Today’s blog post will be named Infrared Pain Management. Why? Because Infrared Light Therapy is widely used to help manage pain and provide relief.
Before I discuss the benefits of Infrared Light Therapy, let me discuss how it works and how it became a widely used therapeutic tool in practice.
First, it is essential to understand how Infrared Light Therapy started. So, you wonder, who discovered infrared light?
Infrared light was discovered by the accomplished astronomer Sir William Herschel in the early 19th century. His numerous experiments led to the discovery of this widely used light therapy.
Infrared energy is not visible to the human eye. Still, it can be seen by specialized cameras that change the light into visible colors. The human body radiates infrared energy through the skin. You can experience this energy by holding your palms near each other without touching. This energy has been used in China for 3000 years, called palm healing. This type of healing is based on the natural properties of far infrared energy.
Furthermore, heat therapy has been used for physical, mental, and spiritual well-being for hundreds of years. In addition, technological developments have allowed the direct use of Infrared Light Therapy as a source to heat the body. The application of infrared began in Germany in the early to the mid-20th century. In the last 40 years, Japanese doctors and therapists have developed its application further.
Since the early 1980s, infrared light therapy has been further developed and sold in many European countries and the United States.
So, how Infrared Light Therapy works?
An infrared device emits light waves that release heat energy. These waves are absorbed by water. Our body’s soft tissues are mostly water, which is why infrared waves are easily absorbed by the human body.
Infrared can penetrate the body around 2 to 7 inches deep and stimulate the release of nitric oxide. What is nitric oxide? It is a compound in the body that relaxes and opens the blood vessels. Therefore, improving blood flow. This increase in blood flow promotes healing, reduces pain, flushes out toxins, enhances the immune response, and promotes overall healing. Furthermore, infrared stimulates collagen production, increases fibroblast production and tissue repair, and reduces inflammatory responses.
If you are wondering, is Infrared Light Therapy safe?
Infrared lights are considered a safe, natural & non-invasive method of treating different conditions. The wavelength of energy that Infrared Light Therapy produces heats when it gets in contact with our body. Therefore, the general standard is to have infrared light bulbs 12 to 18 inches from the body. Furthermore, as a general rule, Infrared Light Therapy is used for approximately 15-20 minutes.
Some patients ask, what will I feel during the Infrared Light Therapy?
Infrared feels like a deep warmth, which can be highly relaxing for patients during treatment. Because Infrared Light Therapy (also known as Red Light) uses very low heat levels; therefore, it doesn’t burn the skin.
It is crucial to understand that Infrared Light Therapy is not the same type of light used in tanning booths. Infrared Light Therapy doesn’t expose your skin to damaging UV rays. And that is why I always remind my patients that infrared light is not the same as UV light. UV lights have been linked to skin damage and other adverse effects. On the contrary, Infrared Light Therapy is associated with skin and tissue healing. That is why it has been widely used as a therapeutic tool for pain management and other conditions.
Another important question that my clients ask is: How often should we use Infrared Light Therapy?
It is suggested to use it for 15 to 20 minutes, 3 to 5 times a week. It may take up to 4-6 months to see results from Infrared Light Therapy when used alone without any other therapeutic treatment. But much quicker when used in conjunction with other techniques used in Alternative and Oriental Medicine.
So you may wonder, is Infrared Light Therapy good for pain?
Absolutely yes! Because it stimulates the healing process, improves blood flow, helps the body flush out toxins, reduces inflammation, etc. This tool provides a drug-free way to decrease pain without the side effects that pain medications have.
And the million-dollar question is: What are the benefits of Infrared Light Therapy?
There are many, among them, Infrared Light Therapy:
- Relieves pain
- Reduces joint stiffness
- Reduces inflammation
- Reduces muscle tension
- Helps with the detoxification process
- Promotes wound and tissue healing
- Lowers blood pressure
- Improves blood flow and circulation
- Helps the immune system
To summarize this Infrared Pain Management blog post, we discussed how this therapeutic tool was discovered, how it benefits our health, and how it is used in practice.
Furthermore, Infrared Light Therapy provides many all-natural health benefits with no risk or side effects. It is affordable and provides a sense of well-being, relaxation, and relief during and after use.
Infrared Light Therapy is often used with other Alternative and Oriental Medicine techniques in my practice. At HomeopathyX, we complete an assessment to understand the root cause of the patient’s complaint(s). We use a client-centered, individualized approach to ensure that the patient has positive results using this and other treatment services/methods.
