risk of direct exposure.

The second thing to consider: the legitimacy of the product. We have seen some counterfeit UVC consumer products on the market. But unless you have a device at home that measures wavelength in realtime (aka a spectrometer), there’s no way of distinguishing products that use UVC rays versus other UV rays.

Conclusion

UV irradiation of blood was hailed as a miracle therapy for treating serious infections in the 1940s and 1950s. In an ironic quirk of fate, this historical time period coincided with the widespread introduction of penicillin antibiotics, which were rapidly found to be an even bigger medical miracle therapy. Moreover, another major success of UBI, which was becoming increasingly used to treat polio, was also eclipsed by the introduction of the Salk polio vaccine in 1955. UBI had originally been an American discovery but then was transitioned to being more studied in Russia and other eastern countries, which had long concentrated on physical therapies for many diseases, which were more usually treated with drugs in the West.

However, in the last decade, the problem of multi-antibiotic-resistant bacteria has grown relentlessly. Multidrug-resistant (MDR) and pan drug-resistant (PDR) bacterial strains and their related infections are emerging threats to public health throughout the world. These are associated with approximately two-fold higher mortality rates and considerably prolonged hospital admissions. The infections caused by antibiotic-resistant strains are often tough to treat due to the limited therapeutic options range. Recently in Feb 2015, the Review on Antimicrobial Resistance stated, “Drug-resistant infections could kill an extra 10 million people across the world every year by 2050 if they are not tackled. By this date, they could also cost the world around $100 trillion in the lost output: more than the size of the current world economy, and roughly equivalent to the world losing the output of the UK economy every year, for 35 years”.

References

1. Frercksa J, Weberb H, Wiesenfeldt G (2009) Reception and discovery: the nature of Johann Wilhelm Ritter’s invisible rays. Stud Hist Philos Sci Part A 40:143–156 [Google Scholar]

2. Bonnet A (1845) Traite des Maladies des Articulations. Bailliere, Paris [Google Scholar]

3. Barth J, Kohler U (1992) Photodermatologie in Dresden-ein historischer Abriss Festschrift anlasslich des 75. Geburtstages von Prof. Dr. Dr. Dr. h.c. H.-E. Kleine-Natrop (1917–1985). Dresden [Google Scholar]

4. Downes A, Blunt TP (1877) Researches on the effect of light upon bacteria and other organisms. Proc R Soc Lond 26:488–500 [Google Scholar]

5. Finsen NR (1901) Phototherapy. Edward Arnold, London [Google Scholar]

6. Ude WH (1929) Ultraviolet radiation therapy in erysipela. Radiology 13:504 [Google Scholar]

7. Knott EK (1948) Development of ultraviolet blood irradiation. Am J Surg 76(2):165–171 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

8. Hancock VK, Knott EK (1934) Irradiated blood transfusion in the treatment of infections. Northwest Med 200(33) [Google Scholar]

9. Miley G, Christensen JA (1947) Ultraviolet blood irradiation further studies in acute infections. Am J Surg LxxIII (4):486–493 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

10. Miley G Uv irradiation non healing wounds. Am J Surg LXV(3):368–372, 1944 [Google Scholar]

11. Miley GP (1946) Recovery from botulism coma following ultraviolet blood irradiation. Rev Gastroenterol 13:17–19 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

12. Miley GP, Seidel RE, Christensen JA (1946) Ultraviolet blood irradiation therapy of apparently intractable bronchial asthma. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 27:24–29 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

13. Miley G (1943) The control of acute thrombophlebitis with ultraviolet blood irradiation therapy. Am J Surg 60:354–360 [Google Scholar]

14. Miley G (1944) Efficacy of ultraviolet blood irraidation therapy in the control of staphylococcemias. Am J Surg 64:313–322 [Google Scholar]

15. Miley G (1944) Ultraviolet blood irraidation therapy in acute poliomyelitis. Arch Phys Ther 25:651–656 [Google Scholar]

16. Miley G (1943) Disapperance of hemolytic staphylococcus aureus septicemia following ultraviolet blood irradiation therapy. Am J Surg 62:241–245 [Google Scholar]

17. Miley G (1942) The knott technic of ultraviolet blood irradiation in acute pyogenic infections. New York state Med 42:38–46 [Google Scholar]

18. Miley G (1944) Present status of ultraviolet blood irradiation (Knott technic). Arch Phys Ther 25:368–372 [Google Scholar]

19. Miley G (1942) Ultravilet blood irradiation. Arch Phys Ther 536(23) [Google Scholar]

20. Miley G (1942) Ultraviolet blood irradiation therapy (knott technic) in acute pyogenic infections. Am J Surg 493(57) [Google Scholar]

21. Miley G (1943) The knott technic of ultraviolet blood irradiation as a control of infection in peritonitis. Rev Gastroenterol 1(10) [Google Scholar]

22. Miley GP, Seidel RE, Christensen JA (1943) Preliminary report of results observed in eighty cases of intractable bronchial asthma. Arch Phys Ther 533(24) [Google Scholar]

23. Barrett HA (1940) The irradiation of autotransfused blood by ultraviolet spectral energy. Result of therapy in 110 cases. Med clin N Am 721(24):1040 [Google Scholar]

24. Barrett HA (1943) Five years’ experience with hemo- irradiation according to the Knott technic. Am J Surg 61(1):42–53 [Google Scholar]

25. Rebbeck EW (1942) Double septicemia following prostatectomy treated by the knott technic of ultraviolet blood irradiation. Am J Surg 57(3):536–538 [Google Scholar]

26. Rebbeck EW (1943) Preoperative hemo-irradiations. Am J Surg 61(2):259–265 [Google Scholar]

27. Rebbeck EW (1941) Ultraviolet irradiation of autotransfused blood in the treatment of puerperal sepsis. Am J Surg 54(3):691–700 [Google Scholar]

28. Rebbeck EW (1942) Ultraviolet irradiation of autotransfused blood in the treatment of postabortional sepsis. Am J Surg 55(3):476–486 [Google Scholar]

29. Rebbeck EW (1943) Ultraviolet irradiation of blood in the treatment of escherichia coli septicemia. Arch Phys Ther 24:158–167 [Google Scholar]

30. Olney RC (1946) Ultraviolet blood irradiation in biliary disease; Knott method. Am J Surg 72:235–237 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

31. Olney RC (1947) Ultraviolet blood irradiation treatment of pelvic cellulitis; Knott method. Am J Surg 74(4):440–443 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

32. Olney RC (1955) Treatment of viral hepatitis with the Knott technic of blood irradiation. Am J Surg 90(3):402–409 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

33. Kabat IA, Sysa J, Zakrzewska I, Leyko W (1976) Effect of UV-irradiation of shifts of energy-rich phosphate compounds: ADP, ATP and AXP in human red blood cells represented by a trigonometrical polynomial. Zentralbl Bakteriol Orig B 162(3–4):393–401 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

34. Vasil’eva ZF, Samoilova KA, Shtil’bans VI, Obolenskaia KD, Vitiuk NG (1991) Changes of immunosorption properties in the blood and its components at various times after UV-irradiation. Gematol Transfuziol 36(5):26–27 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

35. Samoilova KA, Snopov SA, Belisheva NK, Kukui LM, Ganelina IE (1987) Functional and structural changes in the surface of human erythrocytes after irradiation by different wave lengths of UV rays. III. The immediate effect of the autotransfusion of UV-irradiated blood. Tsitologiia 29(7):810–817 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

36. Snopov SA, Aritsishevskaia RA, Samoilova KA, Marchenko AV, Dutkevich IG (1989) Functional and structural changes in the surface of human erythrocytes following irradiation with ultraviolet rays of various wave lengths. V. Modification of the glycocalyx in autotransfusions of UV-irradiated blood. Tsitologiia 31(6):696–705 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

37. Ichiki H, Sakurada H, Kamo N, Takahashi TA, Sekiguchi S (1994) Generation of active oxygens, cell deformation and membrane potential changes upon UV-B irradiation in human blood cells. Biol Pharm Bull 17(8):1065–1069 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

38. Savage JE, Theron AJ, Anderson R (1993) Activation of neutrophil membrane-associated oxidative metabolism by ultraviolet radiation. J Invest Dermatol 101(4):532–536 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

39. Ivanov EM, Kapshienko IN, Tril NM (1989) Effect of the UV irradiation of autologous blood on the humoral link in the immune response of patients with chronic inflammatory processes. Vopr Kurortol Fizioter Lech Fiz Kult 1:45–47 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

40. Artiukhov VF, Gusinskaia VV, Mikhileva EA (2005) Level of nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor-alpha production by human blood neutrophils under UV-irradiation. Radiats Biol Radioecol 45(5):576–580 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

41. Zor’kina AV, Inchina VI, Kostin Ia V (1996) Effect of UV-irradiation of blood on the course of adaptation to conditions of hypodynamia. Patol Fiziol Eksp Ter 2:22–24 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

42. Deeg HJ (1988) Ultraviolet irradiation in transplantation biology. Manipulation of immunity and immunogenicity. Transplantation 45(5):845–851 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

43. Arlett CF, Lowe JE, Harcourt SA et al. (1993) Hypersensitivity of human lymphocytes to UV-B and solar irradiation. Cancer Res 53(3):609–614 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

44. Teunissen MB, Sylva-Steenland RM, Bos JD (1993) Effect of low-dose ultraviolet-B radiation on the function of human T lymphocytes in vitro. Clin Exp Immunol 94(1):208–213 [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

45. Schieven GL, Ledbetter JA (1993) Ultraviolet radiation induces differential calcium signals in human peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets. J Immunother Emphasis Tumor Immunol 14(3):221–225 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

46. Spielberg H, June CH, Blair OC, Nystrom-Rosander C, Cereb N, Deeg HJ (1991) UV irradiation of lymphocytes triggers an increase in intracellular Ca2+ and prevents lectin-stimulated Ca2+ mobilization: evidence for UV- and nifedipine-sensitive Ca2+ channels. Exp Hematol 19(8):742–748 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

47. Pamphilon DH, Corbin SA, Saunders J, Tandy NP (1989) Applications of ultraviolet light in the preparation of platelet concentrates. Transfusion 29(5):379–383 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

48. Lindahl-Kiessling K, Safwenberg J (1971) Inability of UV-irradiated lymphocytes to stimulate allogeneic cells in mixed lymphocyte culture. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol 41(5):670–678 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

49. Slater LM, Murray S, Liu J, Hudelson B (1980) Dissimilar effects of ultraviolet light on HLA-D and HLA-DR antigens. Tissue Antigens 15(5):431–435 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

50. Aprile J, Deeg HJ (1986) Ultraviolet irradiation of canine dendritic cells prevents mitogen-induced cluster formation and lymphocyte proliferation. Transplantation 42(6):653–660 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

51. Kovacs E, Weber W, Muller H (1984) Age-related variation in the DNA-repair synthesis after UV-C irradiation in unstimulated lymphocytes of healthy blood donors. Mutat Res 131(5–6):231–237 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

52. Genter EI, Zhestianikov VD, Mikhel’son VM, Prokof’eva VV (1984) DNA repair in the UV irradiation of human peripheral blood lymphocytes (healthy donors and xeroderma pigmentosum patients) in relation to the dedifferentiation process in phytohemagglutinin exposure. Tsitologiia 26(5):599–604 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

53. Genter EI, Mikhel’son VM, Zhestianikov VD (1989) The modifying action of methylmethane sulfonate on unscheduled DNA synthesis in the UV irradiation of human peripheral blood lymphocytes. Radiobiologiia 29(4):562–564 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

54. Volgareva EV, Volgarev AP, Samoilova KA (1990) The effect of UV irradiation and of UV-irradiated autologous blood on the functional state of human peripheral blood lymphocytes. Tsitologiia 32(12):1217–1224 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

55. Deeg HJ, Aprile J, Graham TC, Appelbaum FR, Storb R (1986) Ultraviolet irradiation of blood prevents transfusion-induced sensitization and marrow graft rejection in dogs. Blood 67(2):537–539 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

56. Oluwole SF, Iga C, Lau H, Hardy MA (1985) Prolongation of rat heart allografts by donor-specific blood transfusion treated with ultraviolet irradiation. J Heart Transplant 4(4):385–389 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

57. Vasil’eva ZF, Shtil’bans VI, Samoilova KS, Obolenskaia KD (1989) The activation of the immunosorptive properties of blood during its UV irradiation at therapeutic doses. Biull Eksp Biol Med 108(12):689–691 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

58. Green MH, Waugh AP, Lowe JE, Harcourt SA, Cole J, Arlett CF (1994) Effect of deoxyribonucleosides on the hypersensitivity of human peripheral blood lymphocytes to UV-B and UV-C irradiation. Mutat Res 315(1):25–32 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

59. Samoilova KA, Obolenskaia KD, Freidlin IS (1987) Changes in the leukocyte phagocytic activity of donor blood after its UV irradiation. II. Simulation of the effect of the autotransfusion of UV-irradiated blood. Tsitologiia 29(9):1048–1055 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

60. Obolenskaia KD, Freidlin IS, Samoilova KA (1987) Changes in the leukocyte phagocytic activity of donor blood after its UV irradiation. I. Its relation to the irradiation dose and initial level of phagocytic activity. Tsitologiia 29(8):948–954 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

61. Simon JC, Tigelaar RE, Bergstresser PR, Edelbaum D, Cruz PD Jr (1991) Ultraviolet B radiation converts Langerhans cells from immunogenic to tolerogenic antigen-presenting cells. Induction of specific clonal anergy in CD4+ T helper 1 cells. J Immunol 146(2):485–491 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

62. Pamphilon DH, Potter M, Cutts M et al. (1990) Platelet concentrates irradiated with ultraviolet light retain satisfactory in vitro storage characteristics and in vivo survival. Br J Haematol 75(2):240–244 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

63. Fiebig E, Lane TA (1994) Effect of storage and ultraviolet B irradiation on CD14-bearing antigen- presenting cells (monocytes) in platelet concentrates. Transfusion 34(10):846–851 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

64. Kahn RA, Duffy BF, Rodey GG (1985) Ultraviolet irradiation of platelet concentrate abrogates lymphocyte activation without affecting platelet function in vitro. Transfusion 25(6):547–550 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

65. Andreu G, Boccaccio C, Klaren J et al. (1992) The role of UV radiation in the prevention of human leukocyte antigen alloimmunization. Transfus Med Rev 6(3):212–224 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

66. Tandy NP, Pamphilon DH (1991) Platelet transfusions irradiated with ultraviolet-B light may have a role in reducing recipient alloimmunization. Blood Coagul Fibrinolysis 2(2):383–388 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

67. Roshchupkin DI, Murina MA (1998) Free-radical and cyclooxygenase-catalyzed lipid peroxidation in membranes of blood cells under UV irradiation. Membr Cell Biol 12(2):279–286 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

68. Gorog P (1991) Activation of human blood monocytes by oxidized polyunsaturated fatty acids: a possible mechanism for the generation of lipid peroxides in the circulation. Int J Exp Pathol 72(2):227–237 [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

69. Salmon S, Maziere JC, Santus R, Morliere P, Bouchemal N (1990) UVB-induced photoperoxidation of lipids of human low and high density lipoproteins. A possible role of tryptophan residues. Photochem Photobiol 52(3):541–545 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

70. Salmon S, Haigle J, Bazin M, Santus R, Maziere JC, Dubertret L (1996) Alteration of lipoproteins of suction blister fluid by UV radiation. J Photochem Photobiol B 33(3):233–238 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

71. Artyukhov VG, Iskusnykh AY, Basharina OV, Konstantinova TS (2005) Effect of UV irradiation on functional activity of donor blood neutrophils. Bull Exp Biol Med 139(3):313–315 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

72. Dong Y, Shou T, Zhou Y, Jiang S, Hua X (2000) Ultraviolet blood irradiation and oxygenation affects free radicals and antioxidase after rabbit spinal cord injury. Chin Med J 113(11):991–995 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

73. Calabrese EJ, Dhawan G, Kapoor R, Iavicoli I, Calabrese V (2015) HORMESIS: a fundamental concept with widespread biological and biomedical applications. Gerontology 62:530. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

74. Calabrese EJ (2014) Hormesis: from mainstream to therapy. J Cell Commun Signal 8(4):289–291 [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

75. Zaky S, Kamel SE, Hassan MS et al. (2011) Preliminary results of ozone therapy as a possible treatment for patients with chronic hepatitis C. J Altern Complement Med 17(3):259–263 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

76. Edelson RL (2014) Mechanistic insights into extracorporeal photochemotherapy: efficient induction of monocyte-to-dendritic cell maturation. Transfus Apher Sci 50(3):322–329 [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

77. Child FJ, Ratnavel R, Watkins P et al. (1999) Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) in the treatment of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Bone Marrow Transplant 23(9):881–887 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

78. Atta M, Papanicolaou N, Tsirigotis P (2012) The role of extracorporeal photopheresis in the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphomas. Transfus Apher Sci 46(2):195–202 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

79. De Waure C, Capri S, Veneziano MA et al. (2015) Extracorporeal Photopheresis for second-line treatment of chronic graft-versus-host diseases: Results from a health technology assessment in Italy. Value Health 18(4):457–466 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

80. Patel J, Klapper E, Shafi H, Kobashigawa JA (2015) Extracorporeal photopheresis in heart transplant rejection. Transfus Apher Sci 52(2):167–170 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

81. Reinisch W, Knobler R, Rutgeerts PJ et al. (2013) Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) in patients with steroid-dependent Crohn’s disease: an open-label, multicenter, prospective trial. Inflamm Bowel Dis 19(2):293–300 [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

82. Ludvigsson J, Samuelsson U, Ernerudh J, Johansson C, Stenhammar L, Berlin G (2001) Photopheresis at onset of type 1 diabetes: a randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trial. Arch Dis Child 85(2):149–154 [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

83. Edelson R, Berger C, Gasparro F et al. (1987) Treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma by extracorporeal photochemotherapy. Preliminary results. N Engl J Med 316(6):297–303 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

84. Wollina U, Looks A, Meyer J et al. (2001) Treatment of stage II cutaneous T-cell lymphoma with interferon alfa-2a and extracorporeal photochemotherapy: a prospective controlled trial. J Am Acad Dermatol 44(2):253–260 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

85. Niggli HJ, Rothlisberger R (1988) Cyclobutane-type pyrimidine photodimer formation and induction of ornithine decarboxylase in human skin fibroblasts after UV irradiation. J Invest Dermatol 91(6):579–584 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

86. Vendrell-Criado V, Rodriguez-Muniz GM, Lhiaubet- Vallet V, Cuquerella MC, Miranda MA (2016) The (6–4) Dimeric Lesion as a DNA Photosensitizer. Chem Phys Chem 17(13):1979–1982 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

87. Santella RM, Dharmaraja N, Gasparro FP, Edelson RL (1985) Monoclonal antibodies to DNA modified by 8-methoxypsoralen and ultraviolet A light. Nucleic Acids Res 13(7):2533–2544 [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

88. Heald P, Rook A, Perez M et al. (1992) Treatment of erythrodermic cutaneous T-cell lymphoma with extra-corporeal photochemotherapy. J Am Acad Dermatol 27(3):427–433 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

89. Hart JW, Shiue LH, Shpall EJ, Alousi AM (2013) Extracorporeal photopheresis in the treatment of graft-versus-host disease: evidence and opinion. Ther Adv Hematol 4(5):320–334 [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

90. Rowen RJ (1996) Ultraviolet blood irradiation therapy (Photo-Oxidation) the cure that time forgot. Int J Biosocial Med Research 14(2):115–132 [Google Scholar]

91. Wu X, Hu X, Hamblin MR (2016) Ultraviolet blood irradiation: is it time to remember “the cure that time forgot”? J Photochem Photobiol B 157:89–96 [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

92. Kraus CN (2008) Low hanging fruit in infectious disease drug development. Curr Opin Microbiol 11(5):434–438 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

93. Munoz-Price LS, Poirel L, Bonomo RA et al. (2013) Clinical epidemiology of the global expansion of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemases. Lancet Infect Dis 13(9):785–796 [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

94. Yoneyama H, Katsumata R (2006) Antibiotic resistance in bacteria and its future for novel antibiotic development. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 70(5):1060–1075 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

95. O’neill J (2015) Review on antimicrobial resistance: tackling a global health crisis. Initial Steps

‍

‍

“Migraine is one of the most common neurological conditions in the world, and it’s debilitating,” said Dr. Ibrahim

Green Light

The noninvasive nature of green light exposure makes it an ideal therapeutic candidate for other neurological conditions, such as fibromyalgia or HIV-related pain. Dr. Ibrahim and his team recently completed another clinical study in which people with fibromyalgia tried green light therapy. Like the migraine study, those results are similarly encouraging.

Clinical Study

Pharmacological management of migraines can be ineffective for some patients. Studies previously demonstrated that exposure to green light resulted in antinociception and reversal of thermal and mechanical hypersensitivity in rodent pain models. Given green light-emitting diodes' safety, they evaluated green light as a potential therapy in patients with episodic or chronic migraines.

For the study, they recruited (29 total) patients, of whom seven had episodic migraines, and 22 had chronic migraines. They used a one-way cross-over design consisting of exposure for 1–2 hours daily to the white light-emitting diodes for 10 weeks, followed by a 2-week washout period followed by exposure for 1–2 hours daily green light-emitting diodes for 10 weeks. Patients were allowed to continue current therapies and to initiate new treatments as directed by their physicians. Outcomes consisted of patient-reported surveys. The primary outcome measure was the number of headache days per month. Secondary outcome measures included patient-reported changes in the headaches' intensity and frequency over a two-week period and other quality of life measures, including the ability to fall and stay asleep and ability to perform work. Changes in pain medications were obtained to assess potential reduction.

When seven episodic migraine and 22 chronic migraine patients were analyzed as separate cohorts, white light-emitting diodes produced no significant change in headache days in either episodic migraine or chronic migraine patients. Combining data from the episodic migraine and chronic migraine groups showed that white light-emitting diodes produced a small but statistically significant reduction in headache days (days ± SEM) 18.2 ± 1.8 to 16.5 ± 2.01 days. Green light-emitting diodes resulted in a significant decrease in headache days from 7.9 ± 1.6 to 2.4 ± 1.1 and 22.3 ± 1.2 to 9.4 ± 1.6 in episodic migraine and chronic migraine patients, respectively. While some improvement in secondary outcomes was observed with white light-emitting diodes, more secondary outcomes with significantly greater magnitude, including assessments of the quality of life, Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire, Headache Impact Test-6, and Five-level version of the EuroQol five-dimensional survey without reported side effects, were observed with green light-emitting diodes. Conclusions regarding pain medications reduction with green light-emitting diode exposure were not possible. No side effects of light therapy were reported. None of the patients in the study reported initiation of new therapies.

Green light-emitting diodes significantly reduced the number of headache days in people with episodic migraines or chronic migraines. Additionally, the green light-emitting diodes significantly improved multiple secondary outcome measures, including quality of life, intensity, and headache attack duration. As no adverse events were reported, the green light-emitting diodes may provide a treatment option for those patients who prefer non-pharmacological therapies or may be considered in complementing other treatment strategies. The limitations of this study are the small number of patients evaluated. The positive data obtained support the implementation of larger clinical trials to determine the possible effects of green light-emitting diode therapy.

This study is registered with clinicaltrials.gov under NCT03677206.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0333102420956711

‍

As much as we're advancing in technology, we're paying the price of sight. More and more people are spending their working days in front of a desk, staring at a computer screen. 

Whether we’re at home or on the bus, we're glued to our smartphones or tablets, staying connected to the world around us. What we don't realize is that the more time we spend looking at screens, the worse our vision becomes. 

Staring at your smartphone, laptop, or tablet for too long can lead to tired, itchy, and dry eyes, eventually leading to blurred vision and headaches. There's actually a name for this; it's called Computer vision syndrome. 

Computer vision syndrome is described as vision-related problems resulting from prolonged usage of digital devices, including computers, smartphones, and tablets. However, other vision-related problems  stem from cataracts, prescription glasses or contact lenses, migraines, age, glaucoma, trauma, and more. 

But with the help of light therapy, it looks like there's a solution to eye strain and declining eyesight. Researchers from the University College of London published their study in the Journals of Gerontology found that red light therapy may help improve eye function through mitochondria and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) interaction.

How do the mitochondria and ATP benefit from red light? The mitochondria produce most of the chemical energy needed for all biochemical reactions within the body. The energy produced is stored as ATP, which then converts into adenosine diphosphate (ADP) or to adenosine monophosphate (AMP). For the human body to stay healthy, ATP is essential for the cellular process. 

Concerning the eyes, the retina ages faster than any other in the body, according to Glen Jeffrey, lead study author and neuroscience professor at University College London's Institute of Ophthalmology. Glen adds that up to 70% of the ATP in the retinas will decline over a person's lifetime, which causes reduced eye function.  

This is where red light therapy plays an important role in improving eye function and vision. It's believed that red light therapy increases ATP production in the mitochondria, improving and restoring cellular energy, keeping your eyes healthy and functioning optimally. 

In the study, researchers tested the eye function and sensitivity of 21 participants between 28 and 72 without pre-existing eye diseases. The participants were given a small LED light, which they had to look directly into the light for three minutes a day over two weeks. The results were extremely interesting. For those under 40, they did not see any measurable differences. However, those over 40 experienced significant improvements in their ability to differentiate between colors and in sensitivity of up to 20%. 

Glen explains that red light therapy "uses simple brief exposures to light wavelengths that re-charge the energy system that has declined in the retina cells, rather like re-charging a battery." 

Though there are further studies that need to be done, this shines a light on the power of red light to restore eye function. Prior to the study above, other studies have been done in the past; however, this is the first on humans. Yet, previous studies also proved positive effects on retinal performance and damage reversal. 

The future's looking bright for those who have eye issues and want non-invasive treatments. As Glen said, “the technology is simple and very safe.” 

With Kayian Medical’s MDA-certified and FDA-approved red light therapy devices, you can provide clients with non-invasive and effective treatment to improve eye function. 

When we talk about skincare, we usually don’t think about customizing skincare products. The options available on the market are produced for the masses rather than for the individual. Many people with multiple skin issues struggle to find skincare products that truly speaks to their needs. However, light therapy masks can be customized to fit the individual customer’s needs.

If you’re working in the skincare industry, light therapy devices are a revolutionary step forward, as you’ll be able to provide your customers with a unique light therapy mask.

But what’s the process of creating a custom light therapy mask? Here are the six steps you need to consider when developing a customized light therapy mask.

The Six Steps to Create Your Custom Led Mask

While going through these six steps, keep your vision of your mask in mind. This will help you answer some of the questions that are going to be asked below.

What’s your Goal?

It would help if you determined your product’s goals. Who are your clients? What are their unique skincare challenges? By understanding the basics, you’ll help your company determine the right strategy when creating your customized product. Light therapy masks can be made using different LED colors for a full range of beauty treatments, including acne reduction, anti-aging treatment, and collagen production.

What Material will you Use?

You need to select the right material. Facial masks can be made from a variety of materials, each with its own advantages and versatility. There are three types of light therapy masks to consider: flexible, semi-hard, and hard.

Flexible allows users to wear it while doing their daily activities. The patented air cushions and emitting SMD LEDs are ideal for indoor and daily skincare. Semi-hard masks are for professional use and have a hard shell, while soft inside. Hard masks are powerful facial masks for professional use and come with selectable light area options. They offer a deeper light therapy experience for clients.

What Kind of Shape will your Mask be in?

Light therapy masks don’t have to come in a traditional one-size-fits-all design. Depending on your target market, you’ll be able to choose where the placement for the cheeks, forehead, and eyes will be on the mask. This gives you more control over how the mask will fit on your client’s face.

What Areas Will your Mask Treat?

A traditional mask will cover the full face. However, you may not necessarily want your mask to provide full coverage. Consider the areas of the face you’d like to treat, as you may only want to create a mask for a specific target area.

Apply for a Prototype

You’ve answered all the questions above and have a vision of how you want your mask to look. From here, we help you take your vision and use our creativity and 14 years of experience in the industry to create a mask that fits your goals.

Launch & Listen

Now that the product is created, it’s time to launch it. Before the launch, we produce pre-pilot quantities that allow us to fine-tune our devices and ensure high-quality from start to finish.

Creating a light therapy facial mask is one thing, but you want to make sure it’s achieving your goals and making your customers happy. Once your product is launched, it’s crucial to monitor product performance and listen to customer feedback.

Naturally, you don’t want your light therapy mask to be like all the others on the market. Our masks are MDA-certified and FDA-approved light therapy devices, ensuring you medical-grade quality devices for your business.

Your face is the first thing people notice about you, and it stares back at you every time you see a mirror. If you aren’t friends with your image in the mirror because of a double chin, it can be an annoying reminder of the aging process at best and hurtful to your self-esteem at worst.

You don’t have to have plastic surgery to see results that rid you of a double chin. Advances in technology and some simple exercises can help you see the return of your younger jawline.

Youthful skin has an abundance of collagen and elastin to keep the skin smooth, firm, and plump. But, in your 20’s, collagen decreases, elastin breaks down, and cells don’t turn over. By age 30, your skin loses half its collagen. Once collagen breaks down, the skin loses firmness and elasticity, resulting in wrinkles, crow’s feet, loss of firmness, and dullness. At the same time, the layer of skin beneath the dermis begins to thin.

The body is always looking for new places to put fat cells, and one area it particularly likes is the top part of the front of your neck, right underneath your jaw. The technical name for this is ‘submental fat.’ If too much fat gets stored in this area and the skin isn’t taut enough to hold that canopy up in the battle with gravity, you can look in the mirror and find that it looks like you’ve grown a second chin. This can even continue developing into a triple or quadruple chin. The two factors you need to be aware of as you read on are fat levels and skin tautness.

What About the Creams?

In a word? No. Why don’t double-chin creams work? Because they’re not removing the bulk of the fat cells that are creating the double chin, nor are they tightening up the sagging skin, letting that double chin flop forward. Perhaps, if a double-chin cream is one that contains active ingredients such as high-strength vitamin C and retinol or another retinoid, it may be strengthening the skin. Still, this effect won’t be strong enough to rein in an existing double chin.

Then, What to Do?

Low levels of infrared light waves applied to the chin's skin can achieve excellent results and help you lose a double chin. Applying heat to the deeper layers of the skin while keeping the upper layers cool appears to trigger the skin’s ability to renew the collagen beneath the skin's surface layers.

Changes in skin thickness, elasticity, and tightness were visible changes that patients noticed when their double chin was treated with infrared light. These near-infrared devices are handheld systems that a dermatologist or physician can apply in an outpatient procedure with no pain.

The Jaw and Double Chin Kaiyan LED Therapy Slimming Device safely brighten, rejuvenates, shapes, and repairs your chin and jaw areas using red and blue LED light therapy, plus vibration. You just need 10min session, 2 times per day and you will see the results in weeks.

‍

Can I Use Serum With LED Mask?

It is a question that many people have asked — Can I use the serum with LED light therapy?

Our skin is exposed to harsh environmental factors such as sun, wind, cold, and dust daily. These factors tend to attack our immune system causing it to weaken over time.

When this happens, it allows harmful viruses and bacteria to attack our body, leading to acne breakouts and other skin issues such as dark spots and wrinkles. Acne creams are one way of reducing the symptoms associated with this skin condition. However, these can be irritating to your skin, resulting in unwanted side effects such as redness, irritation, and dryness.

The same can also be said for light therapy, which can have its own side effects. Side effects of LED light therapy include itching, burning, and pain. In fact, most users had reported experiencing these side effects when they first started using LED technology. If you were to use any acne medication type, whether prescribed by your doctor or over the counter, the results would depend largely on the person using the medication.

For example, it could take anything from a few days to a few weeks for acne to clear up. Another point to remember is that while certain medications do show better results for some people, they may not work for you at all.

This is because everyone has different skin types, responds differently to treatments, and requires different times to clear away acne completely.

Some people have found success in using LED therapy with a variety of skin creams. However, there is a downside to using this method. LED light therapy does not help remove excess dead skin cells, as some acne medications do. This means that the acne cream will just be left in place and continue to produce side effects for all patients. Besides, side effects can be more severe than a single acne medication dose when used over a long time when used over a long time.

Before you try to use a serum with an LED mask, you should consult with a dermatologist who can advise you on whether or not LED light therapy is right for you. LED light therapy is safe when administered by a certified medical professional. It can be used safely, even if you have sensitive skin, as long as you choose your doctors wisely. Before any treatment is begun, the medical professional will test your skin to determine what type of acne you have. Testing will determine whether your skin is allergic to any light-emitting diodes in the device used.

The last question to answer is, “How effective is Acne treatment with LED Light?” To answer this question, you will need to look at the results you get from the treatment. If you see immediate results after the treatment, it will likely react to the device's light and not the treatment itself.

However, if you don’t see good results after a month of continuous treatment, it is important to determine why the treatment is not working. It may be that you are allergic to any of the ingredients in the product, or it may be that your skin is not receptive to the treatment.

Hydrated Face For LED Mask Results

The serum is good for hydrated face for LED Mask. It can hydrate the skin by absorbing moisture, providing a slight lift to the skin, and removing any oil or makeup that you are using. The serum also contains vitamins and antioxidants that will help fight against free radicals in your body. Free radicals are harmful agents that have been linked with causing cancer.

By fighting against these harmful agents, Serum is good for hydrated face for LED Mask. People who have used Serum have claimed that the hydrated face and LED Mask work very well together. I have also used Serum on my skin, and I must say that the results were really amazing. In fact, I would go on to say that Serum is so good for hydrated face for LED Mask that I will be using it every single night before bed.

If you don’t have much experience making skin look hydrated, this is the forum for you. Let us first examine the ingredient list of Serum.

This product's main ingredients are Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin C, Retinol A, Alpha Hydroxy Acids, Vitamin E, DMAE, Peptides, and Glycerin, Ferulic Acid, Aloe Vera.

• AHA kills the bacteria causing acne and helps to get rid of blackheads.
• Sodium Laureth Sulfate helps in cleaning the skin by getting rid of dead skin cells and excess oil.
• Salicylic Acid gets rid of pimples and acne scars, and Glycolic Acid is good in treating acne scars.

All of these ingredients are perfectly good for your hydrated face for LED Mask.

• Now let us move on to how does Serum works to get rid of the facial puffiness.
• When you are applying Serum on your hydrated face for LED Mask, you are putting on a layer of serum to the surface of your face.
• As the serum gets applied, it works its way down into your skin and starts working as a moisturizer.
• This is why this particular product is top-rated as it works as a good moisturizer without over-drying the skin.

How to Prepare Your Skin For a Red Light Therapy Session?

There are different methods used to prepare your skin, but essentially they all work in the same way: removing all the oil and dirt from the skin and then cleaning it. When I talk about cleansing, I’m talking about daily skincare maintenance products. If you want to know how to prepare your skin for a red light therapy session, this is the part that you need to read.

Most people have no idea how their skin looks like, so when they go into the doctor’s office and they've asked if they’ve had a photodynamic therapy or a laser treatment, they’re not aware of what treatment they might have received.

• The skin absorbs red light from the sun, and in return, it produces negative ions.
• These are similar to the particles produced by an activated oxygen generator (you know those things at the gym).
• During photodynamic therapy, the skin cells absorb the energy from the lasers' red light, which causes the release of more negative ions, which then penetrate deeper into the skin.
• They’re working like the “batteries” on your car — they give the batteries extra power and allow the car to run much longer.
• If you want to learn how to prepare your skin for a red light therapy session, you must remove all the grime from your face and neck before the session.
• Cleansing is one of the most important steps to remember in preparation.

How to Prepare Your Skin for Red Light Therapy Session by Using Non-Dry Cleanser

You might need more than just a good cleanser when trying to prepare your skin for red light therapy. Your cleanser is your friend when you are trying to remove all the dirt and excess oil from your face, but what if your cleanser is too harsh on your skin? If you have dry skin, using a cleanser containing too harsh ingredients may cause dryness, making it harder for you to remove those excess oils from your face.

When you prepare your skin for red light therapy session using the non-drying cleanser, make sure that you would be using a toner with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory ingredients to increase the collagen level the skin.

This will help keep your skin healthy and younger-looking.

Caution: Lotion and Moisturizers For LED Masks Are Not Recommended

The use of moisturizers and lotions is not recommended for LED masks because it will damage your skin. There are also cases wherein people who used such products ended up suffering from adverse effects.

The ingredients in these products may be too strong for the skin to be able to absorb.

You can prevent this by using only non-comedogenic lotions and moisturizers for LED masks.

• This way, the product is less likely to irritate your skin. In addition to that, you can also use other types of products designed for sensitive or dry skins to use on your face during the event's preparation.
• However, there are cases wherein people who have been using such moisturizers and lotions as part of their LED facial make-up mask ended up suffering from adverse effects.
• In these cases, the products were not properly applied to the skin, and the amount that was applied was also insufficient.
• Because the skin did not get sufficient moisture, the cells underneath the skin's surface could not repair themselves properly.
• This will result in damaged skin, which will cause more breakouts than before.

Aside from lotion and moisturizers, it would help if you also stayed away from mineral oil, alcohol, and preservatives. These ingredients are not good for your skin, as they can cause dryness and irritation. It would help if you also stayed away from using creams and lotions with fragrance, which can only irritate your skin even more. Instead, look for serums.

If you want to have a glowing complexion without enduring any adverse effects, use a good quality face serum.

Prepare Your Skin For Red Light Therapy by Removing Sunscreen

You probably have heard that it is unsafe to use the sun’s UV rays at home, especially if you use a tanning lotion or a self-tanning lotion. But did you know that it is also not safe to use self-tanning products like tan accelerators and sunless tanning pills to prepare your skin for red light therapy sessions?

This defeats the purpose of using red light therapy, and you must remove sunscreen so that your face and skin are completely ready to receive the red light therapy. This is because self-tanning products contain ingredients that can affect the skin in adverse ways and block the beneficial deep penetrating infrared wavelength from 650nm to 850nm.

How to Prepare Your Skin For Red Light Therapy by Removing Makeup

If you have chosen to have laser acne treatment and you are wondering how to prepare your skin for the red light therapy, you will want to take a moment to learn how red light therapy works before getting started.

Before your session begins, you will be given a short amount of time to get ready for the procedure. This is because your skin needs to be very clean and free of any makeup. Your skin needs to be completely dry before the procedure can begin.

If there is any moisturizer on your skin when you arrive for your appointment, you will have to remove it before your treatment.

Your doctor will ask you several questions about your skin during your appointment, including what type of skin you have and whether or not you have any allergies. During this time, they will also determine if you are a good candidate for the procedure. If you are cleared for the procedure, your skin will be exposed to an intense red light level. This is one of the most effective ways to get rid of acne, and it can also help prevent scars and aging from occurring on your face.

The amount of time that it takes to get your skin prepared for red light therapy varies. In most cases, it is normal to have it take from fifteen to thirty minutes to prepare your skin for the procedure. You may have to remove any makeup at this time as well.

How to Prepare Your Skin For Red Light Therapy by Exfoliating?

When a patient is getting a therapy session done, they will be required to go to the spa or beauty clinic to be given a facial.

A therapist will then start by cleaning the face thoroughly. After the initial cleaning process, the therapist will apply a chemical that will help exfoliate the skin.

This process can irritate the skin, so it is important to prepare your skin before undergoing this procedure. Some common preparations that people use include salicylic acid, alpha hydroxy acid, retinoids, glycolic acid, and other peel-type products.

The exfoliating procedure aims to help the skin cells shed off dead skin cells and replace them with new cells.

This is why it is important to remove all traces of dead skin cells from your face before undergoing the procedure.

It may seem odd at first, but if you want to get the best results from the procedure, you need to gently exfoliate your skin.

Prepare Your Skin For Red Light Therapy With Moisturizers

When you prepare your skin for red light therapy, you are basically preparing to expose the blue spectrum laser's high intensity and the eventual dry out of the epidermis. The skin must be prepared using a good cream containing Reductase or Salicylic Acid, or by exfoliating the skin using a scrub.

After the procedure, you will need to have topical products applied to your skin to prevent the skin from cracking and peeling. This will also help improve your appearance and prevent future scarring. Removing moisturizers before the therapy can be helpful. This is because the skin’s cells will still be in a dormant state when you receive the treatment; therefore, your skin is not at risk for the dryness associated with moisturizers.

This will also improve your skin's look, especially for those who have undergone this procedure many times. However, you must be youthful if e to remove moisturizers in preparation for the session, as some creams may cause excessive dryness and irritation. Once you are prepared for the session, you can expect the doctor to start the red light therapy by generating a small amount of blue light on your skin's top layer.

The light then travels through the skin, reaching the deepest layers where most of the damage occurs. When the blue light is emitted, it is believed that the cells below the surface of the skin begin to absorb the red light, helping to repair the skin. The increased circulation and nutrient absorption help to rejuvenate your skin, leaving it looking younger and healthier than ever before.

‍

At some point in most of our lives, we’re all going to encounter a visit with an orthopedic doctor. As a society, we’re constantly straining our muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons. 

In addition, nutrient deficiencies are incredibly common as more people resort to eating processed and fast food for their meals. With a lack of nutrition, our bones, joints, and muscles do not receive what they need to sustain themselves and remain healthy. 

Conditions such as Osteroporsosis—or bone loss—can create pain, inflammation, and bone breakage. Other nutrition deficiencies can cause low immunity, muscle weakness, and joint issues. 

Of course, nutritional deficiency isn’t the only reason someone can suffer from joint, muscle, tendon, or ligament issues. Aside from doing repetitive movements, athletes are more prone to muscle, tendon, ligament, and joint injuries. 

Whatever the cause may be, there’s one thing they all have in common: people with these types of injuries often need to be seen by an orthopedic surgeon. 

For some people, physical therapy can help; however, more people have to undergo orthopedic surgeries. Today, the most common orthopedic surgeries are ACL reconstruction, knee, hip, and shoulder replacements. If there’s one thing everyone who’s experienced orthopedic surgery can say, it’s that recovery can be extremely challenging and lengthy. 

Sadly, there’s not much one can do when recovering from orthopedic surgery. You simply have to wait until the operated area heals naturally. But, there is one specific treatment that aids the post-recovery period and prevents future joint issues. What is it? It’s red light therapy, of course! 

Red light therapy works by enhancing energy within your body’s cells, which works to repair any damaged cells in the body. By repairing damaged cells in the body, it reduces pain and inflammation, increasing the recovery period. 

Red light therapy has proven to achieve a few things:

• It stimulates cells to remove toxins
• Increases oxygen flow to the cells
• Blocks pain signals in the brain and releases endorphins and enkephalin (a natural pain killer in the body)
• Jumpstarts the body’s healing process by stimulating the mitochondria in the cells.

That said, red light therapy can be used to treat a wide range of joint, muscle, tendon, ligament, and bone injuries. The reason why it works on a wide scale of injuries is due to the fact it can treat various tissues within the body, reducing inflammation and pain. 

A review by Harvard Medical School and the University of Sydney found that laser therapy can be effective for treating:

• Post-surgical pain
• Tendonitis
• Muscular back pain
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Cervical or lumbar radiculopathy
• Epicondylitis
• Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
• Whiplash injury
• Frozen shoulder
• Tendinopathy
• Fibromyalgia
• Sprains and strains
  

Red light therapy is also highly used within the athletic community to speed up the healing process, help players get back on the field, and prevent future injuries. 

Through red light therapy, it prevents muscle soreness, fatigue, and aids in recovery. By having the muscles recover quickly, red light therapy reduces inflammation, allowing the muscle to heal and avert future injuries.

From mild to severe joint, muscle, ligaments, bone, and tendon conditions, red light therapy improves recovery time and aids the healing process. The beauty is that this therapy is entirely possible to undergo from the comfort of your own home.
Lunas red light therapy devices provide high-quality at-home treatments to help you make the most out of your recovery. With red light therapy, not only will you recover from surgery, but you’ll feel even better than before.

Weight loss is something that many people struggle with, and our modern day lifestyles can make it challenging to prioritize healthy eating and movement. We’re living fast lives, often resorting to highly-processed foods, and skipping out on exercising, all of which are the main contributors to weight gain. 

In 2020, the obesity rate in the U.S. was 42.4%. Though it’s often overlooked, people with a high BMI are at very high risk for cardiovascular diseases, hormonal issues, diabetes, cancer, and musculoskeletal disorders. 

However, in recent years, there’s been a shift in people’s mentalities. Yes, many are still opting for meal replacements and weight loss surgeries; however, others are focusing on eating clean and eliminating preservatives from their diet. Instead of doing quick diet fads, many are trying to change their lifestyle, even turning to alternative eating methods such as the ketogenic diet – a low-carb, high- fat diet that shares similarities to the Atkins diet. Essentially, you eat fewer carbs and replace them with fat. By doing this, the body goes into a state of ketosis, enabling the fat from your diet and body to be burned into energy. 

However, the keto diet does more than just help people lose weight. It reduces blood sugar and insulin levels, sleep disorders, seizures, and other brain disorders. It’s clear that the keto diet does have health benefits aside from weight loss. This diet alone has changed the lives of millions of people around the world. But wait...what does this all have to do with red light therapy? 

Before we talk about red light therapy working alongside keto, it’s crucial to understand the importance of natural light to the human body. Our bodies respond to light the same way it does to carbs, proteins, and fats. Our bodies are built to function with an optimal amount of natural light so that our cells can produce energy. 

We need light like we need fruits and vegetables. Similar to when we eat junk food, if we’re exposed to an abundance of artificial light, our bodies don’t function optimally. However, we’re spending more time inside than ever, meaning we’re not getting enough natural light. Simply put: it isn’t good for our bodies and minds.

So how do the two work together? If you’re on the keto diet, your body will go into a state of ketosis, which promotes increased weight loss, specifically in the abdominal area. When the body is able to burn fat efficiently, the body works better—this the same goes for red light therapy. 

Red light therapy strengthens the mitochondria inside our cells. The mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cells where energy is created. By improving the function of the mitochondria, a cell produces more ATP (adenosine triphosphate). With an increase in energy, the cells function optimally and are able to regenerate at a faster pace. 

Keto and red light therapy work to naturally enhance our body’s functionality as both operate to enhance the mitochondria. Keto works to burn fatty acids and ketones instead of glucose. With red light therapy, it decreases oxidative stress that slows energy systems. When using red light therapy during a keto diet, your cells are able to work efficiently as both increase energy, physical performance, and weight loss. 

But red light therapy does more than just enhance your body’s energy and physical performance. Red light therapy improves sleeping patterns by adjusting your circadian rhythm and helping the brain produce natural melatonin. Developing a regular sleep pattern on top of losing weight will only help improve your weight loss journey, as well as balance your hormones. Red light therapy also reduces inflammation and joint pain, which helps the overall weight loss experience. 

‍
If you’re on the keto diet or considering giving it a try, consider easing into the process by supplementing with Lunas’ MDA and FDA-approved red light therapy devices to help aid your weight loss journey.

DAccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 100 million adults in the United States suffer from diabetes or pre-diabetes. A chronic disease characterized by elevated blood glucose levels (blood sugar), diabetes develops because the body doesn’t make enough insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas. Low insulin levels cause glucose to build up in the blood, resulting in various health problems, some severe.

There are three types of diabetes: type 1, type 2, and gestational. Whichever type you may have, light therapy could be the treatment solution you’ve been looking for. This article will explore red light and near-infrared (NIR) light for diabetes: a novel solution that helps treat this disease's complications at the cellular level — healing from the inside out.

Red and Near-Infrared Light for Diabetes

While some people with type 2 diabetes (also called adult-onset diabetes) can achieve target blood sugar levels with lifestyle changes, diabetes medications, or insulin therapy may also be needed to control blood sugar. Many medications cause serious side effects. Diabetes has no cure, and symptom management is the only way to coax the disease into remission.

Red and NIR light has been used successfully to treat the complications associated with diabetes. Before we delve into that, let’s do a quick overview of what this treatment method actually is.

Red light therapy, also called low-level light therapy (LLLT) or photobiomodulation, is an umbrella term referring to the red light and NIR light. It uses powerful light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs to deliver intense beams of red and NIR wavelengths to bare skin.

Wavelengths of light are measured in nanometers (nm). Research has shown that red wavelengths from 630nm to 660nm, and NIR wavelengths from 810nm to 850nm, have the greatest scope of benefits — and come with no side effects.

Although studies often focus on either red or near-infrared wavelengths, experts say the best treatment approach is to use both. Doing so will provide skin-deep as well as deep-tissue benefits. For example, the 630nm to 660nm wavelengths address the skin's health, and the longer 810nm to 850nm NIR wavelengths penetrate deeper into the body. NIR wavelengths can even penetrate bone and hard connective tissue like cartilage.

Increase Capillary Formation for Improved Blood Flow

Thomas Burke, Ph.D., a retired physiologist with the University of Colorado Medical School, has studied blood flow — specifically changes in blood flow — for more than 30 years. Dr. Burke’s extensive research into the effects of red light therapy on circulation has led him to conclude that infrared light increases blood flow in any site in the body to which it is applied. This has profound implications for treating slow-healing wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers, which affect approximately 15 percent of patients with diabetes.

One effect of diabetes is meager amounts of nitric oxide produced by the body, which hinders normal blood flow. This is one reason people with diabetes often develop a circulatory condition called peripheral arterial disease, in which narrowed blood vessels reduce blood flow to the limbs. Many diabetes patients also develop diabetic neuropathy, a peripheral nervous system disorder that causes loss of feeling in the extremities, especially the feet.

The combination of poor blood flow and neuropathy can make people with diabetes more susceptible to ulcers or infections in the feet that, if allowed to spread, may require extreme measures such as amputation. LLLT can help circulation by stimulating the formation of tiny capillaries in areas treated by the light. This allows for better oxygen and nutrient delivery to the body’s peripheral regions, including the feet, which seem to bear the brunt of diabetic complications.

Increased Cellular Metabolism and Energy

The decreased blood flow that’s characteristic of diabetes interferes with the proper functioning of mitochondria, the “energy factories” inside most body cells. When mitochondria function normally, their primary job is to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), an energy-rich molecule that serves as fuel for cells. ATP is essential for normal cellular functioning, including repair and replication.

Poor cellular energy, officially known as mitochondrial dysfunction, is one of the main causes of diabetic neuropathy, so restoring normal mitochondrial function is essential. When there’s a chronic blood sugar imbalance, cells become stressed, unable to function properly, and unable to repair themselves.

Low-level light therapy addresses mitochondrial dysfunction by increasing ATP production. This, in turn, energizes cells and sparks a chain reaction of beneficial biological processes and improved health. When mitochondrial function is returned to normal, it supports skin ulcers and neuropathic pain and helps restore normal peripheral nervous system functioning.

Restored Normal Nerve Functioning

Until LLLT was developed, loss of sensation in the feet of diabetics was considered progressive and irreversible. Even today, the recommended treatment is often anti-inflammatory drugs that interrupt pain pathways. These drugs do not address the underlying problem: abnormal nerve signaling due to inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction.

Today, diabetic neuropathy can be treated using near-infrared light. According to a 2015 study by medical researchers from Iran, NIR light therapy effectively reduces neuropathic pain and promotes damaged nerve cells' regeneration.

An earlier study by researchers from Japan also focused on LLLT’s effects on nerve regeneration. It is known that disrupted blood sugar levels can lead to oxidative stress, which can cause inflammation. The study revealed that NIR light acts as an antioxidant and reduces inflammation, conducive to nerve regeneration.

Increased Collagen Production

Diabetes can cause uncomfortable, often painful changes in the skin, including severe dryness, peeling, cracking, and abnormal callus growth. Red light therapy boosts the body’s natural collagen production so that as skin cells are renewed, the damaged skin can be gradually replaced by healthy skin. Improved blood flow and cellular functioning also support healthy skin growth.

Reduced Inflammation for Faster Wound Healing

Diabetic foot ulcers may form due to a combination of poor circulation, immune system deficiency that makes it hard for the body to fight off infection, diminished foot sensitivity (diabetic neuropathy), and ill-fitting shoes. Infected and dead tissue will need to be removed. The growth of healthy new tissue needs to be supported with blood sugar management and optimal mitochondrial functioning, and collagen production.

A Stronger Immune System

Improving health requires a robust immune system, and LLLT can help in several significant ways. For instance, it stimulates the production of stem cells, which are the body’s master cells with the potential to develop into many different types of cells. Stem cells remain in a dormant, non-specialized state until they are needed, when they are mobilized into action and carried to various parts of the body where they take on specialized roles.

Also essential for a healthy immune system is the thyroid, which LLLT helps to balance. People with diabetes have an increased risk of developing hypothyroidism, which is an underactive thyroid. Hypothyroidism results in mitochondrial dysfunction and poor cell functioning.

Also, research has shown that LLLT supports liver regeneration for more efficient waste disposal. This helps treat systemic inflammation and supports the workings of the immune system.

Consistency

LLLT is not an instant cure for any condition. You may experience relief after just one session, but the greatest results will come with time as the body’s cells regenerate and optimize their functioning. This can take a few weeks to a few months. Several sessions per week can help manage and minimize diabetic complications and keep the disease in remission on an ongoing basis.

‍

Acupuncture under traditional Chinese medicine is an alternative medicine that treats patients by needle insertion and manipulation at acupoints (APS) in the body. Acupuncture causes collagen fiber contraction, resulting in soluble actin polymerization and actin stress fiber formation, affecting the nervous and immune systems. Besides, acupuncture leads to molecular changes at APs in tissues at the cellular level. The local physicochemical reactions at the APs send signals to the organs via the tissue fluid and blood circulatory systems for optimal adjustment of the body’s organs.

It is believed to have been practiced for more than 2500 years, and this modality is among the oldest healing practices in the world. Acupuncture is based on the idea that living beings have Qi, defined as inner energy, and that it is an imbalance in Qi or interruption in the flow of Qi that causes illness and disease. Acupuncture therapy is focused on rebalancing the flow of Qi, and the practice is progressively gaining credibility as a primary or adjuvant therapy by Western medical providers.

Laser Acupuncture

Kaiyan Medical has been working to create ergonomic laser pens to simulate the acupuncture process. Laser acupuncture (LA) — non-thermal, low-intensity laser irradiation to stimulate acupuncture points — has become more common among acupuncture practitioners in recent years. LA is a safer, pain-free alternative to traditional acupuncture, with minimal adverse effects and greater versatility. LA has many features that make it an attractive option as a treatment modality, including minimal sensation, short duration of treatment, and minimal risks of infection, trauma, and bleeding complications.

What is the Difference

In acupuncture, needles are inserted at specific acupoints, which may be manually stimulated in various ways, including gentle twisting or up-and-down movements. Besides, the depth of needle penetration is also manipulated by the acupuncture practitioner. The patient may report sensations of De Qi, which are feelings of pressure, warmth, or tingling in the superficial layers of the skin. Many theories to explain how acupuncture works have been proposed, including the gate-control theory of pain and the endorphin-and-neurotransmitter. Others have postulated that acupuncture modulates the transmission of pain signals and alters the release of endogenous endorphins and neurotransmitters, resulting in physiologic changes.

One clear difference between needle acupuncture and LA is that LA does not physically penetrate the skin. Despite a greater understanding of LA, it is unclear how non-thermal, low-intensity laser irradiation stimulates acupoints. The mechanism of LA may be entirely separate from our present understanding of acupuncture. Current theories postulate that LLLT could positively affect modulating inflammation, pain, and tissue repair, given appropriate irradiation parameters.

Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Lasers

Inflammation reduction comparable to that of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs has been reported with animal studies that used red and near-infrared LLLT, with laser outputs ranging from 2.5 to 100 mW and delivered energy doses ranging from 0.6 to 9.6 Joules. Human studies have shown similar anti-inflammatory effects with LLLT, which may account for many associated positive clinical results.

Cellular Effects of LLLT

LLLT improves cell physiology by increasing the overall cell redox potential toward greater oxidation and increased reactive oxygen species while simultaneously decreasing reactive nitrogen species. These redox state changes activate numerous intracellular-signaling pathways, including nucleic acid synthesis, protein synthesis, enzyme activation, and cell cycle progression.17 LLLT also alters the expression of genes that can enhance cell growth and inhibit cell apoptosis.16 These cellular effects of LLLT might reflect its ability to induce long-term changes in cells and LLLT’s benefits for wound healing, nerve regeneration, and inflammation reduction.

LLLT Characteristics

Red and infrared laser wavelengths are absorbed by cytochrome C oxidase protein in the mitochondrial cell membranes. This absorption is associated with increased adenosine triphosphate production by the mitochondria, which. In turn, it increases intracellular calcium (Ca2+) and cyclic adenosine monophosphate, which serve as secondary messengers that aid in regulating multiple body processes, including signal transfer in nerves and gene expression.

The power density of a laser, defined as laser energy supplied per area (W/cm2), influences its energy penetration depth. A 50-mW laser with a beam size of 1 cm2 has an energy density of 0.05 W/cm2. In contrast, the same power laser with a beam size of 1 mm2 has an energy density of 5 W/cm2 — a higher energy density results in deeper energy penetration through the skin.

Energy transmission through the skin is also affected by the absorption of light energy by skin structures. Light wavelengths from 650 to 900 nm have the best penetration through the skin. Lower wavelengths are absorbed by melanin and hemoglobin, and wavelengths longer than 900 nm are absorbed by water. With a well-focused laser beam, red wavelengths (～ 648 nm) can penetrate 2–4 cm beneath the skin surface, and infrared wavelengths (～ 810 nm) can penetrate up to 6 cm.

Now Kaiyan has made LLLT easier to use. Kaiyan medical devices can treat multiple acupoints simultaneously at the same time.

‍

In 1993, Quantum Devices, Inc. (QDI), of Barneveld, Wisconsin, began developing the HEALS (High Emissivity Aluminiferous Light-emitting Substrate) technology high-intensity, solid-state LED lighting systems for NASA Space Shuttle plant growth experiments. The company evolved out of cooperative efforts with the Wisconsin Center for Space Automation and Robotics (WCSAR) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison — a NASA center for the Commercial Development of Space. Ronald W. Ignatius, QDI’s president, and chairman represented one of WCSAR’s industrial partners at the time. WCSAR was conducting research on light sources for promoting food growth within closed environments where humans would be present for a long duration, such as the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station.

With the support of WCSAR, Ignatius experimented with LEDs, which provide high-energy efficiency and virtually no heat, despite releasing waves of light 10 times brighter than the Sun. Ignatius admits that some scientists involved in the project were skeptical at first, thinking that the idea of using LEDs to promote plant growth was far-fetched. However, the experiments demonstrated that red LED wavelengths could boost the energy metabolism of cells to advance plant growth and photosynthesis. This finding prompted Ignatius to develop a line of LED products that emit the exact wavelength of light that plants use in photosynthesis.

“Our company gives credit to Dr. Ray Bula, the director of WCSAR, for having the foresight to go against the prevailing dogma of the time and design the first plant experiment using monochromatic light to grow lettuce plants,” Ignatius proclaims.

In 1989, Ignatius formed QDI to bring the salt grain-sized LEDs to market. In October 1995, the light sources made their Space Shuttle flight debut on the second U.S. Microgravity Laboratory Spacelab mission (STS-73, Columbia).

Growing

When NASA determined that red LEDs could grow plants in space, Marshall Space Flight Center awarded QDI several Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts to investigate the broad-spectrum diodes' effectiveness in medical applications. The contracts, issued from 1995 to 1998, focused on increasing energy inside human cells. NASA hoped that the LEDs would yield medical benefits on Earth and stem bone and muscle mass loss in astronauts, which occurs during long periods of weightlessness. (In space, the lack of gravity keeps human cells from growing naturally.) Furthermore, since wounds are slow to heal in a microgravity environment, LED therapy could accelerate healing and keep what would be termed as minor wounds on Earth from becoming mission-catastrophic in space.

In addition to promoting cell growth, the red LEDs are capable of activating light-sensitive, tumor-treating drugs that, when injected intravenously, could destroy cancer cells while leaving surrounding tissue virtually untouched. The technique, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in laboratory and human trials, is known as Photodynamic Therapy.

With the SBIR assistance from NASA, QDI set out to alter a surgical probe that could emit long waves of red light to stimulate a Benzoporphyrin-derivative drug called Photofrin, which delivers fewer post-operative side effects than comparable drugs. Ignatius also developed a friendly and successful working relationship with Dr. Harry Whelan, pediatric neurology and director of hyperbaric medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. The two had met after Ignatius came across a newspaper article highlighting Whelan’s ground-breaking brain cancer surgery technique, which uses drugs stimulated by laser lights to accelerate healing. Accordingly, QDI provided more than $1.25 million from its SBIR contracts to support Whelan’s pioneering photobiomodulation research and bring him on board to help improve the surgical probe.

Collectively, Ignatius, Whelan, and researchers from NASA successfully altered the probe for pediatric brain tumors and the prevention of oral mucositis (a common side effect of chemotherapy and radiation treatments) in pediatric bone marrow transplant patients at the Medical College of Wisconsin. In May 1998, a 20-year-old female became the first patient to undergo surgery with the modified probe. The young woman had endured six brain surgeries and chemotherapy and radiation treatments over a span of 10 years, but her aggressive cancer kept coming back. Having exhausted all of her conventional treatment options, she turned to the NASA-sponsored Photodynamic Therapy technology.

During the procedure, surgeons excised as much of the recurring brain tumor as they could then injected the light-activated Photofrin into her bloodstream and inserted the LED probe into the remaining tumor tissue. The probe, which casts long wavelengths that generate less heat and penetrate deeper into tissue than the shorter wavelengths of traditional medical lasers, proved to be both safe and effective, as the tumor never returned, and the patient recovered with no complications. A second operation that took place 3 months later on a male patient was also deemed successful by Whelan and his Medical College of Wisconsin surgeons' team.

FDA-approved clinical trials continued at several other facilities over the next 3 years, including the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York; Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center in Chicago; and the Instituto de Oncologia Pediatrica in Sao Paulo, Brazil. QDI became recognized as a U.S. Space Foundation “Space Technology Hall of Fame” award recipient in 2000 and a Marshall Space Flight Center “Hallmark of Success” in 2004.

Product Outcome

The positive clinical trial results and continued support from NASA and follow-on research grants from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency helped QDI and the Medical College of Wisconsin fully transition space technology into a new, non-invasive medical device. The WARP 10 (Warfighter Accelerated Recovery by Photobiomodulation) is a high-intensity, hand-held, portable LED unit intended for the temporary relief of minor muscle and joint pain, arthritis, stiffness, and muscle spasms. It also promotes the relaxation of muscle tissue and increases local blood circulation. Unlike the surgical probe, the WARP 10 does not require intravenous medicine; instead, the unit can be placed directly on the skin where treatment is to occur.

The WARP 10 was designed to aid armed forces personnel on the front lines with immediate first aid care for minor injuries and pain, thereby improving combat endurance. The “soldier self-care” device produces 80 times more photon energy than a 250-Watt heat lamp, yet it remains cool to the touch. The power advantage reduces the time required for each therapeutic dose and provides for faster multi-dose exposures when needed, without the harmful effects of ultraviolet solar radiation. The U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Navy are currently issuing WARP 10 to crews on submarines and Special Forces operations.

QDI has introduced an FDA-approved consumer version sharing the same power and properties of the military model as an alternative to the cost and complications associated with the overuse of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for persistent pain relief. According to a Mayo Clinic study, adverse events associated with the use of NSAIDs are reported more frequently to the FDA than such events associated with any other group of drugs. Furthermore, conservative calculations for the United States estimate that approximately 107,000 patients are hospitalized each year for NSAID-related gastrointestinal complications. At least 16,500 NSAID-related deaths occur annually among arthritis patients alone, according to compiled research.

References

Beauvoit B., Evans S.M., Jenkins T.W., Miller E.E., Chance B., “Contribution of the Mitochondrial Compartment to the OpticalProperties of the Rat Liver: A Theoretical and Practical Approach,” Analytical Biochemistry 226, 167-174 (1995).Beauvoit B., Kitai T., Chance B., “Correlation between the Light Scattering and the Mitochondrial Content of Normal Tissues andTransplantable Rodent Tumors,” Biophysical Journal 67, 2501-25 10 (1994).Chance B., Nioka S., Kent J., McCully K., Fountain M., Greenfield R., Holtom G., “Time-Resolved Spectroscopy of Hemoglobin andMyoglobin in Resting and Ischemic Muscle,” Analytical Biochemistry 174, 698-707 (1988)Conlan M.J., Rapley J.W., Cobb C.M., “Biostimulation of wound healing by low-energy laser irradiation,” J.Clin. Periodont. 23, 492-496 (1996).Eggert H.R., Blazek V., “Optical Properties of Normal Human Brain Tissues In The Spectral Range of 400 to 2500 nm,” Advances inExperimental Medicine & Biology 333, 47-55 (1993).Karu T., “Photochemical Effects Upon the Cornea, Skin and Other Tissues (Photobiology Of Low-Power Laser Effects,” HlthPhysics 56, 69 1-704 (1989).Lubart R., Friedman H., Sinyakov M., Cohen N., Breitbart H., “Changes in Calcium Transport in Mammalian Sperm Mitochondriaand Plasma Membranes Caused by 780 nm Irradiation,” Lasers in Surg & Med 21, 493-499 (1997).Lubart R., Wollman Y., Friedman H., Rochkind S. Laulicht L., “Effects of visible and near-infrared lasers on cell cultures,” Journalof Photochemistry & Photobiology 12(3), 305-3 10 (1992).Salansky N., “Low energy photon therapy for wound healing.” Intnl Med Instr, Canadian Defense Ministry, PersonalCommunication. (1998).Schmidt M.H., Bajic D.M., Reichert K.W. II, Martin T.S., Meyer G.A., Whelan H.T., “Light –emitting diodes as a light source forintra-operative photodynamic therapy.” Neurosurg 38(3), 552-556 (1996).Schmidt M.H., Reichert K.W. II, Ozker K., Meyer G.A., Donohoe D.L., Bajic D.M., Whelan N. T., Whelan H. T., “PreclinicalEvaluation of Benzoporphyrin Derivative Combined with a Light-Emitting Diode Array for Photodynamic Therapy ofBrain Tumors.” Pediatr Neurosurg 30, 225-231 (1999).Whelan H.T., Schmidt M.H., Segura A.D., McAuliffe T.L., Bajic D.M., Murray K.J., Moulder J.E., Strother D.R., Thomas J.P., MeyerG.A., “The role of photodynamic therapy in posterior fossa brain tumors: A pre-clinical study in a canine glioma model.”Journal of Neurosurgery 79(4), 562-8 (1993).5Whelan H.T., Houle J.M., Donohoe D.L., Bajic D.M., Schmidt M.H., Reichert K.W., Weyenberg G.T., Larson D.L., Meyer G.A.,Caviness J.A., “Medical Applications of Space Light-Emitting Diode Technology—Space Station and Beyond.” SpaceTech. & App Int’l Forum 458, 3-15 (1999).Yu W., Naim J.O., Lanzafame R.J., “The Effect Of Laser Irradiation On The Release Of bFGF From 3T3 Fibroblasts.”Photochemistry & Photobiology 59, 167-70 (1994).

The moon shines because its surface reflects light from the sun. And even though it sometimes seems to shine very brightly, the moon reflects only between 3 and 12 percent of the sunlight that hits it.

The moon’s perceived brightness from Earth depends on where the moon is in its orbit around the planet. The moon travels once around Earth every 29.5 days, and during its journey, it’s lit from varying angles by the sun.

This moon’s movement around the Earth — and the simultaneous orbiting of Earth around the sun — account for the moon’s different phases (full moon, quarter moon, etc.). At any given point in the moon’s trajectory around the Earth, only half of its surface is facing the sun, and therefore, only half of the moon is lit up. The other half of the surface faces away from the sun and is in shadow.

Now, I took my first moonlight photograph in 1998, using my father’s old Kodak camera. The results were almost invisible, of course. It was pretty clear that I had no idea what I was doing. But I did know that the feeling of being out under the stars was one that I needed to capture somehow, and I had to find a way to go about doing it.

I left the moonlight photography for a while. Some years later, I read that the brightness of moonlight is extremely variable over a range of many stops and that it was nearly impossible to figure out the brightness of a given scene was going to be ahead of time. The brightness of moonlight under clear skies is as easily predictable as is the brightness of sunlight under similar conditions.

Several things cause moonlight brightness to vary. The most obvious is the moon’s phase. The brightness of moonlight varies by approximately a factor of 10 between the quarter phase and full moon, based on a diffuse reflection and the geometry of the positions of the earth, sun, and moon alone. This is about three and a half stops of light, which is substantial. Another factor is the distance between the earth, moon, and sun, which changes due to the earth and lunar orbits not being perfect circles. The distance from the earth to the sun varies from 0.9833 Astronomical Units at perihelion to 1.0167 Astronomical Units at aphelion. The earth’s distance to the moon varies from 356,400 kilometers at extreme perigee to 407000 kilometers at extreme apogee. The amount of light that falls on a body varies with the inverse square of the distance from the light source, so the combined effect of these distance variations can be quite pronounced. The range of lunar illumination variation is 6.9% for variation in sun distance and 30% for moon distance variation. This amounts to about one-third stop of brightness, which enough to change the mood of a photo when slide films are used.

The third factor in moonlight brightness is the so-called opposition effect. The surface of the moon is covered with small glassy particles that can serve as wonderful retro-reflectors. If you are within a small angle to the line between the sun and moon, the amount of light coming from the moon increases dramatically relative to what you would expect from a diffuse reflection alone. There is quite a range in the magnitude of this effect presented in scientific literature, ranging from a factor of 1.35 to 20! Whatever value you choose to use, the effect is at least one-third stop of light, making it significant to use slide film.

The final parameter that introduces variation into moonlight brightness is atmospheric attenuation, or atmospheric extinction, to use astronomer’s jargon. This accounts for the amount of light absorbed or scattered when light from the moon passes through the earth’s atmosphere. There are two factors involved: the amount of reduction per a given amount of air transited by the light (the “extinction coefficient”) and the amount of air in the light path (“air mass”). Three principal phenomena contribute to the extinction coefficient: molecular absorption, molecular (Rayleigh) scattering, and aerosols’ scattering (particles larger than molecules). See my web page on atmospheric attenuation for more on these individual factors. Overall, an extinction coefficient value is small for dry, clear air but can be huge for moist, dusty air. And the amount of air the light passes through can vary from one “air mass” with the moon directly above you to forty “air masses” when the moon is on the horizon.

So how bright can moonlight be? The brightest moonlight occurs with the moon at perigee and the earth at perihelion, right at the full moon phase. You can never have the moon at its theoretically fullest phase, right opposite the earth from the sun, because whenever the moon goes there, it enters the earth’s shadow, and we get a lunar eclipse! But assuming the eclipse didn’t happen, we could assume the following: a phase angle of zero, apparent air with an “extinction coefficient” of 0.11 magnitudes per air mass, the moon on the zenith so that the moonlight passes through a single “air mass,” the brightness would be 0.0462-foot-candles (LV -2.0), neglecting “the opposition effect.” If we include “the opposition effect,” the brightness could be anywhere from 35% to 20 times brighter (note that 35% is the more accepted value in the scientific literature, which would give an LV of -1.7). I once measured moonlight brightness with a Gossen Luna-Pro incident light meter in mid-winter on the Kelso Dunes at LV=-2.2, so this is a believable result.

There is a rule of thumb, sometimes called the Looney 11 Rule, which says we should treat the moon as being 250,000 times dimmer than the sun. This would have us use a shutter speed 18 stops slower than the 1/(film speed) value that is used in the “Sunny 16 Rule”, which works out to about 44 minutes at f/16 under moonlight conditions with the film having an ISO speed rating of 100 (uncorrected for reciprocity failure!). This is close enough to be useful under full moonlight conditions given an average earth-moon and earth-sun distance, with the moon high in the sky and clear air. Actually, since the sun has an astronomical visual magnitude of -26.74 and the full moon an astronomical visual magnitude of -12.73, the sun is more like 402,000 times brighter than the moon 18.6 stops. Thus using this rule pretty much ensures a minimum of 2/3 stop underexposure — which may actually be fine, since most of the time you want an underexposure to give the impression of the night in the image.

Surprisingly, the moonlight is actually a slightly warmer color than sunlight, as the moon reflectance is higher for longer wavelengths. Yet, on clear nights, with the full moon high in the sky (as little atmospheric influence as possible), the landscape around us appears blueish because of the Purkinje effect: at low illumination levels, our red color sensitivity decreases (as our vision system gradually switches from daylight (cones) to night time vision (using rod cells)).

That’s why the sunlight looks “warm” (more yellow), and the moonlight looks “cold” (bluer — because the insufficient light level changes our color perception), even though the real colors are pretty much the same.

In fact, this is can even become a real problem when taking very long exposure photos at night! They look almost like daylight photos, destroying the intended atmosphere of mystery. Objectively, the photograph is correct, but it is not what we see with our own eyes. Add some blue tint and the night feeling is back.

References

• https://www.livescience.com/45979-why-does-the-moon-shine.html
• NASA Earth Observatory (2011, February 24) Melting snow and ice warm Northern Hemisphere. Accessed May 28, 2014.
• NASA Earth Observatory (2011, May 19) Seasonal effects of Arctic snow and ice. Accessed May 28, 2014.
• NASA Science (2002) Earthshine. Accessed May 28, 2014.
• United States Naval Observatory (2011, October 17) Phases of the Moon. Accessed May 28, 2014.

‍

‍

Paul Hamernik says that “green light” laser surgery has meant he can enjoy his life again. As a stock car racer, Paul Hamernik thought his frequent restroom breaks were an occupational hazard. He accepted that his bladder was small, and his nerves ran wild — until he learned his PSA level was increasing.

“PSA, or prostate-specific antigen, is a normal substance produced by the prostate, usually found in an increased amount in the blood of men who have prostate cancer, infection or inflammation of the prostate, and benign prostatic hyperplasia,” explains Lance Mynderse, M.D., a urologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

“My local doctor suggested I go to Mayo and be evaluated,” says Paul. “He said Mayo had advanced tests and procedures to diagnose and treat prostate conditions that weren’t widely available.”

Fortunately, Paul didn’t have prostate cancer. But, because of his age and PSA level, the clinic invited him to participate in a pharmaceutical trial studying the effect of dutasteride in preventing prostate cancer in men with elevated PSA levels.

“I didn’t know anything about the drug, but I wanted to help advance medical science, so I decided to enroll,” says Paul. “I’ve always been proactive with my health. That’s why I started having my PSA tested early.”

During the four-year, double-blind study, Paul took a medicine — the drug or a placebo — every day. Half-way through the study, he had a prostate biopsy and urine flow analysis.

“I remember having an ultrasound on my bladder after emptying it,” recalls Paul. “The technician thought the ultrasound machine wasn’t working, and she went to get help.”

The equipment was working, and what the technician initially saw proved accurate. Paul’s bladder was holding three times the amount of urine that it should. It had become distended, and he was unable to empty it.

“If I hadn’t been in this clinical trial, being monitored the way I was, this urine flow problem probably would not have been diagnosed until after my kidneys were involved,” says Paul.

“Paul’s bladder problem was caused by an enlarged prostate, which often leads to bladder outlet obstruction and restriction of urine flow,” says Dr. Mynderse. “Paul’s condition was benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH — a natural aging process that happens in all men.” While all men experience BPH, not all have symptoms — and certainly not as severe as Paul.

This clinical trial identified a problem that normal healthcare wouldn’t have found since Paul didn’t have any complaints, and a urine flow analysis wouldn’t normally be done. Unfortunately, Paul wasn’t a candidate for surgery when his enlarged prostate was diagnosed because his bladder had lost function. “When the bladder becomes that enlarged, it loses much of its elasticity and squeeze,” explains Dr. Mynderse.

At that point, reducing the size of the prostate might not help, as the bladder still can’t empty if it’s not capable of squeezing, even when you eliminate the prostate obstruction. “Therefore, we needed to ensure bladder function would return before scheduling surgery,” says Dr. Mynderse.

What this meant for Paul was regular self-catheterization five times per day. “I was terribly bummed,” says Paul. “First, it’s challenging to find a sterile environment & many places aren’t accommodating.” Paul’s employer offered a special restroom, and he learned some other tricks that helped but didn’t change his situation.

“I ended up clinically depressed because the catheter interfered with my ability to race stock cars, which I’ve done almost all my life,” says Paul. “There’s no support group for catheters, and I felt alone and very odd.”

“Going green” with surgery.

Paul’s diligence paid off. “His bladder function returned, and we were able to schedule a special surgery called photoselective vaporization of the prostate or PVP,” says Dr. Mynderse.

This surgery is often called green light laser surgery because it emits a highly visible green light. “The green light is created by lithium triborate, a chemical used as the lasing medium,” says Dr. Mynderse.

Mayo Clinic urologists pioneered the use of laser energy to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia in the 90s. In fact, Mayo’s Department of Urology is the” green light” laser's birthplace to treat BPH. Today, Mayo Clinic is only one of a handful of medical centers in the U.S. that are considered “Centers of Excellence” using PVP laser therapy to treat BPH.

“During the surgery, we vaporize the prostate through an instrument placed down the urethra, called transurethral — and there’s no cutting,” explains Dr. Mynderse. “We direct the light on the inner surface of the prostate, and there’s minimal bleeding. The by-products of the light energy interaction with the prostate and hemoglobin are bubbles and fine debris.”

Imagine the prostate as an orange. The laser vaporizes or shrinks the fruit or tissue occupying the core and leaves the rind intact. The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis, under anesthesia. “After 12 hours, we remove the catheter, and the patient can urinate immediately,” says Dr. Mynderse. “This is a significant shift in inpatient treatment from the historical standard TURP method.”

Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) has been the gold standard surgical treatment for enlarged prostate for decades. However, up to 25% of patients experience complications after TURP, including excessive bleeding, urinary incontinence, and sexual impotence. TURP also subjects patients to risks inherent in any surgical procedure and a hospital stay of 1 to 3 days and a 4 to 6 weeks recovery time.

“I left the hospital the same day and with no pain,” says Paul. “Dr. Mynderse is my hero because he got rid of my catheter, and I enjoy life the way I use to.”

References

https://sharing.mayoclinic.org/2012/12/18/green-light-laser-surgery-treats-bph/

Margaret Jarrett was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease eight years ago. And although she was bothered by many of the symptoms that commonly afflict people living with Parkinson’s — resting tremor, uncertain gait, and terrible nightmares — the thing that bothered her the most was the loss of her sense of smell. An avid gardener, she took great pride in her roses but being unable to inhale their perfumed scent really got her down.

“You take something like your sense of smell for granted,” Jarrett, 72, said. “You don’t realize how precious something is until it’s gone.”

Parkinson’s disease combines movement disorders, including resting tremors, muscle rigidity, impaired balance, and movement slowness. It can also cause neurological problems such as depression, insomnia, memory loss, and confusion.

Its cause is unknown, but it is associated with dopamine depletion and destruction of neurons in the brain's basal ganglia region.

The current mainstay of treatment for Parkinson’s disease involves physical therapy and medications that act to increase dopamine levels in the brain. One relatively new therapy for Parkinson’s is exposure to infrared light.

Dr. Ann Liebert, co-ordinator of photomolecular research at the Australasian Research Institute, has been exploring the idea of using infrared light to modulate the gastrointestinal tract’s microbiome in humans.

The gut’s microbiome — composing trillions of bacteria, fungi, and protozoa from hundreds of different species that normally inhabit our gastrointestinal tract — has come under increasing scientific attention over the past decade, with links being established between the microbiome and several conditions including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and depression. Several studies have also observed that the gut microbiome is markedly altered in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Fecal microbiota transplantation can have a protective effect in animal models of Parkinson’s.

The reason for this is unknown. However, an interesting observation is that another common pathology seen in Parkinson’s disease is the accumulation of misfolded proteins, called Lewy bodies, in the brain. It has been shown that certain sensory cells of the gut contain these same proteins.

Researchers have hypothesized that abnormal forms of the protein could travel from the gut to the brain through the vagus nerve, a phenomenon observed in animal models of Parkinson’s. Further support for this theory comes from findings that people who have had a surgical vagotomy — where branches of the nerve are cut — have a lower lifetime risk of developing Parkinson’s.

“We know that infrared light can reduce Parkinson’s symptoms and offer protection to brain cells. So, we wanted to test if it could modulate the gut’s microbiome as well,” Liebert said.

Provisional results from the first half dozen Adelaide participants, including Margaret Jarrett, have been promising.

“The six patients . . . showed an increase by up to 20 percent in the favorable microbiome that is associated with obesity reduction and short-chain fatty acid production. And the bacteria associated with rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease and insulin resistance were all decreased,” said Hosen Kiat, a professor of cardiology at Macquarie University, who oversaw the trial.

“For the last three years, I haven’t been able to smell flowers,” Jarrett said. “But several weeks into the trial, I started to smell my roses, daphnes, and gardenias again, and it was wonderful.”

Another participant, Barry Weldon, 70, had a similar experience. “My sense of smell improved significantly,” he said. “One day, I walked into the house, and for the first time in a long time, I could actually smell the soup my wife was cooking.”

Ron Till, 68, had an even more dramatic improvement. “The trial gave me the ability to sleep again,” he said. “It was amazing.”

Till’s neurologist cautioned him not to get his hopes up before the trial but changed his mind when he saw the results. “He told me it was voodoo medicine and probably wouldn’t work,” Till recalled. “But after the trial, I went back for my three-monthly assessment with him, and he said to me, ‘You’re actually testing better than when you first started with me ten years ago.’”

Retired geologist Sean Kennedy, 76, also experienced an improvement in his coordination and balance. “My juggling skills have improved,” he said.

In a review published in Photobiomodulation, Photomedicine and Laser Surgery, Liebert and her co-authors acknowledge that while the exact mechanism by which light therapy alters the microbiome is unknown, there is definite potential in light therapy.

“The ability of PBM [light therapy] to influence the microbiome (if proven to apply to humans) will allow an additional therapeutic route to target multiple diseases, including cardiovascular disease and Parkinson’s disease, many of which have thus far eluded effective treatment approaches,” the paper concludes.

Kiat is excited by light therapy’s potential. “If we can create non-­invasively a metabolically healthier microbiome through this extremely cheap and easy way, then inflammatory diseases and neurodegenerative diseases should be positively influenced,” he said.

Gold Coast-based GP Mark Jeffery is a clinician who has been using lasers in his practice for more than four years. He says the research supports the use of light therapy for a wide range of diseases, including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, depression, and chronic pain.

“The reality is there are no real side effects from low-level laser therapy, and it’s one of the safest treatments you can ever do,” he says.

Liebert says the promising results they have seen thus far will inform a large, double-blinded randomized control trial planned for this year. “It has the potential to apply to huge fields of medicine,” she said.

Weldon’s neurologist, Chris Kneebone, is keeping an open mind on infrared light therapy’s potential. “We all just have to wait and see what the trial results tell us,” he said.

His advice for people who wish to give it a try for their Parkinson’s? “If you want to give it a go, give it a go,” he said. “I’ve got no reason not to recommend it, but at this stage, I’ve got no reason to think it is helpful either.”

As for Jarrett, she has no doubts that infrared light therapy has helped her. She enjoys pottering around in her garden again and has more energy than she has had for a long time.

“I feel like I could take on the world again,” she said. “My garden has never looked better.”

‍

References

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30074108/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29247431/

‍

Recherché Skincare

https://www.rechercheskincare.com/edible-skincare

Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Soap

https://shop.drbronner.com/

Olive And M

https://oliveandm.com/

Earth Therapeutics Tea Tree Oil Cooling Foot Scrub

https://www.earththerapeutics.com/

Sukin Naturals: Purifying Facial Mask

https://sukinnaturals.com.au/

Juice Beauty

https://juicebeauty.com/products/hydrating-mist

Annmarie Gianni: Anti-Aging Facial Oil

https://shop.annmariegianni.com/products/anti-aging-facial-oil-15ml?clickId=3327424048&utm_campaign=21181&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=pepperjam

Kora organics

https://koraorganics.com/collections/natural-beauty

Elique Organics

https://eliqueorganics.com/

Arbonne

https://www.arbonne.com/pws/DeejaDean/tabs/home.aspx

EdenSong Organics Bodalicious Butta

https://www.edensongskincare.com/store/p17/Bodalicious_Butta'.html#axzz3VdCbo3x7

The Milana Co

https://themilanaco.com/pages/skincare

Edible beauty Australia

https://ediblebeautyaustralia.com/collections/all

The Body Deli

https://www.thebodydeli.com/

Youth to the people

https://www.youthtothepeople.com/

TonyMoly

https://tonymoly.us/collections/sets

Yes To

https://yesto.com/

100 percent pure

https://www.100percentpure.com/

Kinohimintsu

https://www.kinohimitsu.com/en/index.php/beauty/bb-drink

Peach and lily

https://www.peachandlily.com/products/egg-white-bubble-cleanser

Loli Beauty

https://lolibeauty.com/

RMS beauty

https://www.rmsbeauty.com/

Bite beauty

https://www.bitebeauty.com/

The coco kind

https://www.cocokind.com/products/organic-ultra-chlorophyll-mask

The beauty Chef

https://thebeautychef.com

Welle co

https://www.welleco.com.au/

Cilk Rose

https://www.cilkrosewater.com/

The nue co

https://www.thenueco.com/

Orchard Street

https://orchardstreet.com.au/

Honest Beauty

https://www.honest.com/beauty-products

Sephora

https://www.sephora.com/brand/edible-beauty

Sakara

https://www.sakara.com/products/beauty-chocolates

The real coconut

https://therealcoconut.com/

‍

There’s an emerging disruptor in the beauty industry as companies target a different consumer type to expand the half a trillion-dollar market — men.

Across the globe, men’s adoption of beauty use is already starting to take off. But the trend comes in many different shapes and forms. For beauty companies struggling to find new avenues of growth, it’s a huge opportunity to see whether men are looking for traditional grooming products, discreet moisturizers, beauty balms, or popular light therapy.

According to Allied Market Research, the men’s personal care industry is predicted to hit $166 billion by 2022. According to market researcher NPD Group, just last year, men’s skin-care products alone saw a more than 7% jump in sales and with the category currently valued at $122 million.

“In recent years, the notion that men can’t or shouldn’t be using skin-care products or caring more in general about all aspects of their appearance has been receding,”

Said Andrew Stablein, a research analyst at Euromonitor International, in a research note.

The success of digitally native brands catered directly to men such as Harry’s and popular subscription service Dollar Shave Club reveal

“the average men’s grooming routine isn’t about just shaving, but can be aided by using skin-care products,”

Stablein said.

Even high-end designers like Chanel have jumped on the trend, launching its first made-for-men skincare and cosmetics line known as “Boy De Chanel” last September.

“It seems that mass players are trying to expand their market and gain share in a slowing market by growing their user base,”

Said Alison Gaither, beauty and personal care analyst at Mintel.

This includes tutorials from U.K. makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury and Rihanna’s Fenty brand, which have both put out instructions for guys who want to use makeup subtly for a more groomed appearance.

According to Coresight Research, the Asia Pacific market is now one of the fastest-growing regions for men’s grooming and cosmetic product use. Jason Chen, general manager for Chinese online retail site Tmall, told Coresight that “supply cannot meet the demand for male make-up products across China.”

However, recent data suggests the new generation of beauty consumers prefer a non-binary approach altogether. According to NPD’s iGen Beauty Consumer report, nearly 40% of adults aged 18–22 have shown interest in gender-neutral beauty products and holistic products.

“There are so many … [people] growing up with the idea that you’re not tied to the gender you’re born with,”

Said Larissa Jensen, a beauty industry analyst at NPD.

“Beauty is no longer what you’re putting out as ‘ideal beauty.’ Beauty can be anything, anyone, and any gender.”

In 2016, shortly after Coty acquired CoverGirl, the brand made history with its first-ever “CoverBoy” featuring popular YouTube makeup artist James Charles.

Charles recently found himself in a very public spat with Tati Westbrook, another YouTube beauty vlogger. Coverage of the feud, which began after Charles backed a vitamin brand that was a rival to Westbrook’s own, has been widespread and shows the influence these internet personalities have and how the business has evolved over the past two years.

While Charles may be having his struggles now, as he has lost millions of subscribers, the attention he originally received from CoverGirl sparked similar collaborations by major brands including L’Oreal, who featured beauty blogger Manny Gutierrez, known under the moniker Manny MUA, as the face of its Maybelline Colossal mascara campaign in 2017.

“I think a lot of people misconstrue a man wearing makeup as someone that is transgender or someone that wants to be a drag queen, but it’s not that,”

Guitterez, founder and CEO of Lunar beauty told CNBC.

“I think right now people are still intimidated by the aspect of it.”

Gutierrez’s makeup tutorials and product reviews have attracted nearly 5 million subscribers to his YouTube page. According to a note by the NPD Group, one setting powder product saw a 40% surge in sales after Gutierrez promoted it on his YouTube channel.

“It’s all about inclusivity and encouraging people to be a little more inclusive with both men and women,”

Said Gutierrez.

“I think that as time progresses and you see more men in beauty, it’ll get a little bit better and better.”

‍

We can usually identify inflammation when we see it. The inflamed part of the body looks red and swollen, and it feels hot and painful. But in this article, we’ll find out why we experience inflammation, as well as its causes, risk factors, and how red light therapy devices can help reduce it.

What Really is Inflammation?

Inflammation is our body’s natural response to pain, irritation, damaged cells, exposure to germs, and potential danger. There are two types of inflammation:

1. Acute inflammation

This type of inflammation happens as our body’s healthy response to injury or stress. We mean “healthy” because it helps the body recover faster. The inflammation happens only for a few hours and then starts to repair the damaged tissue.

2. Chronic inflammation

On the other hand, chronic inflammation can be excruciating and may cause discomfort or inconvenience. It causes an imbalance in the body, making it operate inefficiently over time. Chronic inflammation can be caused by viral infections, repetitive tissue damage, autoimmune reactions, and persistent and recurring acute inflammation. At its worse, this type of inflammation may lead to more serious diseases and/or conditions such as cancer, stroke, depression, and heart disorder.

Common Causes of Inflammation

Anything that causes stress on your body may lead to inflammation. These include:

• Bruises
• Bumps
• Burns
• Chemical irritants
• Dehydration
• Diseases
• Excessive alcohol
• Infection
• Irritants
• Poor nutrition
• Poor sleep
• Splinters
• Toxin exposure
• Wounds and injuries

Signs of Inflammation

There are five common signs of inflammation:

• Heat on the inflamed area
• Loss of function (i.e., you can’t move your arms or legs)
• Pain
• Redness
• Swelling

Treatment Options for Inflammation

For acute inflammation, doctors normally recommend nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and paracetamol. Meanwhile, chronic inflammation may also be prescribed with NSAIDs, along with steroids and supplements.

However, these common treatment options help prevent inflammation symptoms but do not deal with the root cause, including improper cellular function, biological imbalance, and damaged tissues. This is also why lifestyle changes (improved diet, regular exercises, and high-quality sleep) and red light therapy could be of great help.

How Red Light Therapy Works Against Inflammation

Red light therapy, also referred to as low-level laser therapy (LLLT) or photobiomodulation (PBM), is a non-invasive treatment option. This kind of therapy delivers wavelengths of red and near-infrared (NIR) light to your skin and cells for multiple benefits. When it comes to inflammation, it can help cut down oxidative stress and activate protective cellular mechanisms to boost your immune system and protect you from diseases that may cause inflammation. It can also boost the generation of healing agents and antioxidants in the body to speed up damaged tissues' healing process.

Red light therapy can give your body the light exposure needed to function more efficiently, improve blood flow, and limit inflammation.

Conclusion

Inflammation is a natural part of our biological processes, but chronic cases may also lead to serious health risks that can affect the quality of your life. Therefore, if you’re experiencing signs of inflammation, regardless if it’s acute or chronic, please schedule an appointment with your doctor to get the care and treatment you need as early as possible.

In the meantime, to protect your body from the stress that may cause inflammation, you can do red light therapy either through a health provider or from the comfort of your home. If you need to purchase red light therapy devices, you can browse through our catalog to see the brands and products that we offer.

‍

Skincare doesn’t just affect the way you look. It also plays a huge role in your overall health — from body temperature to hormone regulation to your immune system. If you’re into skincare as much as we are, one of the many ways that can help you keep your skin healthy is red light therapy. In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into why you should take care of your skin, and we’ll also discuss how red light therapy devices can help you achieve your skin goals.

Are you ready? Let’s go straight into it.

Why Do You Need to Take Care of Your Skin?

As the largest organ in our body, your skin is your body’s first defense line to bacteria, germs, viruses, etc. It’s a vital part of the immune system and some processes in your body, such as temperature control, blood circulation, and hormone production.

Main Functions of the Skin

Let’s take a look at the skin's main functions to help you understand how essential it is for you to take care of this vital organ.

1. Defense and Immunity

The skin is an active immune organ, and it serves as our physical barrier from the dangers of the environment. It helps protect our bodies from diseases, germs, viruses, dirt, UV radiation, and potential thermal and physical injuries. It also helps detect and fight off infection, toxins, allergens, hazardous substances, and carcinogens.

2. Temperature Regulation

Aside from protecting us from extreme cold or heat, the skin also helps prevent moisture loss, keeping us from being dehydrated.

3. Sense of touch

The skin has a somatosensory system that is composed of touch receptors and nerve endings. This system is responsible for the sensations we feel, including pain, pressure, vibrations, smoothness, roughness, heat, cold, tickle, itch, and more.

4. Storage and Production of Vitamin D

Your body also uses your skin's deeper layers to store metabolic products, fat, and water. The skin is also responsible for producing vitamin D, supplied in the body when the skin gets enough sunlight exposure.

5. Beauty

Need we say more? Your skin plays a huge part in your appearance. Of course, when your skin is healthy, you also look glowing, radiant, and definitely more attractive.

Red Light Therapy and Keeping Your Skin Healthy

Before we proceed with the “how,” let’s first define what red light therapy is. Red light therapy is a non-invasive treatment option for different kinds of medical conditions. It is also used for health improvement and various aesthetic procedures.

Decades ago, red light therapy machines were only available in clinics, high-end salons, and spas. Nowadays, red light therapy devices can be bought and used by anyone. In fact, you can do red light therapy at the comfort of your home and incorporate it into your skincare routine.

How Does Red Light Therapy Work?

Red light therapy works by delivering wavelengths of red and near-infrared (NIR) light to our cells and skin. Besides helping enhance cellular function, red light therapy also helps stimulate the mitochondria and produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate) energy. This treatment option usually takes only about 10 minutes per session.

How Does Red Light Therapy Help Keep Your Skin Healthy?

Our skin relies on millions of cells to be able to perform its functions. When our cells experience homeostasis or a state of balance, our skin and body perform (and look) better. And as mentioned above, red and NIR light enhances cellular function while also preventing inflammation and oxidative stress. Red light therapy helps make your skin look and feel softer, smoother, and healthier.

Besides, red light therapy also helps damaged tissues heal and regenerate faster. It also has anti-inflammatory benefits, potentially increasing blood flow to damaged and inflamed tissues and reducing oxidative stress.

Final Thoughts

Skincare is self-care, as keeping your skin healthy also produces multiple benefits to your health. Thankfully, aside from proper hygiene, regular exercise, a balanced diet, and an established skincare routine, red light therapy can also improve your overall skin health.

For more information about red light therapy or to view our catalog of red therapy devices, click here.

Sources:

https://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/causes/structure.htm

‍

The one thing we have in common with animals, plants, and other living organisms is that we are all made of tiny little cells. The intricate human body in itself houses trillions of cells. Without cells, there wouldn’t be any life on Earth at all.

In this article, we discuss cellular anatomy and cellular function. Here, we understand how light plays a role in the support and acceleration of cellular respiration.

What is a cell?

Think of cells as the basic building block of all living organisms. As the smallest unit of life, cells contain many parts, each with a different and specific function. The command center of the cell is called the nucleus that contains the human DNA.

As these cells combine to form into an organism, they become responsible for vital activities like nutrient intake, energy production, structure building, and hereditary material processing. They make sure that your body gets enough energy and nutrients to function 24/7.

What is ATP?

One essential activity that our cells do for us is by taking in oxygen and nutrients to fuel body energy. This energy unit that is converted by the cells is called Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) Energy.

The ATP itself is a molecule packed with high energy that empowers cellular function. ATP is required by the body to do every activity. Other cells that do more strenuous activities like muscle cells would need more ATP than others. The ideal optimal cellular function would allow cells to produce and use enough energy to achieve body balance or homeostasis.

How is ATP produced?

The mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cell. They are responsible for the production of ATP. Aside from cellular energy, this double-membrane powerhouse does protein synthesis, cell signaling, and cell apoptosis. ATP is produced with oxygen (aerobic) or without oxygen (anaerobic), the former being more beneficial because it converts more energy. Thus, 95% of cellular energy goes through an aerobic process.

Our cells go through a process called Aerobic cellular respiration to convert oxygen, food, and water into the body’s energy currency, which is ATP. This process is a well-organized metabolic pathway that consists of four stages. Our bodies take in nutrients from the food we eat for the first two stages to convert them into carbon compounds. Then for the next steps, these carbon compounds are transformed into the energy that our cells use.

How does light therapy support cellular function?

Light can sometimes be less attributed to improve our body’s physiology. However, light has benefits that go beyond aesthetic and technological purposes. Just like how light plays a role in plants' photosynthesis, it also benefits human cellular function.

Red light therapy from Kaiyan Medical composes of Red and Near-Infrared Wavelengths that aid in the Mitochondria's function to produce more ATP energy. It works by increasing the number of Mitochondria in our cells and by boosting their function.

The electron transport chain heavily governs the cellular respiration process. Red Light therapy has photons that can boost the mitochondria to function better through the Cytochrome C Oxidase. It plays an essential role in the cellular respiration process by improving the cell's electron transfer process. In this way, more ATP can be produced by the body for an enhanced cellular function.

As mentioned earlier, oxygen plays an essential role in the cellular respiration process. The infamous Nitric Oxide can take the rightful place of oxygen to limit ATP production that causes stress and cellular death. Red light therapy also gets rid of a harmful roadblock to ATP in the dissociation of Nitric Oxide and the Cox. The photons from Red light therapy prohibits the production of nitric oxide.

The effect that Red Light therapy does on our body is that by improving cellular function, our body can achieve these benefits:

• Improved blood Flow
• Increased Energy Build up
• Enhanced Healing Response
• Reduced Inflammation
• Reduced Stress
• Balanced Cellular Function

As you do daily activities such as eating, drinking, walking, or working out, think of the massive role that your cellular system plays to make these activities possible. In this way, you can put conscious efforts into improving your cellular system through a healthy diet and lifestyle and by integrating Red Light Therapy.

References:

https://www.healthline.com/health/red-light-therapy#how-does-it-work?

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5215870/

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325884

https://www.britannica.com/science/cell-biology

https://www.britannica.com/science/mitochondrion

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/cellular-respiration-infographic/

‍

Certified pup parents know pets could easily sense when we’re feeling sad, happy, scared, or sick. Our furry friends could probably read us better than we could read them. However, active pets are also prone to injuries, cuts, wounds, inflammation, and infections like human beings.

If you’re a pet owner, you’d always want to give your pets the best care possible to make sure they are healthy and happy at all times. Thankfully, medicine has innovated well enough to find more advanced treatments and maintenance tools for our canine friends. In recent years, pet owners and some veterinarians have been using safe, non-invasive, and high-tech treatments for pets and domestic animals such as Red-Light therapy.

What is Red Light Therapy?

Red light therapy has been utilized by the veterinary world to deliver similar benefits to pets, just like humans. Red light therapy is a non-invasive treatment and a form of photobiomodulation that alters animal cells' physiology.

Light therapy produces wavelengths of photons that the photoreceptors in the animal’s bodies can absorb. The light provides alteration to the animal cells that result in numerous benefits such as better blood circulation and natural cellular regeneration.

Multiple studies support the efficacy of red-light therapy to animals. A 2017 study shows how Red Light therapy promoted faster healing for dogs that underwent bone surgery. The findings were also complemented by another study that suggests near-infrared wavelengths promoted bone cell reproduction for dogs.

Red Light Treatment for Dogs?

When our pets sprain their ankles or cut their pads, their cells become damaged. As a result, their bodies need cell energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to repair damaged cells and tissues.

The photoreceptors in their body absorb red light. The light stimulates ATP production in the animal’s body that results in faster delivery of nutrients and better excretion of toxins. All of these processes are essential for the body’s healing.

Red Light also promotes better circulation as it stimulates Nitric Oxide production to help blood vessels remain flexible. Injured or damaged cells need proper blood flow for healing. Light therapy helps in the healing process by increasing blood flow to ensure enough nutrients and oxygen in the affected area.

Red light is beneficial for surface healing by helping tissues that are potent in hemoglobin. On the other hand, near-infrared light can work better on deeper wounds as it can pass through the animal’s body's deeper tissues.

Innovators like Kaiyan Medical uses the FDA-cleared Red Light Therapy pad that utilizes the combined technology of Red Light-emitting diodes that can penetrate the skin and infrared wavelengths that can heal muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Red light and near-infrared wavelengths are the ideal combination of surface and inner healing.

Aside from providing the cells with energy, the light also stimulates collagen production, which aids in repairing damaged tissues. Collagen is an essential protein that can help get rid of scars and wounds.

What are the conditions that can be addressed by Red Light Therapy?

Skin and Surface issues

• Surface wounds
• Hair loss
• Eczema
• Other Skin Conditions
• Wounds and Cuts

Deeper surface issues

• Arthritis
• Soft tissue injuries
• Ligament injuries
• Post-surgery Inflammation
• Pain, Inflammation, and Swelling
• hip dysplasia
• Tendon problems
• Strains and sprains
• Salivary gland problems

General Maintenance

• Maintenance of healthy joints and Bones
• Maintenance of healthy Cardiovascular system
• Maintenance of healthy Digestive system
• Healthy Vision
• Prevention of anxiety

Light therapy can be your best therapeutic tool in boosting your pet’s overall wellbeing. As a general rule, light therapy is a safe and non-invasive option for treating minor issues and maintaining their overall health. However, if your pet is undergoing more severe health problems, it’s best to consult your veterinarian for a more conducive treatment plan. While red light therapy is not a panacea for all your dog’s health issues, it’s a low-risk and pain-free option to complement treatments and to promote overall wellness for your beloved pet.

References:

https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/islsm/13/1/13_1_73/_article/-char/ja/

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/vde.12170?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false

https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/abstract/10.3415/VCOT-15-12-0198

https://www.degruyter.com/view/journals/plm/1/2/article-p117.xml

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1053/jvet.1999.0292?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false

‍

As the most accessible element in the globe, hydrogen plays a huge role in our biological processes. However, you may not know that hydrogen usually brings an uninvited guest in your body, and we call it deuterium. Having high deuterium levels may change the chemical reactions in your cells and affect your bodily functions and metabolism, leading to unwanted health consequences.

What is Deuterium?

Deuterium is also known as a “heavy hydrogen” and is one of the two stable hydrogen isotopes. We commonly have it in our bodies — in fact, it helps children grow. However, adults may have too much deuterium because of dietary and environmental factors. As mentioned above, this may lead to chemical reactions at a cellular level and lead to health risks.

How Can Deuterium Affect Your Health Negatively?

Hydrogen is necessary for our day-to-day bodily functions. Our biological processes require it, and we usually get it from what we eat or drink. Upon intake, hydrogen goes to the mitochondria, also known as the powerhouse of the cells.

Our mitochondria can be compared to thousands of engines that continually run to produce the ATP energy we need to survive daily. The majority of people eat only three to five pounds of food each day, but we usually make more than 170 pounds of ATP energy at the same time.

On the other hand, deuterium is like hydrogen’s “evil” sibling. And we repeat, excess deuterium is harmful to our bodies. Because it is twice as heavy and large as hydrogen, it may damage the nanomotors in your mitochondria and slow down ATP energy production. As time goes by, the wear and tear on your nanomotors caused by the heavy hydrogen atoms may completely break your nanomotors. This damage may cause muscle pain, dehydration, impaired memory, poor sleep, headaches, and lymph nodes.

How Can You Measure the Level of Deuterium in Your Body?

Two “D-terminator” diagnostic tests can help measure the deuterium levels in your body. Advanced technology, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), can also be used to visualize and track deuterium patterns in your body, whether it’s in your bodily fluids, DNA, or even your hair and nails. Based on these tests, your doctor will be able to determine your deuterium levels. And when it shows to be excessive, he/she may come up with a plan to deplete deuterium in your body.

Why Do We Get Overloaded with Deuterium?

We experience high deuterium levels because of what we eat or drink and some other environmental factors. For instance, carbohydrates, processed foods, and synthetic supplements contain high levels of deuterium. Tap, ocean, and river water also have high deuterium levels, so when you’re exposed to these things regularly, you may experience an overload of this hydrogen isotope.

How Can You Deplete Deuterium?

Nutrition is the baseline of depleting deuterium. Based on your test results, your doctor may recommend consuming food groups that contain lower levels of deuterium, such as proteins, green vegetables, and healthy fats. You may also be advised to drink deuterium-depleted water to lower your deuterium levels.

Health experts say that a body that functions properly can naturally regulate deuterium levels and produce healthy amounts of ATP energy.

How Does Red Light Affect Deuterium?

Red and near-infrared light can affect our body’s hydrogen bonds in a process quite similar to photosynthesis. The water inside our cells usually becomes less harmful when our bodies absorb wavelengths of red and near-infrared light between 600–950 nanometers. This helps with proper cellular respiration and helps increase ATP energy production in your body.

Changing the water's resistance in your body, red, and near-infrared light can help reduce the amount of friction at the cellular level, promote cellular longevity, and lead to higher outputs of good energy.

To learn more about the benefits of red light therapy or to see what kind of red and near light therapy devices you can use to lower your deuterium levels, click here.

More References

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-61983-3

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-61983-3

Wang, M.; Audi, G.; Kondev, F. G.; Huang, W. J.; Naimi, S.; Xu, X. (2017). "The AME2016 atomic mass evaluation (II). Tables, graphs, and references" (PDF). Chinese Physics C. 41 (3): 030003-1–030003-442. doi:10.1088/1674-1137/41/3/030003.

https://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2018/5454367/

‍

You might have heard about hyperpigmentation from your dermatologist or a skincare company. But if you didn’t completely understand this skin condition — and you want to know how it develops, how to remove it, etc. — or if you have questions about this skin condition, this article can be of help.

What is Hyperpigmentation?

Hyperpigmentation can be one or multiple skin patches or spots that appear much darker than your skin color. It is a cell mutation caused by changes in hormones, an injury like sunburn, acne, peeling from chemicals or any treatments, or inflammation. The darker areas of hyperpigmentation are excess deposits of melanin. And although it is harmless and common, having hyperpigmentation can make people more conscious about their looks. In fact, some people try to conceal it with cosmetic products, while some try to deal with it with professional help.

What are the Common Causes of Hyperpigmentation?

Age spots: As we age, brown, black or tan skin spots may develop on our hands, face, and/or head. These mostly affect light-skinned individuals and are caused by too much exposure from the sun.

Melasma: Usually caused by hormonal changes, melasma is common in women, especially those who are pregnant. It is composed of large patches of darkened skin that can appear on the face or stomach. Those with darker skin are more likely to have melasma.

Inflammation: This is caused by autoimmune reactions from skin conditions like acne and eczema or a skin injury. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation appears on the face and neck, and its appearance may vary depending on the skin tone. Inflammation can happen to anyone, regardless of skin color and origin.

How Can I Treat Hyperpigmentation?

There are different treatment options for hyperpigmentation, depending on your skin tone. Fair skin can be treated by most hyperpigmentation procedures, such as laser treatments and micro peeling. Medium skin usually reacts better with chemical peels and microdermabrasion therapy. Darker skin can benefit from using glycolic acid, kojic acid, microdermabrasion in a low setting, lower-strength chemical peels, and low-intensity laser treatments.

Some important things to watch out for when treating hyperpigmentation include:

• Take a lot of vitamin C, an antioxidant that helps fight dark spots. Vitamin C helps prevent melanin production by inhibiting tyrosinase enzymes, causing lighten pigmentation and making normal skin brighter.
• Another way to treat hyperpigmentation is to re-injure the skin's affected area, flushing the pigment to the surface.
• There are topical creams or even home remedies (i.e., aloe vera, green tea, and licorice) that can be used to help heal hyperpigmentation. Some people find them effective, while others find other treatments with the same purpose as these treatments more effective. Red light therapy is one example.
• Dark skin should be treated more carefully to prevent hypopigmentation, development of white spots that cannot be reversed.

Is Light Therapy Effective in Treating hyperpigmentation?

Photobiomodulation is another name for red light therapy. It may help the body produce more energy and regenerate the skin by using natural light. This can also be used on hyperpigmentation and other skin injuries like acne, inflammation, burns, and scars. When used consistently, light therapy is highly effective in reducing and healing hyperpigmentation patches and helping them return to normal pigment levels.

Red light therapy is a powerful, advanced relief for skin inflammation. Skin cells heal and rejuvenate better when exposed to healthy wavelengths of light, which can help treat hyperpigmentation.

Why is Red Light Therapy Better than Near-infrared Light Therapy in Treating Hyperpigmentation?

There’s a study that shows near-infrared light can help produce tyrosinase enzyme, which prevents melanin production. This helps patients with vitiligo stimulate melanocytes, the same compound in vitamin C that helps lighten hyperpigmentation. But the truth is, there is no clear clinical consensus among photomedicine researches about using near-infrared light for hyperpigmentation.

Red light wavelengths are considered to be safe as it does not stimulate the production of pigment. It creates healthy wavelengths of light to help the skin cells heal and rejuvenate naturally.

When can Results be Seen After Doing Light Therapy to Treat Hyperpigmentation?

Results can be seen after several treatments done per week. The level of skin improvement depends on how consistently you use red light therapy. Also, the more consistent and the more careful you are in the process, the better the results you can see. Be sure not to pick or touch the treated areas to avoid infection or irritation.

Conclusion

Light therapy, especially when combined with other treatment options, can greatly help remove hyperpigmentation. To learn more benefits of red light therapy, you may reach out to us. We offer safe and easy-to-use light therapy devices that physicians use both for aesthetic and medical purposes. Meanwhile, if you have more questions about hyperpigmentation, please reach out to your dermatologist.

More References

https://www.aocd.org/page/Hyperpigmentation#

https://www.healthline.com/health/hyperpigmentation

https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/hyperpigmentation-treatment

https://theskincareedit.com/red-light-therapy-benefits#:~:text=Red%20Light%20

‍

Saunas and red light therapy devices are clinically-proven treatments that complement each other wonderfully, even if they depend on distinct biological mechanisms to yield various natural health and aesthetic benefits.

In this article, we’ll focus on how things work for red light therapy and the distinctions of traditional saunas, and what you can actually gain by availing of either of them.

What You Need to Know About Saunas

Saunas can make your body’s core temperature hotter by supplying sufficient heat throughout your body. It has been a part of traditional medicine for various centuries, as the old century folks realized the health benefits of sweating. Although there are multiple types of saunas, two of them are the most popular:

1. Traditional Convection Saunas

When you think of saunas, this is the first scenario that comes to mind: hot and steamy. This type of sauna requires more energy as it delivers heat to the atmosphere, warming the air inside the sauna, and distributes heat in the body. Traditional convection saunas can maintain air temperatures between 170–200°F and are an ideal type of sauna for general use. It is important to comprehend the different temperatures required for specific health concerns since being exposed to heat more than what has required triggers a warning for unsubstantiated claims.

1. Infrared Saunas

The latest trend in saunas is the infrared saunas. Inside, instead of warming the air, this kind of sauna heats actual objects. Such objects include those with emitting surfaces, charcoal, and carbon fiber. Infrared saunas' effectivity is directly attributed to the temperature, humidity, and length of time your body is exposed to heat, even though many saunas claim to provide “full-spectrum” infrared wavelengths.

The farther the wavelengths are in the infrared spectrum, the more they are considered efficient and effective in heat production. This will be thoroughly discussed later, but the general gist is that heat supplementation is the primary purpose of saunas, convection, and infrared.

On the other hand, near-infrared wavelengths in near-infrared saunas generate very little heat. Most of the high-quality standard saunas use more effective heats from the far-infrared spectrum or IR-C wavelengths.

What are the Health Benefits of Saunas?

Inducing thermal stress on the body is the primary function of every sauna, but what does it really mean?

One of many biological responses from sauna usage is increased heart rate as well as perspiration. The essential body processes protein metabolism and is also affected by enough heat. Heat shock proteins are a special kind of protein that responds specifically to cellular stress from heat. Heat stress induction leads to natural health benefits like those we gain doing physical activities.

One experiment had participants sat in a sauna treatment for 30 minutes at 194°F for 3 weeks, totaling 13 work sessions. The results showed that the participants improved 32% in performance tests versus those who underwent sauna treatments.

Besides improving your cardiovascular functions, using saunas can help reap benefits such as detoxication, decreased depression, and lesser chronic fatigue.

Red Light Therapy vs. Saunas

What differentiates saunas from red light therapy devices is their mechanism of action. While saunas utilize heat for biological effects, red light therapy devices supply healthy light wavelengths directly to the skin and cells. Even when producing almost no heat, red light therapy devices help with cellular function improvement and support bodily balance. Simply put, red light therapy helps energize the body with light, while saunas heat your body.

How does red light therapy work?

Mitochondria, the powerhouse of our cells, is wonderfully affected by certain wavelengths of natural light. This helps in producing energy within the cells of our body, feeding photons to our cells from natural light via red light therapy.

What about clinically-proven wavelengths?

We feel warm when exposed to sunlight and other heat sources such as fire and hot coals because most of the wavelengths, including ultraviolet (UV), are rapidly absorbed by the outer layers of the skin tissue as heat.

However, unknown to many, some wavelengths have the unique capability of boosting your cellular functions and energy. These are those few wavelengths that can penetrate human tissues more effectively, having photons power-up your “cellular batteries.”

What to Look for When Buying Red Light Therapy Devices and Saunas?

One of the first few things you need to look for in saunas is the temperature it produces. You need to consider some other factors, including the type of wood, the heating unit (Is it conventional or infrared? Is it near far or full-spectrum?), finishes and stains, price, and more.

On the other hand, some of the factors you need to consider when choosing a red light therapy device are the device’s light energy output, light color or frequency range in terms of nanometers, warranty, body or treatment coverage area, the price, and the credibility of the company provider.

Light Therapy and Saunas: Friends with Benefits

Saunas and red light therapy devices offer a wide range of natural health benefits, which surprisingly go well with each other. They both support balance and health to improve your fitness and function but do not overlap with each other’s effects because of energy supplementation in distinct forms and wavelengths. What a great combination of complementary natural therapies!

Here at Kaiyan Medical, we provide different types of red light therapy devices for various medical, wellness, and aesthetic uses. To see our list of products, click here.

References:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/saunas-and-your-health

https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/are-saunas-good-for-you‍

Scoon GS, Hopkins WG, Mayhew S, Cotter JD. Effect of post-exercise sauna bathing on the endurance performance of competitive male runners. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 2007 Aug.

Crinnion WJ. Sauna as a valuable clinical tool for cardiovascular, autoimmune, toxicant- induced and other chronic health problems. Altern Med Rev. 2011 Sep.

‍

Performance and recovery go hand in hand when training or doing physical activities, regardless if you’re an athlete or not. In fact, athletes and their trainers utilize light therapy to improve their performance and muscle health and optimize recovery. To expound further, this article will tackle optimizing performance in fitness, improving the recovery process, and breaking down the significance of light therapy.

Optimizing Performance and Improving Recovery

Optimizing performance means paying attention to the body and how it functions, to live and train the body, and to find the best way to support its functions. Performance is not based on how hard or heavy are the weights you lift or the number of kilometers you’ve run; it is how effective your performance is and how you match it with your lifestyle (with the way you eat, drink and sleep).

On the other hand, recovery is about the effectiveness of the body’s healing process and the conscious effort of being in your best shape by enhancing your workout. It is also about utilizing the body’s tools and functions to effectively finish the jobs required daily.

Physical Performance and Recovery

Performance and recovery are correlated to one another. In exercising or training, if you want to improve fitness, workouts should be consistent. To get stronger, faster, and bigger, certain efforts must be made to increase performance levels. The recovery process is essential in health. It contributes to the workout; it is the downtime between training sessions or a break due to an injury or a period of healing from any exhaustion experienced.

Breaks like cool-downs, rest, and ample time of sleep give your body time to recuperate. They also allow healing for the muscles and tissues affected, strained, or damaged from workouts or training.

Performance is better when recovery time from soreness or inflammation is maximized. It also helps prevent burnout, fatigue, and possible injuries. If recovery is not made right, your physical performance may not reach its optimal state. Some athletes and trainers even make a recovery a priority over training itself. They believe that when an athlete recovers better than their competition, they will train harder in the long run.

Recovery is for Everyone

Even if you are not an athlete, you should know how to let your body rest, heal, and recover properly from any form of injury or physical activity. Everyone has their own activity levels to maintain. It may not be sports-related, but everyone demands effort from their bodies on a day-to-day basis.

When Recovery is Not Prioritized…

Regardless if you are an athlete, your body has limits. And if you push too hard, the body can break down and perform worse, especially if you didn’t observe any recovery time. Overtraining and pushing the body beyond its limits can affect performance in the short term or long term. Chances of injury are higher when you don’t allow yourself to recover, and it may also affect hormonal levels and the function of the immune system. The body needs time to process inflammation or any injury.

Inflammation and the Importance of Recovery

Inflammation happens when the body responses to danger or strain. It often takes place during a strenuous workout. When exercising, inflammation may indicate muscular damage. And when a muscle is “damaged,” it means that the tissue is growing and undergoes repair to get stronger.

Experiencing inflammation is a normal part of the growth and repair of muscle tissues. However, if you won’t set aside time for recovery, your inflammation may worsen over time and lead to greater health consequences.

4 Easy Ways to Improve the Recovery Process

Here are some ways that can help you improve your body’s recovery process:

1. Body awareness

The body speaks when it sends signals to the brain. Sometimes, we dismiss these signals because of training goals. This may eventually lead to fatigue and injury. When you experience pain or when your muscles are sore, it is important to give your body time to recuperate. You must also be aware of your heart rate, especially at rest, as it may be saying something about the state of your health.

1. Getting enough sleep

Besides giving your body time to recuperate, deep sleep also allows the body to digest and process fat and recover from inflammation or damaged muscle tissues. It is harder for the body to recover from pain, strain, fatigue, and injury when you’re sleeping less than 7–8 hours per night. If you’re struggling with getting enough sleep, try doing meditation or speak with a doctor so he/she can advise you about developing a sleeping routine.

1. Eating a balanced diet.

Getting the right amount of whole foods, good carbohydrates, protein, and good fat can also boost your performance and recovery. Lowering your intake of processed foods, alcohol, and sugary drinks can also help decrease inflammation.

1. Aiming for balanced and healthy cells

The performance and recovery of our bodies depend entirely on our cells. When our cells are creating and using energy efficiently, our bodies recover faster. ATP (adenosine triphosphate) energy is released to give us power in what we do. The process of creating ATP energy works best when our body and cells are well-balanced, reaching a state called homeostasis.

Light Therapy, Performance, Healing, and Recovery

High-quality devices are now available in the market to help athletes and trainers enhance the body’s natural healing and recovery process through light therapy.

Light therapy is a non-invasive treatment that uses LED lights to deliver red and near-infrared light to the skin and cells. It promotes efficient cellular ATP energy production and helps restore the balance of cells and tissues. Light therapy can be done before or after a workout. Some even do it both times — before and after a workout, depending on their goals.

Pre-conditioning with light therapy before working out can also help strengthen muscle performance. It can limit muscle damage and strain, lessening the chances of inflammation or soreness. When used after a workout, it promotes the speedy recovery of muscles and accelerates its adaptability to exercise. It also helps the body process acute inflammation after physical activity.

The Relationship Between Light Therapy and Muscle Cells

Muscles are composed of millions of cells that need to release ATP energy to fulfill the body's jobs, balancing exercise and stress. Light therapy helps improve cellular ATP energy, glycogen synthesis, oxidative stress reduction, and protection against muscle damage from exercising. Light therapy also helps improve blood circulation and oxygen availability, which allows better healing and recovery. It helps with the overall improvement of physical performance and faster recovery times. It also helps limit fatigue from exercising and strength training.

Recover and Improve Your Performance with Light Therapy

As discussed, light therapy promotes faster healing and recovery and soothes cells under stress when doing strenuous workouts, incurring injuries, and experiencing inflammation. When you set aside time for recovery, you give your body and cells what they need to function, thus improving your overall performance.

At Kaiyan Medical, we offer high-quality light therapy devices to help you achieve and maintain your fitness and performance goals. If you have questions about our products and the brands we offer, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We will respond to you as soon as possible.

‍

If you’re one of the 35 million men or 21 million women in the United States who are losing their hair, you know how hard it can be to slow down getting bald. Creams, pills, and other treatments are often touted as solutions, but even if they do work, they come with side effects. Meanwhile, hair loss takes a tremendous mental toll. Among the most common effects are diminished self-esteem and confidence, as you notice others wearing hairstyles you couldn’t possibly pull off. And while some people rock the bald look, it’s not for every guy suffering from male pattern baldness and it’s rarely an option for women.

If this sounds like you, red light therapy is worth a look. Red light therapy for hair loss is backed by research, is completely natural, and can slow–or in some cases, reverse–hair loss without disruptive side effects. If you’re curious how this is possible, what the most relevant studies say, and–more importantly–if it will work, this article is for you. From cellular growth to the proper how-to steps, read on to uncover how red light can help you get your hair back.

‍

Why Do We Lose Hair?

According to the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, almost half of men show noticeable hair loss by reading middle age. Surprisingly, the numbers are even higher among women: by the age of 60, nearly 80 percent of women show noticeable hair loss.

So, why do we lose hair? Briefly, losing hair helps us making room for new growth. A typical human will have up to 100,000 hairs on their head, and it’s only normal to lose 50–100 every day. After that, that causes get more complicated.

A few of the most common causes include:

Genetics

The most common cause of hair loss is hereditary hair loss or androgenetic alopecia. Male pattern baldness is characterized by M-shaped hair loss that begins at the temples and a bald spot in the back. It can begin as early as puberty or later in life. Female pattern baldness generally manifests as thinning on the head's top and crown, widening the center part but not affecting the front hairline.

Stress

Both acute and chronic stress contribute to hair loss in men and women. In acute stress, hair loss is often tied to a specific cause such as a sudden loss of a loved one, an accident, illness, or surgery; this hair loss may be temporary. Chronic stress, including job stress, relationship stress, and financial stress, also appears to accelerate hair loss.

Poor Nutrition

Specifically, inadequate protein intake affects hair follicles and contributes to hair loss. While over 40 million Americans are malnourished due to poverty, easy accessibility of junk food means that while many Americans get enough calories in their diets, they do not necessarily get the nutrition they need.

‍

Red Light Therapy for Hair Loss

‍
Given the side effects, cost, limited success, and ongoing hassles of these common hair restoration treatments, it makes sense to look at an alternative that is painless, non-invasive, has no side effects, and can actually enhance your health in a variety of different ways at the same time. Red light therapy is that option. Also red light therapy can help improve various other conditions, including joint pain from arthritis, sun damage, and nerve damage, to name a few. In fact, it can even treat one of the root causes of hair loss: thyroid problems.

‍

What Is Red Light Therapy?

‍
Red light therapy is a phototherapy that uses specific wavelengths of light to reduce inflammation, accelerate healing, and promote a healthy skin tone. Red light is part of the visible light spectrum (not to be confused with infrared light or ultraviolet light, invisible to the human eye) and is bioactive in humans. This means that our bodies respond to it beneficially in much the same way that plants respond to sunlight: by creating more energy at the cellular level.

Red light (also called low-level light therapy or LLLT) for hair loss was discovered somewhat by accident in the 1960s when mice were given chemotherapy. The chemotherapy-induced hair loss, but when the mice were irradiated with red light, the fur grew back thicker than before. Modern red light therapy works similarly, using high-power LEDs to saturate your body with wavelengths of therapeutic light. It typically uses visible light in various colors, but the red and infrared ranges are best for a wide variety of conditions, including hair loss. While sunlight provides a complete spectrum of wavelengths (including red light), it also contains harmful UVA and UVB wavelengths. Using the red light frequency alone has no side effects, such as burning or skin damage.

How Red Light Therapy Restores Hair

Red light is especially effective at treating hair loss; specifically, light in the 620nm (nanometer) to 660nm wavelengths work best. It works by increasing blood flow in the scalp; this stimulates the metabolism in hair follicles, resulting in more hair production.

You lose hair during hair loss but not the follicles–the tube-like formations that anchor hair to the skin. At the base of each follicle is the hair bulb (the whole thing looks somewhat like a tall vase). At the bulbous part of the vase are the papilla and the matrix; this is where hair begins to grow. We see as “hair” mostly a protein called keratin that makes up the hair shaft. When the hair follicles and the papilla and matrix cells are not functioning properly, they cannot support hair growth,, causing it to slow or cease altogether.

Red light penetrates the skin to the base of the hair follicles, stimulating the cells, papilla,, and matrix to produce more energy, which results in these cells replicating more successfully. This replication leads to new hair growth from these previously-dormant follicles. Red light also:

Stimulates Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) production, a coenzyme responsible for fueling cellular structures. Increases in ATP cause individual cells within the hair follicle to increase their activity, including the rate at which they replicate. Restoring the energy of the hair follicles' cellular structures means the papilla creates more keratin, which results in hair growth.

Increases collagen production. Hair is primarily made up of a protein called keratin. While collagen — another type of protein — isn’t present in hair, it acts as an antioxidant to fight damage caused by free radicals (compounds that develop in the body during stress, environmental pollutants, poor nutrition, etc.). Free radicals damage hair follicles, which contributes to their inability to grow hair. Increased collagen means less oxidative damage, which can lead to increased hair growth.

Increases the creation of new capillaries, which improves blood flow to the scalp and brings oxygen and nutrients to hair follicles,, and removes waste that can lead to hair follicle damage. One study linked improved blood flow to the growth of thicker, healthier hair. Barbers have long encouraged men to massage their scalps to increase blood flow, but increasing blood flow using red light is generally more effective.

‍

Cases Where Red Light Does NOT Work

It’s important to note that while red light therapy is effective for many types of hair loss (especially alopecia or temporary hair loss due to hormonal imbalances or illness), it’s not effective 100% of the time. For example, hair loss due to chemotherapy will continue until the treatment is stopped. The same applies to hair loss due to the side effects of other medications. Also, any hair follicles that have been destroyed due to injury, surgery, burns, or other permanent injuries will not grow back. And remember, please see your doctor if you experience sudden or dramatic hair loss, which can signal a serious underlying condition. Red and Near-Infrared Light: a Potent Combination

‍

More References

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30843235/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29957664/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29797431/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28328705/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25124964/

‍

Having acne-prone skin can be incredibly frustrating, especially when your oral and topical treatments don’t seem to work well enough. Skincare ingredient junkies know actives that target acne problems such as salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide can be a few of the most irritating ingredients that you can put on your skin- especially when used in hefty amounts.

If you’ve been wallowing into these-but to no avail, you might ease your frustrations by learning about what Blue Light Therapy can do to acne problems.

What is Blue Light Therapy?

Blue Light therapy is a form of phototherapy that uses a visible light device that has been used by dermatologists for decades as a clinically proven treatment for acne.

The treatment is considered a generally safe, non-invasive, and pain-free procedure with no downtime. Besides being a popular anti-acne treatment, Blue Light therapy has also been shown to remove stubborn acne marks and sunspots. It eliminates free radicals caused by exposure to harsh environments that may oxidize and age your skin.

One significant impact of Blue light therapy is that it has been used to treat skin cancer in patients with actinic keratoses at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics. The American Academy of Dermatology considers Blue light therapy a promising treatment for numerous skin issues like acne.

How effective is Blue Light Therapy Work for Acne?

Blue light has been shown to have an antimicrobial effect that penetrates deep into the skin’s pores to eliminate the acne-causing bacteria, otherwise known as Propionibacterium acnes, or P. acnes. Blue Light has been proven to have an antimicrobial effect, making it an ideal treatment to effectively kill several types of bacteria in your pores and oil glands responsible for causing breakouts.

A clinical study shows that 77% of people with acne-prone skin treated with blue light therapy for five weeks have seen significant changes in their skin. Another research suggests that at-home blue light therapy has reduced acne lesions on people who have used the therapy for 28 days.

Unlike other topical treatments that address inflammation, blue light therapy targets breakout-causing bacteria in your pores and by healing the skin from within. Blue Light Therapy is a form of defensive treatment to acne by eradicating bacteria that causes redness and inflammation and a proactive solution to preexisting acne.

Who is a good candidate for Blue Light Therapy?

Experts at the American Academy of Dermatologists agree that blue light therapy works best for people who have mild to moderate acne problems. It is also a great treatment to eliminate acne scars. Blue light therapy works by addressing the acne issue from its core. It works by removing preexisting mild to moderate acne while preventing sebum build-up that causes the inflammation. Severely too deep abdominal cystic acne may benefit from other prescriptive medications that target more serious skin problems. People who incorporate Retinols in their skincare routine may also want to avoid getting Blue Light treatments as such ingredients make the skin very sensitive.

What Blue Light Devices should I use?

Although many dermatologists use current clinical studies, there are available at-home blue light therapy devices that effectively treat acne problems.

The best Blue Light Devices should be FDA- cleared, just like our Blue Lights Therapy Beauty Skin Complexion Handheld Device and Aduro Mask, that is made with medical-grade quality. FDA-cleared at-home devices have innovated into using the same technology that delivers satisfactory results for acne-related problems.

Blue Light therapy works best as a treatment for acne when used consistently. A weekly maintenance appointment to your dermatologist’s clinic for a blue light treatment may cost you $100, which makes it a much more expensive endeavor than investing in at-home devices.

Portable blue light therapy devices can be more beneficial for you as they can be used more frequently as an addition to your skincare routine at a lower price point.

The best blue light therapy devices in the market provide a safer alternative to other harsh treatments for acne that may require risks such as scarring and irritation. If you want to know more about effective light therapy treatments, check this out.

Now you can add a cool, avant-garde addition to your skincare that can be a very convenient and effective treatment for your stubborn acne problems.

References

https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/treatment-types/radiation/photodynamic-therapy.html
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319254
https://uihc.org/health-topics/blue-light-therapy-warding-skin-cancer
https://www.healthline.com/health/blue-light-therapy

‍

Psoriasis is an autoimmune inflammatory skin disease where the skin cells build up and form scales and itchy, dry patches over the surface. It is a misunderstood skin condition. The misbelief is that it not treatable and affects a particular gender or at a certain age. However, it can affect both men and women equally, and more than 5 million adults deal with this skin disorder — which is about 2% of the U.S. population.

Another common misconception is that it is contagious and can spread from one person to another. Well, Psoriasis is an immune system problem in which your immune system does not work as it should normally do.

Light Therapy: The Advanced Way

With some options available for Psoriasis, light therapy is one of the oldest, safest, effective, convenient, and highly preferred treatment by dermatologists. It has been widely used to treat stable psoriatic lesions, including different parts like the trunk, scalp, arms, and legs, and partial nail psoriasis. The treatment of light therapy is available in a variety of light with different mechanisms of action. Based on the bandwidths, the varied versions includes ultraviolet B (UVB), psoralen ultraviolet A (PUVA), pulsed dye laser (PDL), photodynamic therapy (PDT), intense pulsed light (IPL), light-emitting diodes (LED), etc.

How it Works

Light therapy has a very long history of dermatological benefits. Psoriasis happens when the skin cells there is an abnormal production of skin cells. Light therapy works by slowing down the excessive production of skin cells on the epidermis layer. This reduces plaque formation. It also reduces inflammation and limits the growth of skin cells by affecting the functioning of the DNA.

Many clinical studies and researches have displayed positive and effective result in the treatment of various types of Psoriasis like –

• Small areas of stubborn, thick plaque psoriasis
• Palmoplantar psoriasis (on hands and feet)
• Nail psoriasis
• Scalp psoriasis

Why do Dermatologists Prescribe Light Therapy?

Light therapy treatment can:

• Slow down the growth of abundant skin cells
• Repress the functioning of an overly active immune system
• Reduce inflammation and allow the skin to heal itself
• Reduce or eliminate the dry and itchiness

Light Therapy Mechanism

Light therapy can be delivered on any affected skin areas such as the hands or scalp, or across their whole body. But proper care and protection are given to the skin areas, such as the eyes and genitals, before treatment.

The treatment doesn’t work in on-go. Several sessions are required as the effect is gradually seen in patients. The treatment requires multiple sessions where the amount of light is gradually increased per session. The light exposure is not instant and varies for a different duration depending on the skin condition severity.

The sessions give proper time to heal the skin. Usually, the sessions go from two to three months. We need to understand the fact that every person’s skin reacts to light therapy differently. Hence, how much improvement one sees in their psoriasis symptoms and how long those benefits last depends totally on their system.

Now the time has changed, and technology has brought more convenience in getting the treatment. Kaiyan Medical provides you numerous products that you can use at your home and enjoy your daily activities without getting disturbed. Break the old and mainstream treatments and adopt effective light therapy to let your skin and life heal completely!

References:

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK435696/#:~:text=UV%20light%20therapy%20approaches%20such,the%20risk%20of%20skin%20cancer.
• https://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(19)30637-1/fulltext
• https://www.psoriasis.org/phototherapy/
• https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/psoriasis/treatment/medications/phototherapy
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3736829/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/query/acc.cgi?acc=GSE53431

‍

‍

Low-level laser therapy

Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has been practiced for over 20 years in Europe and has been introduced in the United States as a treatment for pain and postsurgical tissue repair. It has been proposed that laser energy in the red and near-infrared light spectrum may aid in the repair of tissue damage. A proposed mechanism for this therapeutic effect is the stimulation of mitochondria in the cells to produce more energy through the production of adenosine triphosphate.

Studies in humans have investigated the effects of LLLT on both hearing loss and tinnitus, with equivocal results. Some studies have found an improvement in hearing thresholds and tinnitus symptoms.

The Subjects

A total of 35 adult subjects were enrolled in the study. Two subjects withdrew from the study due to loss of interest and/or scheduling difficulty. The data from three additional subjects were not included in the analysis. One subject yielded unreliable audiometric and speech understanding data, speech scores could not be obtained from one subject with a profound hearing loss, and calibration problems compromised data from the third subject. Data from the remaining 30 subjects were included in the analyses. The experimental protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board of The University of Iowa, and written informed consent was obtained from all participants.

The Device

An Erchonia EHL laser was used to provide the laser stimulation. The device was a portable unit that consisted of a hand-held probe and a main body. The probe contained two laser diodes. One diode produced light in the green part of the visible light spectrum (532 nm wavelength), and the other diode produced light in the red part of the visible light spectrum (635 nm wavelength). Both diodes produced energy levels of 7.5 mW (class IIIb). The laser beams from both diodes were dispersed through lenses to create parallel line-generated beams, rather than spots. A second Erchonia EHL device served as the placebo. It was identical to the treatment device, except that the laser diodes were replaced with nonfunctioning standard light-emitting diodes.

The Groups

The study used three groups: treatment, placebo, and control. Subjects were pseudorandomly assigned to one of the three groups.

Initial group assignment was random with occasional adjustment to ensure that the three groups were similar in terms of number of participants, female/male ratio, mean age of participants, and mean pure-tone audiometric thresholds. The treatment group received the laser treatment protocol using the functional laser device. The placebo group also received the laser treatment protocol, but using the nonfunctioning laser device. The control group made similarly timed visits to the laboratory but received no real or feigned “treatment.” The study used a repeated-measures design, with each subject taking a battery of pretests, followed by treatment followed by a battery of posttests.

Analysis

Data were obtained from both ears of each subject. Since no obvious differences were seen between left and right ears, data from both ears were combined in the following analyses. Strictly speaking, this likely violates the statistical assumption of independent sampling, since the test results from left and right ears of a single subject are likely to be highly correlated. None of the statistical tests used in the analyses are robust to the assumption of independent sampling, and the effect of including both ears is likely to be that of artificially increasing the sample size, making it more likely that a statistically significant result will be found. All statistical tests were conducted using a significance level of .

Conclusions

No statistically significant effect of LLLT on auditory function was found, as assessed by pure-tone audiometry, speech understanding, and TEOAEs in this test. Additionally, no individual subjects showed any clinically significant change. It remains possible that other methods of LLLT could have an effect on hearing. The type of device used was not the best one for this type of study. Further research elucidating the anatomic and physiologic bases for therapeutic effects of LLLT on hearing are needed before further clinical testing is warranted.

‍

More References

Clinical Study | Open Access. Volume 2013 |Article ID 916370 | https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/916370

ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01820416)

T. I. Karu, “Molecular mechanism of the therapeutic effect of low-intensity laser radiation,” Lasers in the Life Sciences, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 53–74, 1988.View at: Google Scholar

L. Wilden and R. Karthein, “Import of radiation phenomena of electrons and therapeutic low-level laser in regard to the mitochondrial energy transfer,” Journal of Clinical Laser Medicine and Surgery, vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 159–165, 1998.View at: Google Scholar

J. Kujawa, L. Zavodnik, I. Zavodnik, V. Buko, A. Lapshyna, and M. Bryszewska, “Effect of low-intensity (3.75–25 J/cm2) near-infrared (810 nm) laser radiation on red blood cell ATPase activities and membrane structure,” Journal of Clinical Laser Medicine and Surgery, vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 111–117, 2004.View at: Google Scholar

C. K. Rhee, C. W. Bahk, P. S. Chung, J. Y. Jung, M. W. Suh, and S. H. Kim, “Effect of low-level laser treatment on cochlea hair-cell recovery after acute acoustic trauma,” Journal of Biomedical Optics, vol. 17, no. 6, Article ID 068002, 2012.View at: Google Scholar

G. I. Wenzel, B. Pikkula, C. H. Choi, B. Anvari, and J. S. Oghalai, “Laser irradiation of the guinea pig basilar membrane,” Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, vol. 35, no. 3, pp. 174–180, 2004.View at: Publisher Site | Google Scholar

P. Plath and J. Olivier, “Results of combined low-power laser therapy and extracts of Ginkgo biloba in cases of sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus,” Advances in Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, vol. 49, pp. 101–104, 1995.View at: Google Scholar

S. Tauber, W. Beyer, K. Schorn, and R. Baumgartner, “Transmeatal cochlear laser (TCL) treatment of cochlear dysfunction: a feasibility study for chronic tinnitus,” Lasers in Medical Science, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 154–161, 2003.View at: Publisher Site | Google Scholar

A. Gungor, S. Dogru, H. Cincik, E. Erkul, and E. Poyrazoglu, “Effectiveness of transmeatal low power laser irradiation for chronic tinnitus,” Journal of Laryngology and Otology, vol. 122, no. 5, pp. 447–451, 2008.View at: Publisher Site | Google Scholar

D. Cuda and A. de Caria, “Effectiveness of combined counseling and low-level laser stimulation in the treatment of disturbing chronic tinnitus,” International Tinnitus Journal, vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 175–180, 2008.View at: Google Scholar

A. H. Salahaldin, K. Abdulhadi, N. Najjar, and A. Bener, “Low-level laser therapy in patients with complaints of tinnitus: a clinical study,” ISRN Otolaryngology, vol. 2012, Article ID 132060, 5 pages, 2012.View at: Publisher Site | Google Scholar

M. Rogowski, S. Mnich, E. Gindzieńska, and B. Lazarczyk, “Low-power laser in the treatment of tinnitus — a placebo-controlled study,” Otolaryngologia Polska, vol. 53, no. 3, pp. 315–320, 1999.View at: Google Scholar

F. Mirz, R. Zachariae, S. E. Andersen et al., “The low-power laser in the treatment of tinnitus,” Clinical Otolaryngology and Allied Sciences, vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 346–354, 1999.View at: Publisher Site | Google Scholar

T. Nakashima, H. Ueda, H. Misawa et al., “Transmeatal low-power laser irradiation for tinnitus,” Otology and Neurotology, vol. 23, no. 3, pp. 296–300, 2002.View at: Google Scholar

R. Teggi, C. Bellini, B. Fabiano, and M. Bussi, “Efficacy of low-level laser therapy in Ménière’s disease: a pilot study of 10 patients,” Photomedicine and Laser Surgery, vol. 26, no. 4, pp. 349–353, 2008.View at: Publisher Site | Google Scholar

R. Teggi, C. Bellini, L. O. Piccioni, F. Palonta, and M. Bussi, “Transmeatal low-level laser therapy for chronic tinnitus with cochlear dysfunction,” Audiology and Neurotology, vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 115–120, 2009.View at: Publisher Site | Google Scholar

C. H. Graham, “Behavior, perception and the psychophysical methods,” Psychological Review, vol. 57, no. 2, pp. 108–120, 1950.View at: Publisher Site | Google Scholar

M. Nilsson, S. D. Soli, and J. A. Sullivan, “Development of the hearing in noise test for the measurement of speech reception thresholds in quiet and in noise,” Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, vol. 95, no. 2, pp. 1085–1099, 1994.View at: Google Scholar

R. M. Cox, G. C. Alexander, and C. Gilmore, “Development of the connected speech test (CST),” Ear and Hearing, vol. 8, no. 5, supplement, pp. 119S–126S, 1987.View at: Google Scholar

R. M. Cox, G. C. Alexander, C. Gilmore, and K. M. Pusakulich, “Use of the connected speech test (CST) with hearing-impaired listeners,” Ear and Hearing, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 198–207, 1988.View at: Google Scholar

R. Probst, B. L. Lonsbury-Martin, and G. K. Martin, “A review of otoacoustic emissions,” Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, vol. 89, no. 5, pp. 2027–2067, 1991.View at: Google Scholar

D. H. Keefe, “Double-evoked otoacoustic emissions — I: measurement theory and nonlinear coherence,” Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, vol. 103, no. 6, pp. 3489–3498, 1998.View at: Publisher Site | Google Scholar

G. A. Studebaker, “A “rationalized” arcsine transform,” Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, vol. 28, no. 3, pp. 455–462, 1985.View at: Google Scholar

R. S. Schlauch and P. Nelson, “Puretone evaluation,” in Handbook of Clinical Audiology, J. Katz, L. Medwestsky, R. Burkard, and L. Hood, Eds., pp. 30–49, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, Md, USA, 2009.View at: Google Scholar

L. E. Humes, D. L. Wilson, N. N. Barlow, and C. Garner, “Changes in hearing-aid benefit following 1 or 2 years of hearing-aid use by older adults,” Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, vol. 45, no. 4, pp. 772–782, 2002.View at: Google Scholar

M. S. Robinette, M. J. Cevette, and R. Probst, “Otoacoustic emissions and audiometric outcomes across cochlear and retrocochlear pathology,” in Otoacoustic Emissions: Clinical Applications, S. Robinette and T. J. Glattke, Eds., pp. 227–272, Thieme, New York, NY, USA, 2007.View at: Google Scholar

‍

From the red carpet to the spotlight stage, Hollywood’s stars are no strangers to the powerful power of light. Their skin is glowing thanks to the latest light-based skin treatment. Stars like Julia Roberts, Kate Hudson, and Jessica Alba have been sharing their experience with LED light therapy masks that are designed to boost collagen, reduce inflammation and banish acne-related bumps and scars.

In Kaiyan Medical we can develop your own beauty light therapy mask worth of the celebrities’ skin.

How it Works

These amazing light masks are recommended by dermatologists and estheticians who credit the masks’ multi-colored UV-free wavelengths with improving clients’ complexions.

“Tiny particles of light are called photons, which cells absorb and transform into ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the form of energy that cells use to carry out normal functions,”

says L.A.-based celebrity facialist Shani Darden.

“ATP is then used to power the metabolic process and repair and regenerate cells.”

In short, just like LEDs have been proven to encourage plant growth (what’s a greenhouse without a good grow light?), LEDs can have a similar stimulating effect on skin cells by jump-starting the rejuvenation process.

But not all lights are created equal. Different wavelengths of light have different benefits.

“Blue-light wavelengths destroy bacteria in the skin to improve acne,”

says Toronto-based cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Martie S. Gidon. It’s worth noting that LED therapy is not effective at treating hormonal acne and is only recommended for inflammatory acne — in other words, pimples caused by bacteria — and works best when paired with topical acne medication.

Anti-aging benefits

For anti-aging results, red light therapy is for you.

“Red-light wavelengths penetrate more deeply than blue light and stimulate fibroblasts to produce collagen, resulting in tighter skin and smooth fine lines,”

says Dr. Gidon, who also praises the red light’s anti-inflammatory effect for use post-facials and peels. Another light used in combination with the other two is infrared.

“It accelerates healing and encourages greater product absorption,”

says Shani who recommends clients use a combination of both blue/red light therapy and infrared.

Home LED masks have been growing in popularity, especially with the COVID restrictions. You can opt for flexible home masks for personal use or well, the spa line which packs more lights and cover a bigger zone. With so effective results, it’s no wonder stars like Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz are opting to lay down inside LED beds in order to treat their entire bodies to the rejuvenating powers of the lights.

If you have question on how to create your own beauty mask, don’t hesitate in contacting us. We will guide you in the whole creative process.

More References

‍
https://ca.hellomagazine.com/health-and-beauty/02017032134254/guiding-light

https://www.womansworld.com/posts/celebrities/julia-roberts-light-therapy-mask

‍

One of the Most Disabling Illnesses in the World

Migraines are considered one of the most disabling illnesses in the world,  most of whom are unable to function normally during a migraine. Migraines are much worse than the common headache - bringing on excruciating pain and other symptoms like dizziness, blurred vision, or vomiting.

Green light therapy lamps have been recommended by Harvard Medical School headache specialist Rami Burstein who found that light exacerbates migraines. Photophobia (extreme sensitivity to light) is associated with more than 80% of migraine attacks - but the green light in his research is different. He found that a narrow wavelength of green light is less aggravating than other colors because it sends a smaller, less disruptive signal to the brain via the visual cortex.

Stueids have been recording of dura- and light-sensitive thalamic neurons in rats to show that green activates cone-driven retinal pathways to a lesser extent than white, blue and red; that thalamic neurons are most responsive to blue and least responsive to green; and that cortical responses to green are significantly smaller than those generated by blue, amber and red lights.

"It became apparent that we should be able to use a narrow band of green light to treat photophobia," Burstein says.

Now patients could put their kids to bed, read a book, or enjoy a hearty meal with friends - instead of being isolated in darkness. Not only did green light fail to trigger pain, his research even found that it has a soothing effect.

Can Green Light Relieve Other Pain?

Padma Gulur, who does not work with Burstein, is looking into the possibility that green light might relieve other forms of pain besides migraines. Already one year into a clinical trial - testing the effects of green, blue, or white light on people's post surgery or fibromyalgia pain experience - Gulur says the data looks promising that green light therapy could provide benefit to those in pain. Gulur, a Duke University anesthesiologist, says that finding a way to reduce pain without drugs is essential, given the addictive nature and side effects of opioids and other pain relievers. Not only did green light fail to trigger pain, his research even found that it had a soothing effect.

"We have very few options that are safe, easy to comply with, and have an impact on the pain experience. So it was a quest for non-pharmacological options that could help patients in pain that led to looking at the potential for light-based therapy," she says

Mohab Ibrahim, an anesthesiologist at the University of Arizona, found that when rats were exposed to green light, they felt less pain - or, at least, they were able to tolerate more discomfort in the form of heat or pressure. Wondering which mattered more - the light washing over the skin or contacting the eyes - Irbahim created tiny, rat-sized contact lenses. He found that when rats were wearing the contact lenses, which let only green light through, they similarly showed less discomfort.

Green light exposure has been found to significantly reduce migraine intensity and discomfort from fibromyalgia. In Kaiyan Medical we can create your green light therapy device to treat migraine and other conditions.

More References

https://www.freethink.com/articles/green-light-therapy

https://allaylamp.com/blogs/light-reading/green-light-therapy

https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/statistics-from-the-national-health-interview-survey

https://sleep.med.harvard.edu/news/356/Green+Light+Affects+Circadian+Rhythm

Acne vulgaris remains one of the most common dermatologic disorders. Clinicians are always searching for new therapies to utilize in their therapeutic armamentarium for this common skin concern. We have many medical therapies at our disposal and these have proven useful in many cases in controlling the disease process. However, some patients need or want other therapies, and laser and light treatments for acne vulgaris have become popular over the past several years.

Regarding LED light therapy for the skin, “There is a science to support it” says Angela Lamb, director of the Westside Mount Sinai Dermatology Practice,

“but it’s important to know its limitations.”

Exposing your skin to different forms of low-level LED light does have anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory benefits, which is why they’re commonly used for treating redness or acne. Blue light therapy in the right wavelength can be FDA-cleared.

Other blue light trials have supported the efficacy of blue light. Papageorgiou described their experiences with phototherapy comparing a mixed blue and red light system (415 and 660nm) with blue light therapy alone and white light therapy. The results showed that the combination of blue and red light decreased inflammatory acne vulgaris lesions by 76 percent versus 58 percent in the blue light alone group, which were both better than white light (25%). Meffert reported experiences with a high-energy, broad-spectrum, blue light source that combined blue light and UVA with a wavelength of 410 to 420nm and noted marked improvement in patients with pustular acne vulgaris after 10 treatments.

There are a variety of at-home light treatments out there like the Aduro mask (which is patented with medical grade quality) who uses red, orange, purple, infrared, cyan, blue,green and yellow light — but typically what you’ll see on shelves are ones harnessing blue or red light . Blue light is a shorter wavelength that destroys acne-causing bacteria on the skin’s surface, while red light penetrates deeper to help with inflammation, but Hooman Khorasani, the chief of the division of Dermatologic and Cosmetic Surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, says that both blue- and red-light therapy “may reduce the size of the sebaceous glands, so you don’t produce as much oil.”

The good thing about light therapy is that experts say that there aren’t really downsides if you’re willing to give it a shot. Light treatments have been shown to be relatively safe, with minimal side effects. For acne, Khorasani notes that LED devices won’t take the place of acne fighters like retinoids; instead, they should be used in concert with a multipronged treatment plan — and never for severe acne. If you are combining them with retinoids, Lamb also suggests alternating the days you use either of them, to avoid photosensitivity.

When you combine the blue and red light using the aduro mask, you can get a pink/purple amazing color that will help remove the p-acne causing bacteria from the skin while purifying and cleansing it. Also, you will speed up the healing process and rejuvenate the skin cells increasing the cell regeneration.

More references

https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cdrh_docs/pdf9/K093963.pdf

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3013592

Sigurdsson V, Knulst AC, van Weelden H. Phototherapy of acne vulgaris with visible light. Dermatology. 1997;194:256–260. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Taub AF. Photodynamic therapy in dermatology: history and horizons. J Drugs Dermatol. 2004;3:S8–S25. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Gold MH, Goldman MP. 5-aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy: where we have been and where we are going. Dermatol Surg. 2004;30:1077–1083. discussion 1083-1084. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Touma DJ, Gilchrest BA. Topical photodynamic therapy: a new tool in cosmetic dermatology. Semin Cutan Med Surg. 22;2003:124–130. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

‍

‍

Light Therapy Healing Muscular Pain

When it comes to pain, we could hardly avert it! Especially the muscle pain. Given that the human body has over 600 muscles, it is tough to avoid muscle pain. Evidently, one out of three Americans is affected by muscle pain annually.

Not only this, Musculoskeletal pain affects around 116 million Americans, which results in poor productivity, missed work or school, fatigue, and lost interest in work.

But doesn’t we treatments for this chronic pain? Of course, we do have several options. Currently, therapies available consist of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, steroid injections, pain medications, and surgery. Each of these has its own specific risk profiles.

What we need now is an effective solution that is less time-consuming, low risk, safe and non-invasive, and yet cost-effective. All these features are available in treatment; we call Low Laser Light Therapy (LLLT). Light therapy has been in the medical field over the past forty years. Light therapy has been demonstrated to lessen inflammation and edema, promote healing in a range of musculoskeletal pathologies. LLLT is being accepted around the globe. This is an advanced, cost-effective, non-invasive therapy for pain that could elevate the quality of life while reducing your financial strains. The causes of muscular pain are numerous. Hence, LLLT helps people from all fields like sports, fitness, medical, and even old age.

‍

‍

Mechanism of LLLT

In this process, light with a wavelength in the red to the near-infrared region of the spectrum (660nm–905nm) is employed on the skin surface. The reason for using these wavelengths is that they have the ability to penetrate the skin and soft/hard tissues. From various conducted clinical trials, this treatment is proven to have a good effect on pain, inflammation, and repairing of the tissues. The therapy goes from 30 to 120 seconds or more a week, depending upon the pain's severity.

Based on the tissue condition, the therapy can go on for weeks or months. LLLT has resulted in relief and reduction of inflammation, pain relief, and accelerated tissue regeneration.

But how does the light actually work?

LLLT in the Treatment of Pain

Do you know that many acute orthopedic conditions such as strains, sprains, muscular back pain, frozen shoulder, neck and back pain, etc., are amenable to Low Laser Light Therapy (LLLT)?

The Infra-Red light relieves pain in a different section of the body and increases relaxation sensation while also comforting the muscles. LLLT has been shown to enhance the multiplication of cells like fibroblasts, keratinocytes, endothelial cells, and lymphocytes. Fibroblasts and keratinocytes are two major cell types that respond to the inflammatory phase in the repair/regeneration process.

LLLT can enhance neovascularization, promote angiogenesis, and increase collagen synthesis to succor in the healing of acute and chronic wounds. The LED light sessions have shown the ability to heal skin, nerves, tendons, cartilage, and bones. Low-intensity LLLT stimulates mitochondria and also enhances the mitochondrial membrane potential.

The peripheral nerve endings of nociceptors (also known as the pain receptors), consisting of the thinly myelinated and unmyelinated, slow-conducting C fibers, lie within the epidermis. This complex network converts harmful stimuli into action potentials. Moreover, these nerve endings lie on the surface or superficial in nature, making the LLLT wavelength penetration work easy.

‍

Hence, with the rise of chronic pain in different countries, it is imperative to validate cost-effective and safe techniques for managing painful conditions, allowing people to live active and productive lives. Light therapy is constantly evolving in relieving muscular pain. It improves the muscle's endurance, reduces muscle soreness, joint pain, and inflammation.

It’s time to let go of the pain!!

Experience the difference with light therapy from Kaiyan Medical.

More References:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12605431/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27472858/

https://arthritis-research.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/s13075-015-0882-0

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0004951414601276?via%3Dihub

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4743666/

‍

According to the National Eye Institute, glaucoma is the third leading cause of blindness in the U.S cataracts and macular degeneration rank first and second, respectively. There are an estimated 2,218,000 patients who suffer from glaucoma (approx. 1 in 136 or 0.74%).

What is Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a disease of the optic nerve often caused by an abnormally high pressure the eye (also called IOP, intra-ocular pressure). It is one of the leading factor for blindness. It can occur at any age but is more common for people over the age of 60. The vision loss due to glaucoma can't be recovered and many forms of glaucoma have no warning signs at an early stage, so it is important that we do regular eye exam or get prevention as early as possible.  

Currently, there are 3 Keys that allow for a more accurate diagnosis of glaucoma:
• An elevation of intraocular pressure
• Changes in the optic nerve
• Peripheral field loss

Diagnosis

Your doctor will review your medical history and conduct a comprehensive eye examination. He or she may perform several tests, including:

• Measuring intraocular pressure (tonometry)
• Testing for optic nerve damage with a dilated eye examination and imaging tests
• Checking for areas of vision loss (visual field test)
• Measuring corneal thickness (pachymetry)
• Inspecting the drainage angle (gonioscopy)

Medical Treatment

The damage caused by glaucoma can't be reversed. But treatment and regular checkups can help slow or prevent vision loss, especially if you catch the disease in its early stages.  Glaucoma is treated by lowering your eye pressure (intraocular pressure). Depending on your situation, your options may include prescription eyedrops, oral medications, laser treatment, surgery or a combination of any of these.

However, the method of treatment of glaucoma is mainly of medication, which can lower the intra-ocular pressure, but also many medication would also block aqueous production. It is similar to the condition that a patient with hypertension taking medications to decrease the production of blood to reduce the blood pressure. That is harmful to the eye health.

In Singapore, the mean direct cost of glaucoma treatment with glaucoma medications alone per patient over 10 years was SGD 2042.47 (± 2078.54) or US$1,592.86 (±1620.99), while the mean cost of surgery was SGD 8038.75 (± 2829.4) or US$6,269.18 (± 2206.56) and laser was SGD 1163.63 (± 532.9) or US$907.48 (± 415.59).

Green light therapy is way cheaper and can lead to great results

‍
Green Light Treatment

One of the biggest advantage of light therapy is that there is no side-effect like medication and it can be used at an early stage for prevention.

Scientists and researchers first began to study light therapy in the treatment of glaucoma in 1948. According to R. B. Zaretskaya, MD’s research, published in American Journal of Ophthalmology, it shows that, while the red light has a pressure raising effect, the effects of green light are greater than white light even at a higher brightness. So, green light should be considered a therapy for the reduction of intra-ocular pressure in glaucoma.

The following important experiment was done by R. B. Zaretskaya, MD, also published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology, showed that eye pressure was lowed for patients wearing green spectacles, also with fluctuation of eye pressure decreasing. These patients were required to a 10 minute exposure of green light with an intensity of 1.4 lux. Pressures were then measured at every half hour until pressures returned to baseline.

The conclusion indicates that green light (mu delta) has a pressure lower affect in the majority of patients 82% and the average pressure lower affect was 5 mm Hg and this effect persisted for 4 hours after a brief 10 minute exposure.  

‍The second article also by R. B. Zaretskaya, MD, which was published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology 1948 31: 985-989 refers about 19 patients that were studied and pressures were determined 3 times a day. Once at 7:00 AM (still in bed), 1:00 PM and then between 7:00 and 8:00 PM. Medications were withheld for a day or two and then green spectacles were given on the second day for full time wear. The spectacles were a hue corresponding to 511 nm and a daylight transparency of 21%. In a certain number of cases, the green spectacles were combined with a greatly reduced strength of pilocarpine. One group had a combination of green glasses and adrenalin (1:1,000) which was also made to test Kravkov’s statement that the installation of adrenalin might increase the eyes sensitivity to green.

Results of this study showed that IOP showed a pronounced tendency to decrease in patients wearing green spectacles.  The fluctuation of IOP during the day was also found to decrease in patients wearing green glasses.  There was an appreciable effect when the use of green spectacles was combined with very small dosages of pilocarpine (0.5 percent).  20 out of 25 eyes had an expressed decrease in IOP as well as a decrease in fluctuations. The pressures decreased by  6.0 mm Hg in 8 cases, 10 mm Hg in 9 cases and 10 mm Hg and more in 3 cases. The results were more striking when combined with small dosages of adrenalin.

Conclusions:
• Green spectacles prescribed with a total withdrawal from Pilocarpine produces a decrease in IOP
• The affects are most pronounced when used with the administration of small doses of adrenalin
• Mechanism of action is proposed to be on the color receptors of the human eye
• Green light brings about a definite arrangement in the autonomic nervous system and thus affects the neurovascular system of the eye

How to Do a Green Light Therapy Treatment?

Consistency and proper use is key for effective green light therapy. For optimal results with a high-quality device like the ones in Kaiyan, follow these basics for general wellness benefits:

• Expose your eyes for best results
• 10-minute treatment each time
• Daily use is ideal
• Any time of day

The Future for Green Light and Glaucoma

As we also know that green light could also treat migraine as well as glaucoma, and both migraine and glaucoma are disease of nerve, we may want to know is there connection between these two illness, both of which would cause the pain in the front part of our brain. Hope future research would find out.

References

Conference speech presented at the International Syntonic Light Conference held in St. Pete Beach, Fl , April 28th – May 1st

https://www.healingtheeye.com/Articles/Syntonic_Light_Therapy_Glaucoma.html

https://www.healingtheeye.com/Articles/AJO_IOP_%20light.pdf

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/glaucoma/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20372846#:~:text=Glaucoma%20is%20treated%20by%20lowering,combination%20of%20any%20of%20these.

https://iovs.arvojournals.org/article.aspx?articleid=2360086#:~:text=The%20mean%20direct%20cost%20of,US%24907.48%20(%C2%B1%20415.59).

R. B. Zaretskaya, MD. Intraocular Pressure of Normal and Glaucomatous Eyes as Affected by Accessory Light Stimuli. American Journal of Ophthalmology 1948 – 31-721-727.

‍

The famous fitness coach Ben Greenfield uses red light naked every morning. He flips a switch, flooding the room with a bright red glow. Then he stands naked in the red light for 20 minutes.

“It seems to like, wake you up a little bit; it kind of simulates sunrise,” Greenfield tells. “And it’s almost mildly addictive — the feel-good effect of how you feel after you use one of these.”

Greenfield, a 39-year-old fitness instructor, is an evangelist for red light therapy, a treatment that’s increasingly popular in the world of sports, beauty, and biohacking. Some converts to red-light therapy treatment soak in the ruddy glow for a very personal reason.

Red Light Therapy

Light therapy has been for hundreds of years. Recently, we can trace it back to 1967 with Hungarian scientists, red light therapy, scientifically known as photobiomodulation or low-level laser (light) therapy, has made a comeback in the last two decades.

Michael Hamblin, a researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital and professor at Harvard Medical School, explains in a 2017 research paper on the topic that the treatment was confined to a “SCIENTIFIC WASTELAND,” and widely considered “SNAKE OIL.”

But recent studies suggest red-light therapy can improve skin quality, addictions, pets’ mood, sleep quality, depression, muscle recovery, and relieve pain.

Indeed, some studies suggest light therapy stimulates mitochondria, a.k.a. the “powerhouse” of a cell, and increases the production of adenosine triphosphate, the organic chemical that carries energy in the body and plays a big role in metabolism.

Bio-hacking yourself

In Kaiyan Medical, we are on a constant quest to optimize our brains and bodies. Some studies have actually demonstrated that exposing the torso or the testes to light can potentially increase testosterone. In fact, studies on the effects of light on the testes go way back to 1939, when researchers exposed various parts of men’s bodies to UV light. They found that men’s testosterone levels went up by 120% when the participants’ chests were exposed to UV light, and they went up by 200% with UV exposure to the genital area.

Sunlight exposure directly to the testes reportedly has an even more profound effect, boosting production in Leydig cells (the cells that produce testosterone) by an average of 200%

The theory is this: while sunlight has many beneficial effects, such as vitamin D production and improved mood, it is not without its downsides. Too much exposure to sunlight, particularly to sensitive areas like the skin around your precious ball sac, can create sunburn, excess radiation, inflammation and damage. And let’s face it: you don’t want a shrunken, shriveled, dehydrated dick, no matter how impressive the tan.

Red light, however, is different than sunlight. Red light is comprised of light wavelengths in the range of 600–950 nanometers (nm). According to red light therapy proponents, red light works to stimulate ATP production, increase energy available to the cell and in particular, increase the activity of the Leydig cells in your testes, which are the cells responsible for testosterone production.

Optimizing Sex

In the last five years, light therapy researchers and red-light therapy companies set their sights on men like Greenfield — the guy who gets naked every morning in his home office.  “The impact of [low-light therapy] on sexual health is an emerging field, but I see its potential to improve sexual function and libido with recent studies,” Hamblin says. “It has been shown to improve sperm function and may have applications in increasing fertility in both men and women.”  Research on sexual health applications of red-light therapy is relatively minimal in men, and basically nonexistent for women. A few studies in animals suggest red light therapy might influence LEYDIG CELLS — the body’s sperm producers, which live in the testicles. Another study in humans suggests red light therapy can increase testosterone levels and sexual satisfaction.

Don't let the fear defeat you

Sexual health issues — from “low T” to erectile dysfunction — can be challenging to treat because of the social stigma, Goldstein explains. There’s a “fear,” the urologist says. Many men are ashamed and avoid seeing a doctor.  “If they can get something over the counter that's purported to help them, millions of men will be willing to try it and maybe they would never buy it again,” Goldstein tells.  “Good advertising and good marketing will create a market for a product, whether it's proven to be of value or not.”  

Reduce Infertility

One of the biggest concerns for those who suffer from Low-T is infertility. Several studies show that red light therapy helps increase sperm motility, which is essential for successful impregnation. In 2017, researchers from the University of California, San Diego, found that sperm exposed to 630nm red light increased sperm swimming speed and force.

A similar study by researchers from Iran found an after exposing sperm to an 830nm NIR light device. Sperm motility is associated with cellular energy; more energized sperm will swim with greater vigor. This is a vital component of male reproductive health, and success in improving sperm motility points to the use of red light therapy as a way to treat male infertility.

Feeling like a super hero

On top of using red light, both Greenfield and Wiles eat healthy, work out regularly, and practice stress-management techniques. Which habit, or a combination of each, helps them “optimize” their sex life or their physical health isn’t clear.

Even though the research doesn’t match their claims — yet— Greenfield and Wiles have no intention of slowing down.  “Before I go and give a presentation or if I'm giving a lecture or even if I'm just seeing a patient in clinic, I'll go ahead and throw that thing on and I will feel like a million bucks," Wiles says. "I’ve noticed increased overall sexual health, sexual satisfaction, and stamina."  Recently, Greenfield has been shining the light for one very specific reason: He and his wife are trying for a baby.  “Sometimes if I know I've got like a date night with my wife or we're going to have sex that night, I'll wait until the evening to do the treatment because the immediate effects are even better, especially the blood flow," Greenfield says.  "Erectile quality is just better right after you use it.”

‍

More References

https://platinumtherapylights.com/blogs/news/red-light-therapy-for-boosting-testosterone

https://www.inverse.com/mind-body/red-light-therapy#:~:text=A%20few%20studies%20in%20animals,testosterone%20levels%20and%20sexual%20satisfaction.

‍

Introduction to Color Light Therapy

Color Light therapy is based on the idea of restoring balance by applying color to the body. Its history is rooted as far back as the Mayan culture.

In India, Ayurveda, an ancient form of medicine practiced for thousands of years, is based on the idea that every individual contains five elements of the universe that are present in specific proportions unique to each individual, including their personality type and constitution. When these elements are out of balance, Ayurveda works with the energies inherent in the colors of the spectrum to restore this balance.

In ancient Egypt the art of healing with color was founded in the Hermetic tradition, the Ancient Egyptians and Greeks used colored minerals, stones, crystals, salves, and dyes as remedies, and painted treatment sanctuaries in various shades of color.

In China, traditional Chinese medicine incorporates color to be associated with each organ and elemental system. This healing method looks at the idea that every individual is a balance. The first color wheel was invented by Sir Isaac Newton. He split white sunlight into red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, and blue. He then joined the two ends of the color spectrum together to show the natural progression of colors.

Light Therapy has been valued throughout history as a remarkable source of healing. Today, the therapeutic applications of light and color are being investigated in major hospitals and research centers worldwide. Results indicate that full-spectrum, ultraviolet, colored, and laser light can have therapeutic value for a range of conditions from chronic pain and depression to immune disorders.

Wellness Benefits

Light Therapy has been reported, as part of a healthy lifestyle, to temporarily reduce swelling, relieve pain, decrease inflammation, accelerate open wound healing and greatly reduce overall recovery after medical/surgical procedures. Patients have demonstrated an increased range of motion, decreased muscle tension and spasm, and improved circulation.

Rejuvenating LED light therapy can be used for temporary pain management such as joint and back pain, sore or torn muscles, sprains, arthritis, post-surgical scars, burns, wounds, and more. When used with infrared technology, light therapy (phototherapy) is one of the most effective and non-invasive ways to improve overall wellness.

Light therapy is also used to temporarily relieve Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD affects individuals when the lack of sunlight results in seasonal depression. Phototherapy helps with SAD by resetting the internal biological clock (Circadian rhythms), helping individuals sleep better, and regulate their mood. Even companies, such as GE and Philips, have created phototherapeutic products to improve and regulate mood.

Cosmetic Benefits

Light therapy is also a growing treatment for anti-aging. Many individuals have seen a temporary reduction in the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, crow’s feet, and age spots.

Light therapy is “effective at improving the appearance of the face, neck, and chest by reducing the signs of aging, wrinkles and age spots”, says Web M.D. Combined with infrared therapy, LED phototherapy can be a great way to revitalize skin.

Healing With Color

Color is light split into different wavelengths vibrating at different speeds and at different frequencies. Objects that ABSORB all wavelengths and DO NOT reflect are black in nature. Objects that REFLECT all wavelengths and DO reflect are white in nature. Between black and white lies COLOR. Colors are wavelengths of energy that, to us, appear as color because of the potential and capabilities of the object to either absorb or reflect the energy.

Red Light

In the early 1990s, RLT was used by scientists to help grow plants in space. The scientists found that the intense light from red light-emitting diodes (LEDs) helped promote the growth and photosynthesis of plant cells.

The red light was then studied for its potential application in medicine, more specifically to find out if RLT could increase energy inside human cells. The researchers hoped that RLT could be an effective way to treat the muscle atrophy, slow wound healing, and bone density issues caused by weightlessness during space travel.

You may have heard of red light therapy (RLT) by its other names, which include:

• photobiomodulation (PBM)
• low-level light therapy (LLLT)
• soft laser therapy
• cold laser therapy
• biostimulation
• photonic stimulation
• low-power laser therapy (LPLT)

Red is called “The Great Healer”. So far is the most popular light therapy. To wind down before bed, use red light. “The color signals that it’s night, which may encourage the body to produce melatonin,” says Michael Breus, Ph.D., an advisory board member for SleepScore Labs.

Red light can also improve your workout. Just one to five minutes of exposure to red and infrared light right before exercise boosted strength and prevented soreness, says Ernesto Leal-Junior, Ph.D., the head of the Laboratory of Phototherapy in Sports and Exercise at Nove de Julho University in Brazil. “Certain wavelengths of red and infrared light-660 to 905 nanometers-reach skeletal muscle tissue, stimulating the mitochondria to produce more ATP, a substance that cells use as fuel,” he says.

Green Light

Green is the universal healing color. Originally, the color of love. Green is midway in the color spectrum; therefore, it contains both a physical nature and a spiritual nature, in equal balance and in equal harmony.

Gazing at green light can reduce chronic pain (caused by fibromyalgia or migraines, for example) by up to 60 percent, according to a study in the journal Pain, and animal studies have shown that the beneficial effects can last up to nine days. “Looking at green light seems to lead to an increase in the body’s production of enkephalins, pain-killing opioid-like chemicals. And it reduces inflammation, which plays a role in many chronic pain conditions,” says researcher Mohab Ibrahim, M.D., Ph.D.

More studies are needed before doctors can make recommendations on how and how often to use green light to treat migraines and other pain, and Dr. Ibrahim says you should see a physician before trying to treat yourself at home. But at this point research indicates that exposing yourself to an hour or two every night-either by using a green light bulb in a lamp or by wearing glasses fitted with tinted optical filters-may decrease migraines and other types of chronic pain

Helps to treat and prevent hyper-pigmentation by inhibiting the production of excess melanin which then prevents it from traveling to the surface. It will help break up the melanin clusters that are already on the surface.

Yellow Light

Yellow helps awaken mental inspiration arousing a higher mentality. Thus, it is an excellent color for nervous or nerve-related conditions or ailments; fueling the solar plexus. Yellow has a very enriching effect upon the intellect. Yellow can be used for conditions of the stomach, liver, and intestines. It can help the pores of the skin by repairing scarred tissue. These rays have an alkalizing effect which strengthens the nerves. Awakening, inspiring, and vitally stimulating the higher mind promoting self-control. Typical diseases treated by yellow are constipation, gas, liver troubles, diabetes, eczema, and nervous exhaustion. Providing clarity of thought, increasing awareness, stimulating interest, and curiosity yellow energy is related to the ability to perceive or understand.

The yellow is used for treating redness, flushing, irritation, and Rosacea. It may also reduce the appearance of the tiny blood vessels on the nose and face.

Blue Light

Blue light therapy technology is an additional option for the treatment of acne. Research has shown in-office and at-home systems produce positive results.

“Blue light therapy effectively helps alleviate this common skin condition affecting 50 million Americans and 94 percent of all females, according to Judith Hellman, MD, a board-certified dermatologist, in practice in New York City. Dr. Hellman, who practices medical dermatology and specializes in dermatological surgery, laser surgery, and anti-aging skin treatments, explains how the blue light treatment system works for acne, its uses, and her clinical experience with the technology.

Cyan Light

It is used as a gentle acne treatment to control oil production in the skin as well as reduce inflammation. It also promotes the synthesis of protein and collagen.

Orange Light

Orange has a freeing action upon the mind, relieving repression. Because orange is a blend of red and yellow, it combines physical energy with mental wisdom, inducing a transformation between lower physical reaction and higher mental response. Thus, it is often referred to as “The Wisdom Ray.” Orange is warm, cheering, and non-constricting.

Through orange, we are able to heal the physical body (red) and, at the same time, induce within the mind (yellow) greater understanding. Orange helps assimilate new ideas. Orange is the best emotional stimulant, helping to remove inhibitions paving independent social behavior. Bring joy to your workday and strengthen your appetite for life. Orange aids in repairing inflammation of the kidneys, gallstones, menstrual cramps, epilepsy, wet cough, and all sinus conditions.

Purple Light

Violet is the last color we can see before light passes on to ultra-violet. Violet purifies our thoughts and feelings giving us inspiration in all undertakings. The violet energy connects us to our spiritual self bringing guidance, wisdom, and inner strength and enhances artistic talent and creativity. Leonardo da Vinci proclaimed that you can increase the power of meditation ten-fold by meditating under the gentle rays of Violet, as found in church windows.

Light therapy uses colors for their proposed wellness abilities in treating emotional and physical disturbances. Light therapy is based on the premise that different colors evoke different responses in people. For example, some colors are considered to be stimulating, whereas others may be soothing. Color therapy has been suggested for many uses, based on tradition or on scientific theories. Consult with a health care provider before using color therapy for any use.

Infrared Light

Infrared light penetrates to the inner layers of the skin at about 2 to 7 centimeters deep. Hence, it reaches the muscles, nerves, and even the bones. Many studies have shown that a frequency of infrared light, with wavelengths from 700 to 1,000 nanometers, is best used for healing inflammatory conditions.

The use of electricity for healing purposes began in 2,750 BC when people used electric eels to give electric shocks. Electricity and magnetism were used in people with just little success. However, in 1975, transcutaneous electrical stimulation (TENS) was developed to treat chronic pain. It was not until recently that infrared therapy was developed to improve wound healing, reduce the pain caused by arthritis, boost endorphin levels, and bioactivate neuromodulators.

Infrared therapy technology allows people to harness the benefits of the sun, without being exposed to harmful ultraviolet rays. Also, infrared therapy is safe and effective, without adverse side effects. As a matter of fact, infrared light is safe and is used even for infants in neonatal intensive care.

Infrared light is absorbed by the photoreceptors in cells. Once absorbed, the light energy kickstarts a series of metabolic events, triggering several natural processes of the body on a cellular level.

Kaiyan Medical

In Kaiyan, we are in love with light therapy. We believe in the natural balance in our bodies. We develop devices such as the Aduro mask which will provide you with the full range of color light therapies.

References

https://www.estyspot.com/blogs/esthetician-tips/an-estheticians-view-of-led-therapy-benefits-for-all-7-colors

https://www.the-dermatologist.com/content/acne-treatment-blue-light-therapy-benefits-0#:~:text=A%3A%20Blue%20light%20kills%20the,oil%20glands%20in%20the%20skin.

https://www.healthline.com/health/red-light-therapy#summary

https://www.estyspot.com/blogs/esthetician-tips/an-estheticians-view-of-led-therapy-benefits-for-all-7-colors

Deppe A. Ocular light therapy: a case study. Aust J Holist Nurs 2000;7(1):41.

Geldschlager S. Osteopathic versus orthopedic treatments for chronic epicondylopathia humeri radialis: a randomized controlled trial. Forsch Komplementarmed Klass Naturheilkd 2004;Apr, 11(2):93-97.

Maher CG. Effective physical treatment of chronic low back pain. Orthop Clin North Am 2004;Jan, 35(1):57-64.

Natural Standard Research Collaboration, Chief Editors: Ulbricht C, Basch E, Natural Standard Herb and Supplement Reference: Evidence-Based Clinical Reviews, USA. Elsevier/Mosby, 2005.

Ohara M, Kawashima Y, Kitajima s, et al. Inhibition Of lung metastasis of B16 melanoma cells exposed to blue light in mice. Int J Molecular Medicine 2002;10(6):701-705.

Wileman SM, Eagles JM, Andrew JE, et al. Light therapy for seasonal affective disorder in primary care: randomised controlled trial. Br J Psych 2001;178:311-316.

Wohlfarth H, Schultz A. The effect of colour psychodynamic environment modification on sound levels in elementary schools. Int J Biosocial Res 2002;(5):12-19.

Zifkin BG, Inoue Y. Visual reflex seizures induced by complex stimuli. Epilepsia 2004;45(Suppl 1):27-29.

‍

A typical morning for our cats may involve purring, stretching, or meowing at the family members. After some time, the cat might retire to its favorite spot looking normal. But, do we really understand our felines? What if they were depressed? Would we understand why? Can we help them overcome the winter blues?

Cats are sensitive to changes in light, more so than people. Less lighting in the fall may cause a decrease in brain chemicals like serotonin. Given the inevitability of rain, snow, and cold weather in the fall, cats are often faced with a change of schedule.

If your cat is indoor/outdoor, he may become depressed during the winter months and shorter days. Even if your feline is indoor-only, lack of sunlight, less exercise during the fall, and longer periods of alone-time all contribute to the telltale symptoms of restlessness and depression of seasonal affective disorder, or SAD.

What causes SAD?

SAD in felines, as in people, is influenced by the amount of sunlight that your cat is exposed to. You may notice your cat appearing slower and gloomier during the winter months, yet when April and May arrive, he is more energetic and has a healthier appetite.

Lack of sunlight reduces the production of melatonin, which in turn leads to depression, drowsiness, and sometimes anxiety. It also results in low levels of serotonin, a hormone that serves as a neurotransmitter; cats may display symptoms of depression, aggression, and mood changes.

Restoring the chemical balance is not done easily, since serotonin cannot be given as a shot or in pill form. Many veterinarians turn to drugs — the same ones prescribed for humans.

If the idea of giving your cat pills or a serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) makes your heartache, then it’s a good idea to learn about light therapy, which manipulates your cat’s environment to simulate the brightness of sunlight.

Using light therapy to treat SAD

Veterinarians often recommend light therapy to treat SAD. These natural, non-invasive, and low-cost treatments can cost less than a yearly supply of cat's food, and they let you maintain control over your pet’s emotional highs and lows.

In Kaiyan Medical, we recommend using light therapy for 30 minutes a day.

Like us, cats and dogs suffer from conditions such as inflammation, infections, and arthritis. And no matter how closely we watch them, they’ll scrape their legs, cut their pads, jar their shoulders and sprain their ankles.

How it works

So, how does red light actually help animals? Very simply, it delivers an energy boost to the cells, which provides wide-ranging health benefits.

Using LEDs or LASER diodes, LLLT penetrates your animal’s skin, blood, muscle, and bone using specific wavelengths of photons. Photoreceptors in your animal’s cells absorb this light energy, which enhances the healing process by giving the cells a boost of energy. Various wavelengths reach different layers of tissue. Red light, for example, is more efficiently absorbed by tissue rich in hemoglobin and is beneficial for healing surface wounds and stimulating acupressure points. Near-infrared light is able to pass through to deeper tissues such as tendons, ligaments, bones, joints, and muscles. Ideally, a combination of both red, green and near-infrared light is used in a light therapy session.

‍

What else light therapy can do for your cat?

Because of the way it energizes the cells, red light can help with a number of health conditions in animals, including the following:

• Joint pain
• Osteoarthritis
• Muscle soreness
• Wounds and injuries
• Rashes and infections
• Inflammation

And there’s clinical data to prove it! In one study, horses that suffered from chronic back pain for years responded so well to red light therapy that in less than 3 months, over 70% were back to training and competing! (3) In addition, studies have also shown that horses treated with red light experience significantly faster tissue healing times.

Getting started

If you’re thinking of trying light therapy for your dog or cat, the first step is to ask yourself — and your vet — if it’s the right option for your companion’s needs. Light therapy can help with a wide variety of minor conditions. If your pet is experiencing something more severe, light therapy may be able to complement a more extensive treatment plan. In Kaiyan Medical we love animals and we want health and wellness for them as well.

‍

References:

Does Your Cat Get Depression in Winter? Light Therapy Can Help | Catster
A typical morning for your cat may involve stretching, purring, or meowing the family awake at the break of dawn. After…www.catster.com

https://animalwellnessmagazine.com/light-therapy-for-dogs-and-cats/

https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/light-therapy

https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression

http://www.slideshare.net/JLS10/light-therapy

Low-Intensity Light Therapy: Exploring the Role of Redox Mechanisms. Joseph Tafur, M.D. and Paul J. Mills, Ph.D.

Effect of NASA light-emitting diode irradiation on wound healing. J Clin Laser Med Surg. 2001

Treatment of chronic back pain in horses. Stimulation of acupuncture points with a low-powered infrared laser. Martin BB Jr. 1987.

Equine wound healing: influence of low-level laser therapy on an equine metacarpal wound healing model. Jann. 2012.

Effect of light-emitting diode (LED) therapy on the development of osteoarthritis (OA) in a rabbit model. Biomed Pharmacother. 2011

Low-level laser therapy reduces time to ambulation in dogs after hemilaminectomy: a preliminary study. Draper WE. 2012

‍

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.

Most people who go through traumatic events may have temporary difficulty adjusting and coping, but with time and good self-care, they usually get better. If the symptoms get worse, last for months or even years, and interfere with your day-to-day functioning, you may have PTSD.

Getting effective treatment after PTSD symptoms develop can be critical to reduce symptoms and improve function.

PTSD symptoms are generally grouped into four types: intrusive memories, avoidance, negative changes in thinking and mood, and changes in physical and emotional reactions. Symptoms can vary over time or vary from person to person

The Light Helper, the EMDR Therapy

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an interactive psychotherapy technique used to relieve psychological stress. It is an effective treatment for trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

During EMDR therapy sessions, you relive traumatic or triggering experiences in brief doses while the therapist directs your eye movements.

EMDR is thought to be effective because recalling distressing events is often less emotionally upsetting when your attention is diverted. This allows you to be exposed to the memories or thoughts without having a strong psychological response.

Over time, this technique is believed to lessen the impact that the memories or thoughts have on you.

What are the Benefits of EMDR Therapy?

People who are dealing with traumatic memories and those who have PTSD are thought to benefit the most from EMDR therapy.

It’s thought to be particularly effective for those who struggle to talk about their past experiences.

Although there is not sufficient research to prove its effectiveness in these areas, EMDR therapy is also being used to treat:

• depression
• anxiety
• panic attacks
• eating disorders
• addictions

How Does EMDR Therapy Work?

EMDR therapy is broken down into eight different phases, so you’ll need to attend multiple sessions. Treatment usually takes about 12 separate sessions.

Phase 1: History and treatment planning

Your therapist will first review your history and decide where you are in the treatment process. This evaluation phase also includes talking about your trauma and identifying potential traumatic memories to treat specifically.

Phase 2: Preparation

Your therapist will then help you learn several different ways to cope with the emotional or psychological stress you’re experiencing.

Stress management techniques such as deep breathing and mindfulness may be used.

Phase 3: Assessment

During the third phase of EMDR treatment, your therapist will identify the specific memories that will be targeted and all the associated components (such as the physical sensations that are stimulated when you concentrate on an event) for each target memory.

Phases 4–7: Treatment

Your therapist will then begin using EMDR therapy techniques to treat your targeted memories. During these sessions, you will be asked to focus on a negative thought, memory, or image.

Your therapist will simultaneously have you do specific eye movements. The bilateral stimulation may also include taps or other movements mixed in, depending on your case.

After the bilateral stimulation, your therapist will ask you to let your mind go blank and notice the thoughts and feelings you’re having spontaneously. After you identify these thoughts, your therapist may have you refocus on that traumatic memory, or move on to another.

If you become distressed, your therapist will help bring you back to the present before moving on to another traumatic memory. Over time, the distress over particular thoughts, images, or memories should start to fade.

Phase 8: Evaluation

In the final phase, you’ll be asked to evaluate your progress after these sessions. Your therapist will do the same.

How Effective is EMDR Therapy?

Multiple independent and controlled studies have shown that EMDR therapy is an effective treatment for PTSD. It’s even one of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ strongly recommended options to treat PTSD.

A 2012 study of 22 people found that EMDR therapy helped 77 percent of the individuals with a psychotic disorder and PTSD. It found that their hallucinations, delusions, anxiety, and depression symptoms were significantly improved after treatment. The study also found that symptoms were not exacerbated during treatment.

An older study trusted Source that compared EMDR therapy to typical prolonged exposure therapy, found that EMDR therapy was more effective in treating symptoms. The study also found that EMDR therapy had a lower dropout rate from participants. Both, however, offered a reduction in the symptoms of traumatic stress, including both anxiety and depression.

Several small studies have also found evidence that EMDR therapy is not only effective in the short term but that its effects can be maintained long term. One 2004 study evaluated people several months after they were given either “standard care” (SC) treatment for PTSD or EMDR therapy.

During and immediately after treatment, they noticed that EMDR was significantly more efficient in reducing symptoms of PTSD. During the three- and six-month follow-ups, they also recognized that participants maintained these benefits long after the treatment had ended. Overall, the study found that EMDR therapy gave people a longer-lasting reduction in symptoms than SC.

EMDR therapy has proven to be effective in treating trauma and PTSD. It may also be able to help treat other mental conditions like anxiety, depression, and panic disorders.

Some people may prefer this treatment to prescription medications, which can have unexpected side effects. Others may find that EMDR therapy strengthens the effectiveness of their medications. In Kaiyan Medical, we can help you create your own EMDR therapy device.

References

• Berg DP, et al. (2012). Treating trauma in psychosis with EMDR: A pilot study. DOI:
  10.1016/j.jbtep.2011.09.011
• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy. (2017).
  apa.org/ptsd-guideline/treatments/eye-movement-reprocessing.aspx
• Hase M, et al. (2015). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in the treatment of depression: A matched pairs study in an inpatient setting. DOI:
  10.1002/brb3.342
• Ironson G, et al. (2002). Comparison of two treatments for traumatic stress: A community-based study of EMDR and prolonged exposure.
  ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11748600
• Oren E, et al. (2012). EMDR therapy: An overview of its development and mechanisms of action. DOI:
  10.1016/j.erap.2012.08.005
• Shapiro, F. (2014). The role of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in medicine: Addressing the psychological and physical symptoms stemming from adverse life experiences. DOI:
  10.7812/TPP/13–098

‍

Chakra (Sanskrit: चक्र, IAST: cakra, Pali: cakka, lit. wheel, circle; English: /ˈtʃʌk-, ˈtʃækrə/ CHUK-, CHAK-rə[2])) means “wheel” and refers to energy points in your body. They are thought to be spinning disks of energy that should stay “open” and aligned, as they correspond to bundles of nerves, major organs, and areas of our energetic body that affect our emotional and physical well-being.

The concept is found in the early traditions of Hinduism. Beliefs differ between the Indian religions, with many Buddhist texts consistently mentioning five chakras, while Hindu sources offer six or even seven. Early Sanskrit texts speak of them both as meditative visualizations combining flowers and mantras and as physical entities in the body. Some modern interpreters speak of them as complexes of electromagnetic variety, the precise degree and variety of which directly arise from a synthetic average of all positive and negative so-called “fields”, thus eventuating the complex Nadi. Within kundalini yoga, the techniques of breath exercises, visualizations, mudras, bandhas, kriyas, and mantras are focused on manipulating the flow of subtle energy through chakras

Some say there are 114 different chakras, but there are seven main chakras that run along your spine. These are the chakras that most of us are referring to when we talk about them.

Each of these seven main chakras has a corresponding number, name, color, specific area of the spine from the sacrum to the crown of the head, and health focus.

We are gonna explore the green chakra, the heart chakra.

Anahata, the heart chakra

Sanskrit Anahata means “sound produced without touching two parts” and at the same time, it means “pure” or “clean, stainless”. The name of this chakra signifies the state of freshness that appears when we are able to become detached and to look at the different and apparently contradictory experiences of life with a state of openness. Normally we are not used to the effect produced by the confrontation of the two opposite forces. At the level of Anahata chakra appears the possibility to integrate the two opposite forces and obtain the effect (sound, in this case), without the two forces being confronted (without touching of the two parts).

Within it is a yantra of two intersecting triangles, forming a hexagram, symbolizing a union of the male and female as well as being the esoteric symbol for the element of air (vayu). The seed mantra of air, Yam, is at its center. The presiding deity is Ishana Rudra Shiva, and the Shakti is Kakini.In esoteric Buddhism, this Chakra is called Dharma and is generally considered to be the petal lotus of “Essential nature” and corresponding to the second state of Four Noble Truths.

The green color is composed of yellow and blue in equal parts. We can say is composed of the sun and the sky. Green is the energy of love and transformation. It allows you to transform your ego and the needs of your lower chakras and open up to love. To become more loving and compassionate.

It is at the heart center where the energies of lower chakras (once the needs are fulfilled and satisfied) can be transformed and integrated into a more spiritual aspect of yourself. This is where you reach beyond yourself and connect with something greater, wider, and deeper.

Green is the color of growth, life, and balance. In Chinese traditional medicine, through balance, you find the center from which you can love, form healthy and nourishing relationships, and give and receive love.

The energy of green is soothing and calming, like a blanket of soft grass underneath your feet. It is the color of nature, grass, and trees.

Physical level

On a physical level green relates to the heart, lungs, chest, shoulders, arms, breasts, thymus gland, and cardiac nerve plexus.

People with strong green energy stand tall and radiate openness. Those with weak green energy appear tight in the upper body, they are slouching — their shoulders are drawn forward, protecting the heart center, and their head and neck are brought forward as well.

Gifts

• strong heart
• healthy circulation
• healthy immune system
• strong in the upper body
• flexible upper back and neck
• high lung capacity

Challenges

• heart problems (angina, heart disease, heart attack)
• pain in the upper body (back, neck, shoulders, arms)
• tight muscles in the upper body
• lung problems
• the underactive or overactive immune system

Spiritual level

The spiritual aspect of green energy is instinctual knowing and growing into the spirit. The developmental task of the heart chakra is forming relationships with family and friends. On the spiritual level, we must always remember that we are entering the mystery and power of love.

Gifts

• compassion
• unconditional love
• deep self-love
• feelings of being part of something larger
• peacefulness and serenity
• sensing everything is interconnected
• altruistic

Challenges

• overwhelming grief
• unable to see/feel a connection with the greater life
• stuck in the needs of lower chakras
• loneliness and isolation

Next time you stand still and look at the green color, make sure to feel the serenity, calmness, balance and feeling kindness and compassion for yourself and others.

Be green, see green, visualize green, breathe green, feel green, be calm, be kind, practice kindness, forgive, and be love.

References

1. Swami Satyananda Saraswati. Kundalini Tantra
2. ^ “Tantra-Kundalini.com — Anahata chakra”. Tantra Kundalini. Retrieved 14 November 2015.
3. ^ Acharya Bhagwan Dev (2004). Pranayam, Kundalini and Hatha Yoga. Diamond Pocket Books. p. 35. ISBN 9789350830673.
4. ^ https://www.yogaindailylife.org/system/en/chakras/anahata-chakra
5. ^ http://openanahata.com/en/2018/01/13/the-twelve-petals-of-the-anahata-lotus-flower/
6. ^ M.A. Hill (2014). The 7 Chakras Balancing, Colors and Meaning. p. 21. ISBN 9781500887919.

‍

Wouldn’t it be great if we could each reduce a couple of inches off our waist without having to diet or exercise for so long? Losing weight and fat is one of the most common health goals, both for medical and cosmetic reasons. For years, millions of people have tried different pills, injections, “natural” herbs, and many products that are supposed to help us reduce weight. Unfortunately, these usually don’t work

Clinical trial

Many people trying to lose weight just want to look better in the mirror, or at the beach. A wide variety of therapies to target fat and improve appearance are called “body contouring” or “body sculpting”, some surgical, others noninvasive. But many of them don’t work, or produce troublesome side effects. Green light therapy is completely natural & noninvasive and has proven to be an effective option for changing the way your body looks.

In the clinical trial NCT03647748 a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized evaluation of the effect of Cellulize, a green light low-level laser system for aesthetic use for the non-invasive reduction in fat layer for body contouring and reduction of cellulite.

Device Description

The Cellulize is a non-invasive green light system with a power output of 105mW/cm2, consisting of 150 light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that emit visible light at a nominal wavelength of 532nm ± 3nm (visible green light spectrum) and a spectral bandwidth of 10nm. Cellulize® is indicated for uses non-invasive dermatological aesthetic treatment for the reduction of circumference of hips, waist, and thighs. The Massager component is indicated for the temporary reduction in the appearance of cellulite.

Clinical Testing

Cumulative circumferences of waist, hip, left and right thighs for each patient was calculated before and after treatment. Three main points were concluded as a result of the study:

1. Cellulize causes immediate inch loss in subjects after a regimen of six treatments of 32 minutes (8 minutes on each of four positions) compared to individuals subjected to a placebo device for equivalent treatment. In a typical regimen, patients lost an average cumulative of 2.67 inches of circumference compared to the placebo average of 0.5 inches. This meets the anticipated primary outcome measure “Average Change in Inches of Total Circumference Measurements for the effect of Cellulize, a LED 532nm green light low-level laser system for aesthetic use for the non-invasive reduction in fat layer for body contouring from baseline measurements, and after treatment. ”

Figure 1, below, shows the graphical summary of inch loss for patients in the Cellulize active group and the Placebo control group respectively. Table 1 gives the mean values for both groups as well as the standard deviation for the “after” measurements, as well as 7-day and 14-day follow-ups relative to the “before” measurements for each patient:

2. While the durability of effect is also impacted by extrinsic factors after treatments such as diet, it was demonstrated that subjects were more likely to show continued inch loss upon following up with each subject at 7 days and again at 14 days. In general, patients undergoing active Cellulize 532nm green light continued losing some inch with an average continued loss of an additional 1.20 inches for a total average inch loss of 3.87 inches where average placebo measurements after 14 days yielded a net gain (not a loss) of 0.875 inches. This implies that the green light treatment meets the expected primary outcome of demonstrated durability of effect after a short -term follows up of 2 weeks.

3 Finally, the effect of Cellulize LED 532nm green light without any other intervention was measured for its effect on cellulite as part of the study. The Nurnberger-Muller Scale (NMS), a four-stage scale used as an industry standard to classify stage or degree of cellulite and to determine the change in stage or degree of cellulite following treatment intervention, was used to ensure consistent evaluation standards. Results from the active device as well as placebo both showed that cellulite, in general, did not decrease on the back of thigh/buttocks for subjects after a single treatment of 532nm green light. This result failed to meet the anticipated primary outcome measure of decreasing the appearance of cellulite as a measure of the Nurnberger-Muller Scale (NMS) from baseline to completion of treatment for the thigh/buttock area.

Fat Reducing Low-Level Laser — OLI

The FDA product classification code, OLI, has a guidance document which is the special control for this product, Guidance for Industry and FDA Staff — Class II Special Controls Guidance Document: Low-Level Laser System for Aesthetic Use. According to the guidance document, FDA believes that special controls, when combined with the general controls, will be sufficient to provide reasonable assurance of the safety and effectiveness of the low-level laser system for aesthetic use. Cellulize complies with all of the standards outlined in the special controls consensus standards.

To learn more about OLI products, you can visit https://fda.report/Product-Code/OLI

Kaiyan Medical

Here in Kaiyan Medical, we are pioneers and innovators with light therapy. We keep developing technologies with green light and trying to reach more markets.

References

Effects of Green Light Therapy on Body Contouring and Cellulite - Full Text View …
Primary Outcome Measures : Average Change in Inches of Total Circumference Measurements [ Time Frame: 2 weeks ] Average…clinicaltrials.gov

Duarte FO, et al. Can low-level laser therapy (LLLT) associated with an aerobic plus resistance training change the cardiometabolic risk in obese women? A placebo-controlled clinical trial. J Photochem Photobiol B. 2015 Dec;153:103–10.

da Silveira Campos RM, Dâmaso AR, et al. The effects of exercise training associated with low-level laser therapy on biomarkers of adipose tissue transdifferentiation in obese women. Lasers in Medical Science. 2018 Aug;33(6):1245–1254.

‍

Like any other organ or part of the human body, the brain, too, is susceptible to injuries or declining functions, especially as we grow older. A healthy diet, physical exercise, and improving your blood pressure, blood sugar, or blood cholesterol levels are some of the ways through which you can maintain a healthier, younger brain.

The brain can suffer from numerous disorders that can be divided into:

• Traumatic events such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, and global brain ischemia.
• Aging-related degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s or dementia.
• Psychiatric and mood disorders, including schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression.

Mentally stimulating activities are vital to keeping the brain young. Different brain activities, such as solving puzzles, math problems, or anything that may require at least some cognitive effort, contributes to the maintenance of the brain’s neural plasticity.

Neural plasticity is the ability of the central nervous system (CNS) to adapt to changes in the environment, aging, trauma, or injuries. It’s an important brain process in which neural networks work together to build a more resilient nervous system and maintain its proper functioning.

Improved reaction Time, Memory, and Mood

The first placebo-controlled study to demonstrate some of the benefits of Light Therapy treatments on the human brain was performed in 2013. Multiple improvements were observed among participants who received Light Therapy compared to the placebo group. Light therapy participants experienced:

• Quicker reaction time, proved with the sustained-attention psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) that measured the speed by which study participants responded to visual stimulus.
• Better memory, proved by the delayed match-to-sample (DMS) memory task, where the outcome measures included measuring readiness for a quick response and the number of correct trials.
• Improved mood, as Light Therapy helped participants to sustain more positive emotional states. The mood was measured by the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), a clinical survey that measures feelings and emotions. The participants were asked to fill the form in before and two weeks after having a treatment.

Light Therapy against Cognitive Decline

In a more recent study effort, researchers treated older adults who were at risk of cognitive decline with Light Therapy. A positive neurocognitive effect was observed among the participants in this study, all of whom aged between 49 and 90. Some of the participants also struggled with cognitive decline due to vascular disease, however, Light Therapy was effective regardless of the nature of their cognitive decline.

As Light Therapy helped the elderly participants boost cognitive scores, researchers on the team were also able to observe their increased brain waves power (alpha, beta, and gamma brain waves in their resting state).

Combating age-related cognitive decline with Light Therapy has been in the focus of another recent study, published in February 2019. This study examined the frontal brain functions among elderly men. Frontal brain functions are key to directing behavior. The participants were divided into two groups, treatment, and placebo. Those who received treatment indeed showed improved cognitive performance following the treatment. These results demonstrate that Light Therapy can really work in a safe manner to treat age-related cognitive decline.

Light Therapy and Executive Function

As of 2017, we also know that Light Therapy can improve the brain’s executive function. This is your ability to manage time, pay attention, change focus, plan, organize, multitask, remember details, or avoid saying the wrong thing at the wrong time3. In other words, the ability to create and meet goals.

As research further suggests, Light Therapy helped study participants to better perform in the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task (WCST)4. This is a neurophysiological test where the task-takers are asked to match a set of cards presented to them, in an attempt to assess their ability to demonstrate cognitive flexibility–a key process in cognitive ability. They are not told how to match the cards, but only if their particular match is correct or not. The WCST is a clinical way to measure the brain’s executive function. Those participants who received Light Therapy made fewer errors on the task and demonstrated improved set-shifting ability compared to the control group.

Such results suggest that Light Therapy improves the brain’s executive function and may have intriguing potentials for treating or preventing deficits resulting both from aging or neuropsychological disorders which include conditions such as epilepsy, stroke, migraines, brain tumors, dementia, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s among others.

Can Light Therapy Improve Your Ability to Learn?

In 2017, scientists tested 118 people to see if Light Therapy can have a meaningful impact on their learning abilities. In a similar fashion to previous research, the participants were divided into treatment and placebo groups. Light Therapy showed that the treatment group improved their learning capabilities.

During the trial, the Light Therapy device was directed at the lateral prefrontal cortex of participants, and following treatments, they experienced faster and better rule-based learning5. So, imagine having all participants been bartenders demanded to know the exact ingredients of Mojito, Bloody Mary, Margarita, and other essential cocktails. This Light Therapy treatment would have aided their ability to remember all the ingredients needed for fashioning each drink, adding each ingredient in the desired sequence, or remember who on the table ordered a stronger Bloody Mary. We demonstrate this type of ability through our brain’s rule-based learning capacity.

Different life events may inhibit our brain’s ability to learn. Aging certainly is one of them. Other reasons may include extended exposures to pesticides or neurotoxins, which impair the mitochondria in brain cells. Since Light Therapy kind of “exercises” the mitochondria and prompts the brain to forge new neural networks, the process itself acts as a cognitive rehabilitation6. Which also leads us to the next section.

Light Therapy and Traumatic Brain Injuries

Cognitive decline may occur due to traumatic brain injuries, too. A person who suffers from one may face memory or concentration problems, mood swings, depression, anxiety, or speech problems among other TBI manifestations. What gives hope is another batch of studies that attests to the positive cognitive benefits among TBI patients from receiving Light Therapy.

Light Therapy has been shown to stimulate the growth of new nerve tissue and synapses in damaged brain cells, thus improving the cognitive brain functions of those patients who not only suffer from TBI but also from Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The latter is a degenerative brain disease prevalent among athletes and military veterans or anyone who presents with a history of repetitive brain trauma.

References

1. Barrett, D.W., Gonzalez-Lima, F. (2013, January). Transcranial infrared laser stimulation produces beneficial cognitive and emotional effects in humans. Neuroscience, 230: 13-23. Doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.11.016.
2. Berman, M.H., Halper, J.P., Nicholas, T.W., Jarret, H., Lundy, A., Huang, J.H. (2017). Photobiomodulation with Near Infrared Light Helmet in a Pilot, Placebo Controlled Clinical Trial in Dementia Patients Testing Memory and Cognition. J Neurol Neurosci. 8(1). pii: 176. doi: 10.21767/2171-6625.1000176
3. Bhandari, S. (2019, March 25). Executive Function Disorder & Executive Functioning Skills. Retrieved November 24, 2019, from https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/executive-function#1
4. Blanco, N.J., Maddox, W.T., Gonzalez-Lima, F. (2017, March). Improving executive function using transcranial infrared laser stimulation. J Neuropsychol, 11(1):14-25. Doi: 10.1111/jnp.12074.
5. Blanco, N.J, Saucedo, C.L., Gonzalez-Lima, F. (2017, March) Transcranial infrared laser stimulation improves rule-based, but not information-integration, category learning in humans. Neurobiol Learn Mem, 139:69-75. doi: 10.1016/j.nlm.2016.12.016
6. Can light therapy help the brain? (2015, April 2). Retrieved November 26, 2019, from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/04/150402161648.htm
7. Chan A.S., Lee, T.L., Yeung, M.K., Hamblin, M.R. (2019, February). Photobiomodulation improves the frontal cognitive function of older adults. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 34(2):369-377. doi: 10.1002/gps.5039
8. Delayed Matching to Sample (DMS). (n.d.). Retrieved November 22, 2019, from https://www.cambridgecognition.com/cantab/cognitive-tests/memory/delayed-matching-to-sample-dms/
9. Hamblin, M.R. (2016, October). Shining light on the head: Photobiomodulation for brain disorders. BBA Clin, 113-124. Doi: 10.1016/j.bbacli.2016.09.002
10. Harvard Health Publishing. (2006, June). 12 ways to keep your brain young. Retrieved November 15, 2019, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/12-ways-to-keep-your-brain-young
11. Hennessy, M., Hamblin, M.R. (2017, January). Photobiomodulation and the brain: a new paradigm. J Opt, 19 (1). Doi: 10.1088/2040-8986/19/1/013003
12. Margaret, N., Michael H. (2015, September). Traumatic Brain Injury: A Major Medical Problem That Could Be Treated Using Transcranial, Red/Near-Infrared LED Photobiomodulation. Photomedicine and Laser Surgery, 33(9): 443-446. Doi: 10.1089/pho.2015.3986
13. Naeser M., Zafonte R., Krengel, M.H., Martin, P.I., Frazier, J., Hamblin, M.R., Knight J.A., Meehan, W.P., Baker, E.H. (2014, June). Significant improvements in cognitive performance post-transcranial, red/near-infrared light-emitting diode treatments in chronic, mild traumatic brain injury: open-protocol study. Journal of Neurotrauma, 31(11): 1008-1017. Doi: 10.1089/neu.2013.3244
14. Psychomotor vigilance task. (2018, July 29). Retrieved November 22, 2019, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychomotor_vigilance_task
15. Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) and American College of Radiology (ACR). (n.d.). Carotid Intima-Media Thickness Test. Retrieved November 15, 2019, from https://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=carotid-intima
16. Saltmarche, A.E., Naeser, M.A., Ho, K.F., Hamblin, M.R., Lim, L. (2017, August). Significant Improvement in Cognition in Mild to Moderately Severe Dementia Cases Treated with Transcranial Plus Intranasal Photobiomodulation: Case Series Report. Photomed Laser Surg, 35(8):432-441. doi: 10.1089/pho.2016.4227
17. Sharma, N., Classen, J., Cohen, L.G. (2016, May). Neural plasticity and its contribution to functional recovery. Handb Clin Neurol, 110: 3-12. Doi: 10.1016/B978-0-444-52901-5.00001-0
18. Traumatic brain injury. (2019, March 29). Retrieved November 24, 2019, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/traumatic-brain-injury/symptoms-causes/syc-20378557
19. Vargas, E. Barrett, D.W., Saucedo, C.L., Huang, L.D., Abraham, J.A., Tanaka, H., Haley, A.P., Gonzalez-Lima, F. (2017, July). Beneficial neurocognitive effects of transcranial laser in older adults. Lasers Med Sci, 32(5):1153-1162. Doi: 10.1007/s10103-017-2221-y
20. Von Bernhardi, R., Bernhardi, L.E., Eugenín, J. (2017). What is Neural Plasticity? Adv Exp Med Biol, 1015: 1-15. Doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-62817-2_1
21. What are Brainwaves? (n.d.). Retrieved November 22, 2019, from https://brainworksneurotherapy.com/what-are-brainwaves
22. What is CTE? (2019, November 14). Retrieved November 24, 2019, from https://concussionfoundation.org/CTE-resources/what-is-CTE
23. What is the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule? (PANAS). (2019, August 20). Retrieved November 22, 2019, from https://positivepsychology.com/positive-and-negative-affect-schedule-panas/
24. Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. (2019, September 19). Retrieved November 24, 2019, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisconsin_Card_Sorting_Test.

‍

What is a Migraine?

Migraine is a neurological condition that can cause multiple symptoms. It’s frequently characterized by intense, debilitating headaches. Symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, difficulty speaking, numbness or tingling, and sensitivity to light and sound. Migraines often run in families and affect all ages.

People describe migraine pain as:

• Pulsating
• Throbbing
• Perforating
• Pounding
• Debilitating

Migraine Symptoms

Migraine symptoms may begin one to two days before the headache itself. This is known as the prodrome stage. Symptoms during this stage can include:

• Food cravings
• Depression
• Fatigue or low energy
• Frequent yawning
• Hyperactivity
• Irritability
• Neck stiffness

LED Green Light: a Novel, Non-Invasive, and Non-Pharmacological Therapy.

The effects of green light on the brain have been researched and well-documented for years. The green light can reset the circadian rhythm through melatonin, the hormone that regulates our sleep-wake cycles. A special photoreceptor system in the human eye picks up light and elicits non-visual responses, sending signals to the brain to reset the body’s internal clock and altering melatonin production levels.

Long-time sufferers of migraines and other chronic pain conditions may benefit from exposure to LED green light. A new study, led by pharmacologist Mohab M. Ibrahim, M.D., Ph.D., found that the color green may be key to easing pain.

Ibrahim’s interest in studying the ameliorating effects of green light was inspired by his brother, who has dealt with severe headaches for several years. Instead of taking ibuprofen, his brother would sit in his garden and soak up the verdure of nature to ease the pain from his headaches.

“I wanted to see what is in his garden or in a garden, in general, that would make headaches better,” said Ibrahim, director of the Chronic Pain Management Clinic at Banner — University Medical Center Tucson.

In his clinical practice, Ibrahim also saw that his patients suffering from migraines and fibromyalgia had limited treatment options, and wanted to find a novel, non-invasive, nonpharmacological therapy.

In his study, which has yet to be published, Ibrahim exposed 25 migraine volunteers first to white lights for two hours as a control, then to green LED lights. He measured multiple parameters, including pain reduction, frequency of migraines or headaches, frequency of fibromyalgia flare-ups, pain intensity and duration, and quality of life.

On a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 indicating no pain and 10 the highest level of pain, migraine volunteers had an initial average baseline pain score of 8. After completing the green light therapy, their score dropped down to an average of 2.8. The frequency of headaches dropped from 19 to 6.5 per month, and the overall quality of life climbed from 48 percent to 78 percent.

“The best part about it … is the simplicity, the affordability and, most importantly, the lack of side effects,” Ibrahim said. “It’s a normal light. We’re not using a high-energy laser or anything like that.”

But if pain works through the nervous system, how exactly can green light, which works through the visual system, make people feel better?

New studies show that there are neuronal connections that span from the retina all the way to the spinal cord, passing through the parts of the brain that control and modulate pain. Green light changes the levels of serotonin and alters the endogenous opioid system, an innate pain-relieving system found throughout the central and peripheral nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, and immune system, said Bing Liao, M.D., a neurologist at Houston Methodist Hospital.

“The endogenous opioid system … allows the body to generate something similar to opioids and gives us a sensation of pain relief and happy feeling,” Liao said. “Research has found that, with green light, the receptors of the endogenous opioid system can increase production in the brain and body, and the hormone by itself can increase in production, as well. … It might be an explanation for why people feel good when they’re in a green environment.”

While more studies must be done to test the efficacy of green light therapy as a treatment for chronic pain, Ibrahim said he is trying to advance this therapy as a complement to current therapies.

“What this green light therapy offers is a non-invasive, non-pharmacological additional tool, so it might help reduce opioids,” he said. “I don’t think it will eliminate opioids, but at least it may reduce it enough. It may provide people just with extra help or extra relief so that they may not need the number of opioids that they’re on.”

References

https://www.tmc.edu/news/2020/02/exposure-to-green-light-may-reduce-pain/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28001756

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21182447

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23964217

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7769534

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26989758

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15557336

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21172691

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214647416300381?via%3Dihub

‍

Bilirubin is a yellow substance that comes from the normal breakdown of red blood cells. The liver removes bilirubin from the blood and passes it into the bowels so it can leave the body.

A newborn baby’s liver does not remove bilirubin, as well as an adult, does. Jaundice happens when bilirubin builds up faster than the liver can break it down and pass it from the body.

Most types of jaundice go away on their own. Others need treatment to lower bilirubin levels.

What Causes Jaundice?

Jaundice can be caused by different problems:

• Physiological jaundice: The most common cause of newborn jaundice and occurs in more than 50% of babies. Because the baby has an immature liver. Jaundice first appears at 2 to 3 days of age. It usually disappears by 1 to 2 weeks of age, and the levels of bilirubin are harmless.
• Breastfeeding jaundice: Breastfeeding jaundice may occur when your baby does not drink enough breast milk. It occurs in 5% to 10% of newborns.
• Breast-milk jaundice: Breast-milk jaundice occurs in 1% to 2% of breast-fed babies. It is caused by a special substance that some mothers produce in their milk. This substance causes the baby’s intestine to absorb more bilirubin back into his body than normal. This type of jaundice starts at 4 to 7 days of age. It may last 3 to 10 weeks. It is not harmful.
• Blood group incompatibility (Rh or ABO problems): If a baby and mother have different blood types, sometimes the mother produces antibodies that destroy the newborn’s red blood cells. This causes a sudden buildup of bilirubin in the baby’s blood. This serious type of jaundice usually begins during the first 24 hours of life. Rh problems formerly caused the most severe form of jaundice.

How Is Jaundice Diagnosed?

Doctors can tell if a baby has jaundice based on the yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes. Usually, all newborns are checked for jaundice before leaving the hospital or birth center.

Babies with jaundice will get a blood test to check bilirubin levels. Sometimes, a light machine that measures bilirubin in the skin is used. But if the level is high, a blood test must confirm the result.

High bilirubin levels can lead to serious problems. So doctors carefully watch babies with jaundice.

Treatments for Jaundice

Some types of jaundice will disappear within a week or two without treatment. Other babies will require treatment because of the severity of jaundice.

Light treatment is the process of using light to eliminate bilirubin in the blood. The baby’s skin and blood absorb these light waves. These light waves are absorbed by your baby’s skin and blood and change bilirubin into products, which can pass through their system.

For many years, phototherapy treatment in the hospital has been provided by a row of lights or a spotlight suspended at a distance form a baby. This would provide light shining directly on an undressed baby (with a diaper on) whose eyes would need protection from the light with soft eye patches applied. Today, advancements in technology have led to a new phototherapy system that gives effective treatment without the inconveniences of conventional phototherapy treatment.

‍

‍