The Ultimate Guide to Red Light Therapy (2) - Flipbook - Page 7
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The Ultimate Guide to Red Light Therapy
2. Specific
Applications of RLT
2.1 RLT for Joint and Muscle Health
2.1.1 RLT and Knee Osteoarthritis
One study investigated a light therapy called low-level laser therapy (LLLT) as a potential treatment for
knee osteoarthritis.
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Osteoarthritis is a painful condition where the cartilage in your joints, like your knees,
breaks down. To mimic this, scientists injected an enzyme (a protein that speeds up chemical reactions in the
body) into the rats‘ knees that damages the cartilage.
The researchers then used a special type of laser with near-infrared light to treat the affected knees.
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They
used two different laser settings – one stronger (100 milliwatts) and one weaker (50 milliwatts) – but delivered
the same total amount of light energy (4 joules) to each knee. Here‘s what they found:
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Reduced inflammation:
Both power settings helped reduce inflammation in the fluid surrounding the joint.
Targeting of specific cells:
Interestingly, the lower power setting seemed more effective at reducing a type
of inflammatory cell called a macrophage. The researchers believe this might be
because the lower power setting required a longer treatment time, potentially
leading to a more pronounced effect.
Decreased activity of inflammatory genes:
The laser treatment also decreased the activity of genes involved in inflammation
(including inflammatory signaling molecules, such as IL-1
some variation depending on the power setting used.
β, IL-6, and TNF-α), with
