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With much in the news lately about the opioid epidemic, it’s no surprise people are looking for alternatives to treat inflammation and pain conditions. The addictive potential of opiods aside, even over-the-counter drugs like acetaminophen and ibuprofen can have negative effects when overused.
One of the leading causes of chronic pain is arthritis. Red light therapy is now being used in many places to treat arthritis symptoms This is in part due to its ability to decrease inflammation (thus reducing pain) and support collagen production (rebuild cartilage).
A 2005 Cochrane review [1]of red light therapy for rheumatoid arthritisconcluded that “LLLT could be considered for short-term treatment for relief of pain and morning stiffness for RA patients, particularly since it has few side-effects.”
In fact, light therapy has been studied for arthritis in many, many human clinical trials in many parts of the body including on the knees, shoulders, hands, back, neck, elbows, ankles and feet. [2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,,10,11,12,13,14]
How does red light therapy help arthritis?
Red light therapy reduces inflammation by increasing circulation and blood flow to damaged tissues. [15] In a 2017 review Dr. Michael Hamblin summarizes:
"PBM is able to up-regulate anti-oxidant defenses and reduce oxidative stress. It was shown that PBM can activate NF-kB in normal quiescent cells, however in activated inflammatory cells, inflammatory markers were decreased. One of the most reproducible effects of PBM is an overall reduction in inflammation, which is particularly important for disorders of the joints, traumatic injuries, lung disorders, and in the brain."
Decreasing oxidative damage, which degenerates joints, and is another way that light therapy can benefit soft/connective tissue. Furthermore, producing more cellular energy helps tissues regenerate and heal faster.
What about other sources of pain?
Even in those who don’t suffer from arthritis but have other signs of tissue degeneration or damage, light therapy may still be beneficial. A 2009 meta-analysis published in The Lancet [16] summarized “We show that LLLT reduces pain immediately after treatment in acute neck pain and up to 22 weeks after completion of treatment in patients with chronic neck pain.”
Another meta-analysis published in 2017 [17] concluded. "This meta-analysis presents evidence that LLLT is an effective treatment modality to reduce pain in adult patients with musculoskeletal disorders."
Red light therapy is a natural anti-inflammatory that’s been shown to reduce swelling, soreness, and strain in numerous clinical studies. Best of all it is able to do this without any significant side effects.
What have Mito Red customers had to say?
To date we've had several customers report pain relief. A small sample is below however, we do recommend taking a moment to peruse all of our customer reviews.
https://mitoredlight.com/pages/reviews
"Ever since the mito red light arrived, I have regularly used it and experienced great relief from stiff neck and jointpain". - Jennifer C MitoMAX Feb 2020
"I have been using for a week now Once a day for 10 mins on my face and back Face is for overall health - my face feels fabulous and already looks healthier I have had severe back pain for 7 years ...after just 3 days my back already is feeling relief! I highly reccomend this !" Casey F MitoMIN Jan 2020
"My skin is glowing, the swelling of my thyroid is reduced, and inflammation/pain of my joints from playing hockey – knees and wrists specifically, feel noticeably better after a quick 5 minute spot treatment." Adam S MitoMID Dec 2019
"A week ago a heavy object fell on my ankle instantly got swollen the machine helped with the swelling took the pain and accelerated the healing I am happy I have it" Mercedes S MitoMAX Nov 2019
[1] Low level laser therapy (Classes I, II and III) for treating rheumatoid arthritis.
[2] Incorporation of photobiomodulation therapy into a therapeutic exercise program for knee osteoarthritis: A placebo-controlled, randomized, clinical trial.
[3] Ultrasound plus low-level laser therapy for knee osteoarthritis rehabilitation: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.
[4] Efficacy of low-level laser therapy applied at acupuncture points in knee osteoarthritis: a randomised double-blind comparative trial.
[5] Effect of low-level laser therapy in patients with chronic knee osteoarthritis: a single-blinded randomized clinical study.
[6] Influence of various laser therapy methods on knee joint pain and function in patients with knee osteoarthritis.
[7] Effectiveness of High Intensity Laser Therapy for Reduction of Pain in Knee Osteoarthritis.
[8] Short-Term Efficacy of Low-Level Laser Therapy in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Clinical Trial.
[9] Efficacy of pulsed Nd:YAG laser in the treatment of patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial.
[10] Effect of low-level laser therapy (904 nm) and static stretching in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a protocol of randomised controlled trial.
[11] Does addition of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in conservative care of knee arthritis successfully postpone the need for joint replacement?
[12] High-intensity versus low-level laser therapy in the treatment of patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial.
[13] Short-term efficacy of physical interventions in osteoarthritic knee pain. A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised placebo-controlled trials.
[14] Efficacy of low level laser therapy associated with exercises in knee osteoarthritis: a randomized double-blind study.
[15] Mechanisms and applications of the anti-inflammatory effects of photobiomodulation.
[16] Efficacy oflow-levellasertherapyin the management of neck pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised placebo or active-treatment controlled trials.
[17] Effects oflow-levellasertherapyon pain in patients with musculoskeletal disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
