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What is arthritis?
Arthritis is a condition that refers to joint pain or joint disease. This condition can occur to anyone at any age. Over 60 million individuals are experiencing some form of arthritis within North America.
Symptoms:
- Inflammation
- Joint stiffness
- Joint pain
- Loss in range of motion
Treatment
- Exercise
- Physical Therapy
- Nutritional Modifications
- Surgery
- Red Light Therapy
What is Red Light Therapy?
The human body requires natural light to perform and thrive, just like it needs water and nutrients from food.
Red and near-infrared wavelengths of light are the ‘superfoods’ of natural light, providing our body with healing properties and health benefits.
Red light therapy is a non-invasive treatment that delivers concentrated red and near-infrared light to your cells. All you need is 10-15 minutes per day to optimize your body.
How does Red Light Therapy reduce joint and arthritis pain?
Red Light Therapy reduces joint and arthritis pain by using medical-grade 5w LEDs to project clinically proven red and near-infrared wavelengths. More specifically, red light at 660nm and near-infrared light 850nm provides a therapeutic effect on the symptoms of joint and arthritis pain by increasing mitochondria, blood circulation, and collagen production
Learn more about How Red Light Therapy Works.
Mitochondria
The mitochondria is the powerhouse of our cells that houses production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which are the energy molecules that fuels everything the body does. With the stimulation from red light therapy, cellular function is enhanced through the increased production of ATP. With more energy, the body is able to function at its best.
Collagen
Collagen is an important protein that the body produces to help build healthy bones, skin, hair, tendons, and connective tissues. As the body ages, collagen production slowly declines. Red light therapy has become one of the most popular alternative therapies for boosting collagen production. With more collagen, the body can produce more connective tissues and cartilage to protect bones from rubbing against one another. This creates a cushion between bones to enhance the joint space and further allow more range of motion in the joints.
Learn more about collagen.
Blood Circulation
Blood circulation is one of the most vital functions in the body. It’s how essential nutrients and oxygen get delivered to the brain and throughout the body. Red light therapy improves blood flow by stimulating the production of Nitric Oxide (NO) in our cells. One of the main functions of NO is to relax the walls of blood vessels, allowing for increased blood flow through arteries and veins. With an increase in blood circulation, the body is able to transport more nutrients and oxygen to an affected area and remove unwanted waste that may be causing inflammation.
Oxidative Stress
Oxidative stress is an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in our body. Free radicals are harmful molecules, which are naturally produced through metabolic activities, such as digestion and exercising. Antioxidants play a central role in offsetting free radicals and reducing oxidative stress. Uncontrolled levels of oxidative stress can lead to cell injury and accelerate the aging process of the body. Red light therapy reduces oxidative stress, prevents further damage to cells, and early death, by upregulating the production of antioxidant enzymes.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is one of the most common forms of arthritis where cartilage, the cushion between two bones, wears down and deteriorates. This leads to the two bones rubbing against each other, which causes pain, inflammation, and stiffness. As this problem progresses, joint can lose their strength and integrity, which can lead to chronic pain.
Red and near-infrared light has been shown to significantly reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in knee osteoarthritis [1,2]. This is due to the increase in antioxidant production in the knee joint when red light therapy is targeted on this area.
One study found that red light therapy improved pain levels and range of motion in the cervical spine of individuals with cervical osteoarthritis [3].
How do I use Red Light Therapy?
When searching for a red light therapy device on the market, it's important to find a device that suits your needs and provides the best power output. With world-class performance, Orionprovides red and near-infrared light therapy devices that include medical-grade 5 watt LEDs and the highest irradiance on the market for an optimal at-home and clinical experience.
The guidelines for treatments are simple and can be very effective when complemented with other healthy lifestyles. Follow Orion’s treatment guideline for the best results:
- Position yourself 6-12 inches away from your device.
- Expose your skin for the most effective results.
- Approximately 10-15 minute treatments per body area and up to 20 minutes for symptomatic areas.
- 1-2 treatments per day.
- Any time of day that works best for you.
Shop the Orion lineup to find the best device that suits you.
[1] Yamada, E. F., Stein, ..., & Silva, M. D. (2021). Photobiomodulation and sida tuberculata combination declines the inflammation's markers in knee-induced osteoarthritis. Lasers in Medical Science.
[2] Martins, L. P., ..., & Oliveira, M. X. (2021). Photobiomodulation therapy (light-emitting diode 630 nm) favored the oxidative stress and the preservation of articular cartilage in an induced knee osteoarthritis model. Photobiomodulation, Photomedicine, and Laser Surgery, 39(4): 272-279.
[3] Ozdemir, F., Birtane, M., & Kokino, S. (2001). The clinical efficacy of low-power laser therapy on pain and function in cervical osteoarthritis. Clinical Rheumatology, 20(3): 181-184.
