Light therapy is the use of light to create a therapeutic effect. Broadly speaking, this comes in many forms. Getting some sun to stimulate vitamin D production, treating jaundice with blue lights, using dimmers and warm lights at night time to help your body prepare for sleep, and using infrared lasers to stimulate your body's healing processes are all examples of light therapy.
Photobiomodulation (PBM) is the use of light to naturally stimulate the body's cellular processes for healing, repair and greater function. It's an effect of some kinds of light therapy, though not all kinds of light can be used to have this effect. Typically, photobiomodulation occurs from applying red or infrared light to the body's surface, either in the form of low-level (low-power) lasers, or light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
SYMBYX devices harness the power of red and infrared light therapy to stimulate the process of photobiomodulation, so that the body can heal itself. At SYMBYX, the terms light therapy, photobiomodulation, laser light therapy, or red/infrared light therapy can be used more or less interchangeably, though it's good to know that technically they're different, and not all products out there will have the same effect.
So how does red and infrared light therapy work?
We all know intuitively that light has effects on our bodies. It can cause us to change colour from being in the sun, produce vitamin D, regulate our sleep, and improve our mood. Just like plants, humans also need light to survive. However, we can also harness specific wavelengths of red and infrared light, and shine them on certain areas of our body for specific effects on our health. So what happens when we actually shine red or infrared lights on ourselves?
- Energises cells. When light therapy is applied to the body, it stimulates the cellular mitochondria (the "engine house” of the cell). This leads to an increase in production of cellular energy (also known as ATP). This extra energy within the cell can then be used for growth, repair and regulating healthy cellular activities (1). Many chronic conditions such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and chronic pain have been associated with mitochondrial insufficiency (2, 3).
- Reduce inflammation. Red and infrared light stimulate the release of cAMP, which is a powerful anti-inflammatory (4). More specifically, cAMP helps regulate inflammation and immune cell functions. It's a known therapeutic target in both acute and chronic inflammatory conditions, as well as in autoimmune diseases (5).
- Reduce oxidative stress. Light therapy triggers the release of ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species), leading to an overall anti-oxidant effect (1). Oxidative stress has been linked with many chronic conditions, including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, cancers, cardiovascular conditions, diabetes, ADHD, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), brain fog, and more (6-9).
- Improves blood flow. Light therapy releases nitric oxide, which causes vasodilation (the widening of blood vessels) to improve blood flow (1).
- Reduces pain. Light therapy has effects on reducing pain, in both the peripheral and central nervous system. It does this by reducing inflammation and modulating nerves to create an analgesic effect (10).
- Improves gut microbiome. Research shows that using a 904 nm infrared laser on the gut can also improve the gut microbiome (11). An unhealthy gut microbiome has been associated with many conditions, including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, IBS, IBD, depression, anxiety, autism spectrum disorder, and more (12-16).
Why is it sometimes called cold laser or low-level laser therapy?
You may sometimes hear our lasers described as 'cold laser', or low-level laser therapy (LLLT). Most of our handheld lasers are pulsed or super-pulsed, meaning that they've been built to prevent the emission of any heat. This maximises the treatment effect while significantly reducing the risk of any side effects, and is why many of our lasers can be used at home without a medical license (surgical lasers, such as Class 4 lasers, on the other hand, can burn tissues, and require a medical license). 'Low-level laser', or 'cold laser' devices, such as what we offer at SYMBYX, are the kinds of devices you can comfortably and conveniently use at home.
Still have questions?
Our international Clinical Support team are happy to answer any clinical or technical questions you may still have about light therapy. Please email your questions through to us at info@symbyxbiome.com.
We hope you found this blog post useful and informative!
References:
1) de Freitas LF, Hamblin MR. Proposed Mechanisms of Photobiomodulation or Low-Level Light Therapy. IEEE J Sel Top Quantum Electron. 2016 May-Jun;22(3):7000417. doi: 10.1109/JSTQE.2016.2561201.
2) Monzio Compagnoni G, Di Fonzo A, Corti S, Comi GP, Bresolin N, Masliah E. The Role of Mitochondria in Neurodegenerative Diseases: the Lesson from Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's Disease. Mol Neurobiol. 2020 Jul;57(7):2959-2980. doi: 10.1007/s12035-020-01926-1.
3) Zong, Y., Li, H., Liao, P. et al. Mitochondrial dysfunction: mechanisms and advances in therapy. Sig Transduct Target Ther 9, 124 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41392-024-01839-8
4) Hamblin MR. Mechanisms and applications of the anti-inflammatory effects of photobiomodulation. AIMS Biophys. 2017;4(3):337-361.
5) Raker VK, Becker C, Steinbrink K. The cAMP Pathway as Therapeutic Target in Autoimmune and Inflammatory Diseases. Front Immunol. 2016 Mar 31;7:123. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2016.00123.
6) Sharifi-Rad Mehdi, Anil Kumar Nanjangud V., Zucca Paolo, et al. Lifestyle, Oxidative Stress, and Antioxidants: Back and Forth in the Pathophysiology of Chronic Diseases. Frontiers in Physiology. 2020; 11. DOI=10.3389/fphys.2020.00694
7) Corona JC. Role of Oxidative Stress and Neuroinflammation in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Antioxidants (Basel). 2020 Oct 23;9(11):1039. doi: 10.3390/antiox9111039.
8) Sahoo Dipak Kumar, Heilmann Romy M., Paital Biswaranjan et al. Oxidative stress, hormones, and effects of natural antioxidants on intestinal inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease. Frontiers in Endocrinology. 2023; 14. DOI=10.3389/fendo.2023.1217165
9) Schiavone S, Jaquet V, Trabace L, Krause KH. Severe life stress and oxidative stress in the brain: from animal models to human pathology. Antioxid Redox Signal. 2013 Apr 20;18(12):1475-90. doi: 10.1089/ars.2012.4720.
10) de Sousa MVP, Kawakubo M, Ferraresi C, Kaippert B, Yoshimura EM, Hamblin MR. Pain management using photobiomodulation: Mechanisms, location, and repeatability quantified by pain threshold and neural biomarkers in mice. J Biophotonics. 2018 Jul;11(7):e201700370. doi: 10.1002/jbio.201700370.
11) Bicknell, B.; Liebert, A.; McLachlan, C.S.; Kiat, H. Microbiome Changes in Humans with Parkinson’s Disease after Photobiomodulation Therapy: A Retrospective Study. J. Pers. Med. 2022, 12, 49. https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm12010049
12) Bicknell, B.; Liebert, A.; Borody, T.; Herkes, G.; McLachlan, C.; Kiat, H. Neurodegenerative and Neurodevelopmental Diseases and the Gut-Brain Axis: The Potential of Therapeutic Targeting of the Microbiome. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24, 9577. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24119577
13) Wang L, Alammar N, Singh R, Nanavati J, Song Y, Chaudhary R, Mullin GE. Gut Microbial Dysbiosis in the Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Case-Control Studies. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2020 Apr;120(4):565-586. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2019.05.015.
14) Santana PT, Rosas SLB, Ribeiro BE, Marinho Y, de Souza HSP. Dysbiosis in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Pathogenic Role and Potential Therapeutic Targets. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Mar 23;23(7):3464. doi: 10.3390/ijms23073464.
15) Clapp M, Aurora N, Herrera L, Bhatia M, Wilen E, Wakefield S. Gut microbiota's effect on mental health: The gut-brain axis. Clin Pract. 2017 Sep 15;7(4):987. doi: 10.4081/cp.2017.987.
16) Almeida C, Oliveira R, Soares R, Barata P. Influence of gut microbiota dysbiosis on brain function: a systematic review. Porto Biomed J. 2020 Mar 17;5(2):1-8. doi: 10.1097/j.pbj.0000000000000059.
