All you want to know about red, infrared light and photobiomodulation (PBM)
How does infrared heat therapy work?
Remove infrared therapy works through heating the water in the body. Parts of the invisible light (radiation) penetrate the tissue, which has a number of physiological effects. By exposing the body from the infrared radiation, there is a form of mild stress at the cellular level. This triggers production of what is referred to as heat shock proteins. The heat shock proteins are able to compensate for some of the effects of oxidative stress in the body and help to regulate antioxidant levels.
There are a number of ways infrared light can positively affect physiology:
- Support the immune system by increasing the levels of white blood cells
- Reduce levels of inflammation measured by C-reactive protein
- Improve muscle growth after injury
- Improve performance when practicing sports by improving the blood flow to the musculature
- Reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease
- Improve detoxification via sweat
- Promote feelings of relaxation and help "become happy hormones" (endorphins) be released
Close and remote therapy with infrared radiation
Near-infrared (NIR). NIR is the infrared light between 780 Nm and 1400 Nm, which is closest to the visible light spectrum. Most of the sun's infrared spectrum consists of NIR lights. Infrared light generally warms the body from the inside out, and NIR reaches up to 5 mm into the tissue. Remote-infrared (which has wavelengths in the range of 3000-10,000 Nm) does not have the ability to penetrate deep into the tissue, but works primarily when heating the water in the skin. Between near and distant infrared, we have medium infrared with wavelengths in the range of 1400–3000 Nm. Medium-infrared penetrates deeper into the tissue than distant (or long) infrared. NIR and the wavelengths from 810 to 950 Nm have been studied a lot for their effects on ATP production, the molecule needed for our cells to function and produce energy. This frequency range stimulates the activity of the enzyme cytochrome C-oxidase (CCO), which has the ability to release electrons (energy/voltage) directly to the electron transport chain (ATP production) in the cells. You get "charged" your cells there and then without any effort than receiving NIR therapy. This direct conversion of light to electrons (current) was first discovered by Albert Einstein and called the photo -electric effect.
Most benefits of NIR therapy are related to the ability to stimulate ATP production:
- NIR helps to stimulate collagen production and circulation, and helps to rebuild damaged joints and cartilage.
- NIR, alone or combined with red light, has proven to be effective at improving the skin's appearance by removing signs of aging and speeding wound healing.
- By helping our body produce more ATP reduces the use of both pain and inflammation while improving the regrowth of the muscles.
- It is speculated whether NIR exposure has a role in improving retinopathy (eye damage) via ATP-stimulating effects.
Therapy with distant or long infrared radiation (FIR). Long infrared radiation is mainly absorbed by the water in the body, and for that reason the heat rays only need 0.1 mm into the skin. Although absorbed by the body's water, Fire light can cause changes in the body's protein structures.
Firs benefits include
- to reduce arrhythmias in people with chronic heart failure, and also improve blood vessels in those with risk factors for heart attack
- to reduce pain and stiffness in patients with arthritis (rheumatoid arthritis)
- to improve the quality of life of study participants with type II diabetes.
The benefits of a full -spectrum infrared sauna
Today we have Sunlight Full Spektrum's infrared saunas, which include both NIR, mir and Firbølg lengths, giving the best of both infrared worlds. Infrared saunas heat up much faster than traditional saunas, require less work to mount and are cheaper to use. There are also many small, single -person options for infrared saunas, which mainly offer either FIR or NIR. Uno Vita has chosen to focus on Sunlighten Mpulse full spectrum's saunas. They (as we experience) have the best specifications of the market with wavelengths from Fir, MIR to NIR infrared radiation (actually full spectrum unlike many competitors). Infrared therapy, like the sunlight, has the ability to help the body structure water, which is essential for good cell function.
Why are LED panels used, laser, belts, mats or professional light therapists like Bioptron?
The answer is twofold. First, sweat will partially block light waves so that they do not need deep (applies to NIR and MIR infrared). Visual light and NIR can deliver light energy deep into the tissue. This means that it is optimal to be able to combine focused LED/laser light and full spectrum's sauna, but not everyone can afford or the opportunity to buy both. Ask us for advice for your situation and your needs. There are useful and good solutions from a few thousand kroner and up.
How Does Light Therapy Work?
How does light therapy work?
Research shows that apart from biochemical reactions, the topics play information and energy an extremely important role for the organism and our health. The biological effects of light are an essential component to treat a disease effectively. Biophysiker Professor Doctor F.A. Popp made one of the most important scientific contributions with its biofoton theory. According to quantum theory, light consists of quantities (packages of energy) or photons. Popp's contribution was to say that each cell communicates with other cells using biofotons. Biofotons are the weak light that radiates from the cells in everything alive. Similarly, three Russian scientists, S. Stschurin, V.P. Kasnaschejew and L. Michailowa, through over 5,000 experiments that living cells transfer information using biofotons. The radiated photons are mainly absorbed by the skin and spread throughout the body. They reach the brain and pass the branching of the nervous system as well as the spinal cord. The biofotons also harmonize the production of endorphins and serotonin. Some parts of the light signals come to the adrenal glands and affect the production of DHEA and cortisol (a stress hormone).
Effects on cell -level
It is not possible to live without light. According to pop, every cell in the body exudes our biofotons. In cells with impaired function (by inflammation, infections, cancer, etc.) reduce the intensity of light (strength). The regeneration of these impaired cells is stimulated by adding light. The photon treatment used in the infrared waveband can activate many metabolic processes. This includes cell division for cyclic AMP-metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation, hemoglobin, collagen and other proteins synthesize leukocyte activity, production of macrophages and wound healing. If macrophages are exposed to infrared light within the range of 880 Nm, they release substances that are useful for repairing damaged cells and supporting connective tissue production. Infrared light has been shown to have positive effects on leukocytes, several types of lymphocytes, several types of enzymes, prostaglandin production and collagen cells. It has been documented that infrared photon radiation leads to an increase in the ATP concentration and ATP activity in living tissue (energy).
Hormonal effects. Endorphins are referred to as "endogenous morphine" since they look like morphine in chemical structure. They are found in different places in the body and the central nervous system and are considered responsible for and/or participate in various functions such as pain reduction and well -being. Endorphins have a controlling influence on the body's reactions in stressful situations and on mechanisms such as cardiac activity, breathing, digestion and heat regulation. It has been found that people with chronic pain have a lower level of endorphins in the cerebrospinal fluid. Light therapy increased endorphin levels, resulting in pain reduction. Cortisol plays a significant role in stress situations in addition to adrenaline and norepinephrine. With shock or stress, the production of cortisol increases. Stimulation with infrared light results in lower cortisol levels. The user experiences a comfortable relaxation that often lasts for many hours.
There is no form of pain or illness that will not be positively affected by this technology.
Photobiomodulation and our body
All plants perform photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the simple process of converting sunlight and water into glucose and oxygen (photo -energy and chemical energy). The biologists have determined that our bodies use a similar principle in the digestive process where proteins, fats and sugars are broken down into the mitochondrial membrane in the smallest molecular nutrients, called pyruvates. Puryvat is the end product in the breakdown of glucose (sugar) through the glycolysis. Certain light waves (red and near infrared) are absorbed by the human body and stimulate the mitochondrial membrane to produce ATP (adenosintrifosphate) energy. ATP is the fuel that all cells use to perform cellular activities, including DNA and RNA synthesis, cell repair (called mitose) and collagen production.
Photobiomodulation is an essential biological process we are dependent on
What exactly is photobiomodulation?
Photobiomodulation (PBM) is the metabolic and cytological response (response to cell -level) to live cells on light (photons). Which means light energy, consisting of electromagnetic radiance (EMR) in the visible spectrum and in parts of the near-infrared (NIR) and ultraviolet (UV) frequency range. Photobiomodulation is a pairing of "Photo", which means light, "bio", which means "live cells", and "modulation", which means to vary or exert influence. The term photobiomodulation describes biochemical reactions that occur in living cells in response to light. Photobiomodulation occurs in all living organisms. It occurs naturally in cells that are exposed to sunlight, but also occurs to selected wavelengths (colors) of artificially produced light. It occurs in plants, animals and bacteria. It stimulates growth, provides energy to cellular respiration and reproduction, stimulates DNA repair and strengthens molecular maintenance of cells, tissues and organs. In complex organisms such as primates and humans, light is involved in the growth and control of the nervous system, it controls the blood flow in the circulatory system, stimulates the immune response and affects stem cell development.
Photobiomodulation via sunlight and therapeutic using biofotonics
Photobiomodulation can be used therapeutically to speed up repair after injury, to restore organ function, to relieve pain and inflammation, or to fight microbial infections of bacteria, viruses or fungi. Treatments can be performed on humans and animals, including pets, such as horses.
Although Electromagnetic radiation affects living beings throughout the spectrum, photobiomodulation is limited to only certain parts of the spectrum (frequency range). PBM is significantly different in its mechanisms of action from heating therapy, that is, "thermobiomodulation", which is obtained in infrared saunas, heat cushions, steam baths and hot tubs. Due to the ability to support cell -level energy production exceeds light therapy in general heating therapy in efficiency.
Photobiomodulation occurs in NIR, visible and long-wave UV spectrum
Photobiomodulation occurs naturally in the presence of sunlight and also in artificial light. The effect of light on living cells can be beneficial or harmful, depending on the photonic energy that is absorbed depending on technical data on the light, which often includes:
- Wavelength also known as color (µm or NM)
- Power density also known as radiation (W or W/cm2)
- Total Energy (dose) also known as flu. (EV, J or J/CM2)
The effects vary in different organisms, tissues and cell types. Full spectrum's natural sunlight usually contains both useful and harmful rays, whose net impact depends on the color of the light, that is, spectral mixture, and on the total energy dose at each constituent wavelength. Living organisms are easily damaged by short -wave ultraviolet light (UVC) with its high energy content. The medical use of PBM as therapy is subject to strict medical regulation. Treatments are usually performed within a well-established safe selection of wavelengths (from 400 Nm to 1000 Nm) as near-infrared (NIR, IRA) and visible light.
Life on earth needs light
Throughout the 1900s, biologists, botanists and teachers claimed that all life on earth gets their energy from sunlight, which stimulated photosynthesis in plants. In photosynthesis, chloroplasts (small organelles in the plant blades) will convert sunlight (photonic energy) and raw materials (hydrogen, oxygen and carbon) to simple sugars (glucose). It is all stored as energy in the plants in the form of carbohydrates. Animals that eat this vegetation take these carbohydrates, convert them into energy (ATP) and store it as fat for fuel for drug sales. Photosynthesis in chloroplasts is not the only method of converting sunlight into energy. Bacteria and animals also have mechanisms that are capable of absorbing light and directly converting it into utility and stored energy. The transformation is done by the photobiomodulation by means of light -absorbing chromofore (chromofore is atomic groups that provide chemical compounds color). They are usually located in the membranes of cells and organelles. For example, the mitochondria in both plants and animals are able to convert sunlight directly to ATP.
Ub -sacrificial photobiomodulation, the ability of a wide range of living organisms to capture the sun's energy directly, is now known to be a basic component of life on earth.
PBM in animals occurs mainly from the optical absorption of chromofore in the molecule cytochrome C-oxidase (CCO) in an optical window with wavelengths in the leash from red light (650 Nm) to near-infrared light (950 Nm). When photobiomodulation, light must be absorbed to develop a photochemical, photobiological or physiological response.
Strength, intensity and distance from the light source are important for the biological response
In addition to different wavelengths and frequencies being absorbed differently by different parts of the cells, the PBM response is affected by several factors. It varies with lighting that includes both the optical power or power density and with the total energy supplied (ie the PBM dose). In biophysics is called optical effect (measured in watts or W/cm2) radiation and total energy (measured in joules, J/cm2). At very low power levels (low doses of energy), little or no PBM occurs. By increasing the power level to a significant, but safe level, the total dose can be controlled by limiting the exposure time. At higher power levels (bright light), the duration of exposure must be reduced. Conversely - lower optical power levels, the exposure time must be increased to produce the same degree of biomodulation. These parameters help determine how long to treat per time.
How does photobiomodulation work?
The mechanism of action of photobiomodulation is a transfer of light energy to molecules in cells and organelles that result in chemical, electrocemical and thermal reactions and transformations that call to changes in cellular metabolism and gene expression. Photobiomodulation occurs at nuclear and molecular level through energy transfer. Photons that carry accurate amounts of energy (called quantities) transmit the energy to the molecules in living cells and their organelles. The amount of photons (= the amount of energy) absorbed by a particular cell depends on the type and structure, and the wavelength. Part of the light is reflected or spread and never enters the cell. The remaining non-absorbed energy passes through the cell into the next layer of cells. The laws of thermodynamics tell us that absorbed light inevitably will produce heat (producing a photothermic response). Other parts of the absorbed light stimulate photo -binodulation in the form of photoelectric effects, photochemical reactions or a combination of these. 99% of the molecules in the body are water, and water absorbs infrared energy from approx. 1200 nm. This helps the cells to form structured, metabolic water, called EZ water (exclusion zone water) or water that excludes substances and has a special jelly-like structure. Mitochondria (cell nuclei) contain chromofore that is capable of catching light and converting it indirectly to ATP. Such a light sensitive molecule performs the final step of ATP production. This process is improved by the presence of red and near-infrared light (but unlike chloroplasts in plants of violet, blue or orange light). As ATP production increases, nitric oxide (NO) is released, a signal molecule responsible for regulating the expansion of the blood vessels and blood circulation. The PBM process releases genetic messengers entering the cell's core and stimulates the gene expression. This includes growth factors, enzymes, polymerases and other proteins.
During PBM, cytochrome C-oxidase also produces catalysts and reactive oxygen species (ROS), including super oxidantion O2-, hydrogen peroxide H2O2, hydroxyl radical OH and HOH2. Under PBM, mitochondria release calcium ions (Ca2+), a signaling substance in the nervous system. The generation of ATP and the release of NO signals a cascade of reactions that are beneficial for maintaining cellular vitality and health. The results of the PBM benefit the cell and tissue, the organ and the organism it consists of. A combination of inhalation of hydrogen gas, drinking hydrogen water and PBM contributes to a beneficial balance between reduction and oxidation in the body.
What is photobiomodulation therapy used for?
Photobiomodulation therapy (PBT) is therapeutic use of gentle energy to fight disease, repair injuries, reduce pain, counteract malfunctions in organs and the immune system, reduce inflammation and counteract a variety of neurological and age -related health conditions. PBT is also used preventively to avoid illness, prevent injury, improve brain health and cognition, promote well -being and to improve performance in sports and athletics.
Examples of health conditions that have been treated by photobiomodulation therapy
Non-medical "wellness" uses include counteracting pain, improving fitness and good health, improving sleep and relaxation, reducing stress, improving energy, relieving the fatigue and slowing the aging process. Other applications include strengthening the immune system to prevent infectious disease. PBT is also used in competitive sports to improve the performance of a athlete (without drugs or steroids), to reduce the risk and severity of sports injuries, to deal with pain, and to return faster to exercise after injury.
The story of PBM in short features - used by people for 3000 years
The first recorded use of sunlight to promote health returns to papyrus from Egypt approx. 1550 BC Old doctors noticed that sunlight and especially certain colors (a treatment called chromotherapy) helped people recover from diseases. Early use of light to promote health and well-being was also practiced in the Indus Valley (ancient India) and in China before the imperial time. In Greece, scientists concentrated on the medical benefits of sunlight that they called heliotherapy (a reference to the god Helios, which means sun). The Romans commercialized Greek light therapy for "solariums", sunny rooms, which spread in popularity across Europe with the expansion of the Roman Empire.
In the 19th century, doctors and researchers began to examine the mechanisms behind photographic biomedicine. The science of phototherapy received international recognition in 1903, when Dr. Niels Ryberg Finsen was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for its use of gas lamps and arc-generated light in the successful treatment of lupus.
During the 1960s, the emergence of laser technology caused concerns that lasers (at effect levels that were too low to cause burns) could cause cancer. Systematic studies by physician and professor Endre Master at Semmelweis University in Budapest, Hungary revealed an unexpected result. Not only did mice avoid treated, cancer, but the hair (on those shaved) grew much faster than in the control group.
In 1971, studies showed that laser light not only stimulated hair growth, but promoted wound healing. Although lasers showed exciting medical results, lasers in the 1960s and 70s were large, bulky units. They consisted of fractable glass pipes (filled with gases) which were constructed with fragile precision -adjusted lenses and required large, heavy power supplies.
In 1996, with NASA support, Dr. Harry T. Whelan at the University of Wisconsin reported on the first use of LEDs (LED) as an alternative to lasers in photo therapy. In 1999, he demonstrated that LEDs, just like lasers, effectively accelerate wound healing. In 2003, he published a groundbreaking work on therapeutic PBM in methanol-induced damage to the eye's retina-data that provides clear scientific support for red and infrared light stimulating ATP production in cytochrome C, a membrane-bound chromophy in the mitochondria. This was an important discovery for the research on a photochemical, rather than a photothermic, origin of the true mechanism of photobiomodulation.
The turn of the millennium brought new life and a new approach to photobiomodulation. As of 2001, Dan Schell, a groundbreaking developer of light therapy and founder of "A Perfect Light" (APL), began experimenting with sequencing several wavelengths of LEDs in complex excitation patterns of varying lighting conditions and duration. He cataloged the results to define and perfect tissue -specific therapeutic regimes and protocols for illness and injury.
In 2012, Schell merged with Richard K. Williams, electrical engineer and semiconductor physicist with expertise in molecular biology, nanotechnology and photonics. Williams was a respected founder, including by the Nasdaq IPO Peninsula Company Advanced Analogic Technologies Inc. Since then, different uses such as red light therapy using LEDs and related technologies have exploded in their spread and are currently in writing in all major markets in all large markets in all major markets in all major markets in all major markets in all major markets in all major markets in all major markets in all major markets in all major markets in all major markets in all major markets in all major markets in all major markets in all major markets in all major markets in all major markets in all major markets in all major markets in all major markets in all major markets in all major markets in all major markets, world.
Therapeutic use of pbm
The therapeutic use of photobiomodulation is referred to as photobiomodulation therapy. The therapy is usually described in the context of humans and other mammals (eg dogs, cats, horses and camels). PBM is used for a wide range of physiological conditions, mainly because this process naturally occurs in almost all types of tissue, that is
- Nerve tissue
- Muscle
- Epithelial
- Connective tissue
The effect of photo medicine in general depends on the patient's condition, the treatment regime performed, and which device (and its specifications) is used. With above 300,000 articles published In Pubmed alone, the overweight of empirical documentation that supports the effective use of PBM therapy is overwhelming. PBM is no longer limited to so -called alternative medicine, but is used by doctors, hospitals and clinics worldwide. Its ability to treat illness and injury means that PBM is a strong competitor to pharmacological solutions.
PBM's ability to fight a wide range of seemingly unrelated medical conditions is based on its basic mechanisms of action - to supply photons as uladuds (not polarized) energy to cells and organelles to improve the cell's metabolism and inherent (natural) repair mechanisms through photochemical processes. Most cells contain light sensitive chromofore that affects metabolic processes. Despite referring to common mechanisms of action in all animal cells, the beneficial effects of PBT/PBM tissue-specific and vary for nerve, muscle, epithelium and connective tissue type in accordance with the tissue type.
Neurology and nerve tissue
Primary PBM mechanisms in nerve tissue consist of improved circulation, reduced tissue inflammation, increased oxygen supply, normalization of the pH, accelerated wound healing and activation of selective neurogenesis.
Muscle
The use of photobiomodulation therapy on muscle tissue includes effects on skeletal muscles, muscles, internal organs via smooth musculature and heart muscles. General effects of PBT on muscle tissue involve improved circulation and oxygenation of tissue as well as combat inflammation. In addition, the immune response is supported to fight microbial infections, and the regrowth of wounded muscles is accelerated.
Especially in skeletal muscles, the benefits of PBM treatments include increased oxygenation of tissue and improved biokinetic ability, an increase in the lactic acid threshold for cramps and control of local inflammation and edema. PBM-generated increases in elastin and collagen also improve muscle flexibility and an extended range of movement, thus minimizing the risk of high blood pressure, sprains and muscle damage. In athletics and sports, treatments can be used before strenuous activity to minimize the risk of injury and improve performance. This as part of a training regimen to keep the muscles warm and loose between competitions, to improve breathing (lung capacity and oxygen level in the blood), or after activity to gently relax muscle, prevent cramps and improve stretching.
PBM's treatment benefits for muscle tissue in skeletons and internal organs
Epithelial tissue is present throughout the body both as a skin (the body's protective layer to resist wear and environmental damage), and for feeding the internal organs of the digestive system, the airways, the hormone system and the immune system. Such tissue not only provides protection, but is also found in partially porous membranes used by hormones, enzymes, mucus, digestive products and other biochemical molecules.
Treatment benefits of PBM for epithelial tissue in skin and organs
Connective tissue is present throughout the body and consists of loose connective tissue in fat, dense connective tissue in ligaments and tendons, specialized skeletal binding tissue in cartilage and bones and specialized vascular connective tissue consisting of blood and lymphev.
The distance to an LED source affects the PBM treatment area and the penetration depth
A common misunderstanding (or incorrect presentation) when using PBM is that more powerful lasers submit light deeper than weaker light sources. This performance is not based on scientific research. Higher radiation simply means that more photons are delivered at the same time (more light). According to modern physics (quantum mechanics), the energy of a photon (and therefore the corresponding penetration depth) is determined exclusively of the wavelength, or the color if you like.
Light therapy or photobiomodulation is recommended for anyone as a basic health -promoting therapy.
