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RED LIGHT THERAPY

Age Management of West Michigan

Integrative Medicine

Conventional, Functional, and Anti-Aging Regenerative Medicine located in Grand Rapids, MI.
Dr. Shahnaz Ali            Dr. Piyush Bhatnagar

Red Light Therapy

Healing Benefits of
Red Light Therapy

  • Improved Skin Health

  • Increase Hair Growth

  • Increase Energy and Metabolism

  • Reduce Pain and Inflammation

  • Improve Healing and Recovery

  • Improve Brain Health and Cognition

  • Improve Sports Performance

Improved Skin Health

The most common benefit of red light therapy is improvements to the skin.  Red light therapy has been used by dermatologists to address signs of aging and skin damage  such as fine lines, wrinkles, and age spots by stimulating collagen production.   The overall benefit on the skin is improved quality and texture of the skin.  9266176/)

  • Decrease and prevent lines, wrinkles, and age spots. Research shows that red light therapy stimulates collagen to smooth out lines and wrinkles (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3

  • Repair sun damage

  • Decrease mild and moderate acne breakouts and scarring.  A controlled study in Photodermatology,  Photoimmunology & Photomedicine (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/phpp.12769) showed that red light therapy decreased breakouts and lesions by 36% in patients with mild or moderate acne.

  • Decrease redness and inflammation 

  • Improved overall skin texture and cellular health.

Increased Hair Growth

Red light therapy stimulate an increase in hair growth by decreasing inflammation and promoting more blood flow to the scalp and hair follicles.  This increase in blood flow allows more oxygen and nutrients to the hair follicles to promote thicker and healthier hair.  A controlled study published in Skin Appendage Disorders (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33088809/) concluded that red light therapy utilizing red and near infrared spectrum light increased hair thickness and density.

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Increased Energy and Metabolism

The primary function of red light therapy is to increase energy production. Red light stimulates the mitochondria, improving its function and ability to create energy.  This improves Krebs cycle function and ATP production which increases overall energy levels in the body. RLT has also been shown to improve thyroid function and stimulate adipocyte (fat cells).

  • Improve cellular mitochondrial heath and function

  • Improve Krebs cycle function and ATP Production

  • Increase metabolism and fat burning.  A study in published in the journal Obesity Surgery showed that adipocyte cells released  more triglycerides when exposed to red light therapy which resulted in greater fat loss.  Another study in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine  concluded that participants exposed to red light therapy coupled with exercise exhibited a greater reduction in fat mass compared to those who were not exposed to RLT (placebo group).  

  • Improved Thyroid function

Reduce Pain and Inflammation

Recent research is showing red light therapy's ability to reduce pain and inflammation in a wide variety of chronic conditions.  RLT decreases pain by effecting a protein on the surface of the cell's neuron that when it absorbs light it reduces the ability of the cell to conduct or perceive pain (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1011134416304556?via%3Dihub) 

  • Decrease muscle, connective tissue, and joint pain

  • Decrease neuropathy pain

  • Decrease neuron pain signaling:  RLT stimulates proteins on the surface of cell neuron that reduces ability to conduct or perceive pain.

Improved Healing and Recovery

Research in the International Journal of Molecular Science shows that exposure to red light therapy improves cell function, decreases inflammation and pain, stimulates tissue regeneration, and the release of numerous growth factors  to speed up healing and recovery (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8537491/)

  • Increase healing and repair: increased tissue and cellular regeneration.

  • Increased collagen, fibroblast, and growth factor production

  • Decrease inflammation

  • Increase blood flow, oxygen, and nutrients to cells and tissue.

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Improved Brain Health and Cognitive Function

Research in the Journal of Neuroscience Research shows that red light therapy can improve neurocognition by reducing inflammation and improving blood flow and oxygen to form new neurons and synapses in the brain (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5803455/)

  • Improve neurocognition

  • Prevent cognitive decline

  • Decrease inflammation

  • Increase blood flow and oxygen to the brain.

  • Stimulate formation of new neurons and brain synapses

  • Treat symptoms of concussion, TBI, Parkinson's, and stroke.

  • Improve mood by boosting serotonin and dopamine levels

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Schedule your RLT session

616.808.2695

How does red light therapy work?

Red Light Therapy (RLT) utilizes the application of Red Light (630nm/660nm) and Near Infrared Light (830nm/860nm) to promote healing of the skin and muscular tissues, reduce pain and inflammation, and increase energy production and metabolism. The process of stimulating the health of your cells with different wavelengths of light to promote healing is called Photobiomodulation.

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The Red Light Therapy produces a positive biochemical effect in the cell by activating and strengthening the mitochondria (the powerhouse of the cell) and promoting mitochondrial biogenesis (formation of new mitochondria).   Red to near-infrared light is absorbed by the chromophores in Cytochrome C Oxidase enzyme and promotes changes in the redox state of enzymes in the mitochondrial inner membrane, which promote an improvement in energy metabolism due to the increased ATP synthesis by mitochondria and release of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide.  The boost in the energy center of the cell increases the cells ability to function more efficiently and do their job such as healing and growth more efficiently.

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Red Light Therapy benefits were first realized in 1967, but most research and work has been since 1995 with space exploration and NASA.

Red Light Therapy Treatment Info        

Treatment Session:  30 minutes                                    Actual RLT Treatment Time:  10-18 minutes

Recommended RLT Treatment Frequency

  • Treatment Cycle:  2 to 5 sessions per week for 4 to 6 weeks (Recommend 3 x week)

  • Maintenance:  1 to 2 sessions per week

  • Maximum Treatment:  1 session daily / 18 minutes / 5 x week

Treatment cost per session:  $40

10 session treatment package:  $300 (Save $100)

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Contraindications for RLT treatment:

  • Pregnant or breast feeding

  • Current malignant cancers

  • Open or bleeding wounds

  • Epilepsy or System Lupus Erythmatosus (recommend approval by your physician)

  • Currently taking photosensitive medications or blood thinners.

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