“Although you may not have heard of light energy, it’s actually been around for over 40 years. There have been over 4,000 laboratory studies and over 400 controlled trials focusing on the effectiveness of light therapy. It’s currently being used by the U.S. Olympic teams and professional sports teams, as well as thousands of hospitals and clinics around the world.”
–Scott Kennedy
Founder of LightPath to Wellness,
Certified laser/light specialist and health coach
Over the past few decades, Photobiomodulation (PBM) has gone through quite a few name changes. You can look up thousands of articles and studies under names like light therapy, red light therapy, and low level laser therapy (LLLT) to find all of the health benefits. The basics of PBM are that the human body is designed to function better with natural light, but many of us do not get enough to ensure optimal health and performance, so using light waves to penetrate into the cells helps boost the natural workings of the body’s systems. It was first used on NASA astronauts to reduce the effects of bone and muscle atrophy caused by zero gravity. Today, more and more people are discovering incredible results from this all-natural therapy with no drugs, chemicals, or side effects.
A growing number of pro athletes, teams, trainers, and other professionals have incorporated red light therapy into their daily workout and recovery routines. Well known athletes from U. S. Olympic teams; players from the Dallas Cowboys, the Patriots, and Phoenix Suns; top tennis pros, elite gymnasts, PGA golfers, NHL hockey players and UFC fighters are utilizing red light therapy in the gym and at home. It is not just NFL, NBA, and MLB players that are utilizing PBM though. Natural health experts, sports med pros, weekend warriors, and people of all ages and health conditions are starting to use light therapy for general health needs, enhanced performance, better sleep, and pain relief.
PBM for muscle recovery and injury rehab
Trainers and professionals recommend PBM because of its clinically-proven performance, muscle, and recovery benefits. Many athletes find that incorporating a session before and after a workout helps them come back faster with less risk of injury. Many teams are using full-body red light therapy every day to train and recover between games, allowing them to not only rehab injuries but to surpass their pre-injury performance. Adding light therapy to your core workout routine can help with muscle recovery and decrease time out due to injuries. It will allow you to give 100% to your workout with significantly less muscle pain and soreness the next day. Injuries will be reduced and rehabbing strains and pains will take considerably less time so that you can get back to your routine.
PBM for joint pain and inflammation
Some of the best pro athletes use PBM to overcome joint pain and inflammation, allowing them to play at the top of their game. Top tennis pros have benefited from a decrease in joint pain after practices and matches. Optimal functioning of the wrists, knees, and ankles is critical for athletes to compete at peak form amidst rigorous schedules. The everyday person can find it hard to get to the gym, have playtime with their families, and even carry out tasks at work or daily activities due to joint pain and inflammation. Light therapy significantly improves the quality of life for many people as it greatly reduces inflammation, joint pain, and arthritis pain throughout the body.
PBM for peak performance and better sleep
Light therapy users boast a number of performance improvements including more energy to train, faster running, longer exercise endurance, stronger grip, and arm strength. Pro athletes are not the only ones seeing these kinds of results. Everyone from workout warriors and fitness trainers, to out of shape, occasional exercisers of every age are making gains with PBM. Many find their sleep is longer and more restful because red light boosts melatonin production and helps reset your circadian rhythm. Studies show that red light therapy helps reduce fat, for everyone from young and healthy exercisers trying to contour their bodies, to older obese patients trying to control their weight. The list of benefits continues to grow as clinical research in the field increases every year.