Brain injuries or issues come in all different shapes and sizes, and sometimes, it can be hard to understand them. Thankfully, through the wonder of modern medicine, massive improvements have been made in diagnosis, treatment and recovery. The issues could seem small or perhaps more extensive, but regardless of your situation, there’s always cause for optimism.
One way in which brain injuries can be treated is through the magic of red light therapy. While we know that there’s a certain layer of stigma that surrounds RLT, there’s growing evidence with each and every passing day that it can be a useful tool in a variety of different medical settings. Today, as you’ve probably guessed, we will be discussing the use of red light therapy for a brain injury.
There’s still a great deal of research to be done, and we should say that up front, but upon looking at what you could call some of the “early” findings, things look promising. With that being said, let’s get into it.
What is red light therapy?
There’s certainly some ‘taboo’ surrounding red light therapy that has likely come from years of uncertainty and, to a degree, misinformation. In addition to that, this is still a young concept with many more years of development and growth ahead. There are so many things we have yet to uncover, but from what we’ve seen so far, things are trending in the right direction.
Red light therapy is seen as an important form of photomedicine by many in the community, and it’s been proven safe to use. Of course, we can understand why the idea of using a laser or lamp when treating your skin can seem a bit freaky - but if you give it a chance, it can truly serve as a game-changer for you, your friends and your family.
RLT uses wavelengths transmitted to parts of the body that need fixing. That can mean anything from visible scarring to deep tissue problems, as it sends low-intensity and near-infrared light deep into the body’s cells to get things moving again. It’s painless, it’s noninvasive, and it’s readily available.
How red light therapy aids with brain injury recovery
Depression
Whether it be depression or seasonal affective disorder, it feels like we still aren’t talking about our mental health enough - and that’s especially true for those who are depressed. It can impact your ability to complete day-to-day tasks, it can make you feel withdrawn, and it can completely alter your DNA. In our book, that’s a problem we need to tackle head-on.
An eight-week trial that was conducted suggested that NIR light therapy demonstrated antidepressant properties. With this came a “medium to large effect” in those who have a major depressive disorder. Again, we know that this is a journey you may never fully complete, but if it’s going to make your life better or give you a shot, why not take that chance?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Post-traumatic stress disorder is something we wouldn’t wish on our worst enemy, For those of you who don’t know, PTSD can happen when you have experienced a dangerous, scary, shocking or traumatic event at some point in your life. The lasting issues stemming from the event can increase fear and make you feel unsafe or worried for long periods of time.
It takes a long time to work through, and it requires much counselling and help from those close to you. As well as that research has shown that the symptoms associated with PTSD can decline with the use of red light therapy. It certainly isn’t going to happen overnight, but these are the steps you need to be taking if you want to improve.
Strokes
A stroke can change your life in the blink of an eye, and that’s not an exaggeration. Whether it be caused by bleeding in your brain, a blockage of oxygen flow or a series of mini-strokes, they need to be taken seriously at all times. From confusion to weakness to having trouble with your speech, the symptoms are well-known in the general public.
In terms of studies, one that was conducted in 2016 treated patients who experienced pain, weakness and muscle rigidity. The results indicated that patients showed improvement in the length of time before muscle fatigue set in and also reported less pain. If that isn’t a positive sign of what could be to come, then we don’t know what is.
Neurological disorders
When you’re having to deal with degenerative neurological diseases, your entire world can feel like it’s being turned upside down. These issues can haunt you and knock you for six every single day, which is incredibly tough both for you and those around you. Because of that, we should look for positive solutions wherever we can, which is where we’ve arrived with red light therapy.
A clinical study has concluded that RLT shows great promise when it comes to treating a range of debilitating neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Oh, and another study found that Alzheimer’s patients showed improvement in their emotional state alongside having fewer confused episodes, which is huge.
Cognitive function
Your cognitive function is absolutely critical to help ensure you’re living a happy, healthy and largely normal life. It’s something we should all be attempting to protect as much as we possibly can, and there are so many reasons why. From your memory and concentration to your focus and reaction times, it’s important to stay at the top of your game.
As per one of the first studies performed on human subjects, it was determined that the treatment group had more positive emotional states, better moods and greater memory retention than the placebo group. With those kinds of results, it’s hard to argue against the impact it does - and will continue - to have.
Traumatic injury
A traumatic brain injury, also known as a TBI, is often caused by a significant blow to the head. It jolts your brain from side to side inside your skull. A mild version of this is popularly known as a concussion, but when it’s more severe, we’re talking about damage that could last a lifetime - from damaging your brain cells to bleeding to damaged tissue.
One study has noted that NIR light can take the pressure off some of the symptoms of a traumatic brain injury and, alongside that, can inhibit neurodegeneration. A different study looked at victims of many different accidents. It revealed big improvements in their executive function, with a third highlighting reduced inflammation and cell death in the brain during research involving small animal models. It’s not quite there, but it’s a start.
Interested in red light therapy? Contact us
We know that red light therapy can freak people out when they first hear about it. Alas, as more and more studies continue to pile up, it’s becoming increasingly obvious that RLT is an incredibly important form of photomedicine across the globe.
It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but you can’t argue with the results - or the thousands of positive reviews that NovaaLab has received in recent years. As a company, we strive to give you a better quality of life above anything else. We aren’t here to sell falsehoods, and we aren’t here to waste your time.
So, if you’re interested in learning more about what we do, feel free to get in touch!
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