admin, Author at Freedom Light Therapy | Red Light Therapy | Tulsa, OK

Is Photobiomodulation a New Wound-healing Gimmick?

admin — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 21:33:04 +0000

The effects of light on healing wounds have been well documented for millennia. However, two factors have been responsible for it only recently becoming a more commonly used treatment.

First, initially, nobody was entirely sure what, exactly, it was in light that had the healing capability. Second, it was only around 50 years ago when the red light from light emitting diodes was identified as being a beneficial form of light.

Now, the term light emitting diode may not be one you are familiar with, yet you will instantly recognise the term in its abbreviated form – LED.

LEDs have made photobiomodulation an affordable treatment for wounds

LEDs are everywhere today, and they are pretty much the most affordable form of lighting available. Not only that, but LED lights seem to last appreciably longer than the old vacuum light bulbs, that’s for sure. However, like any new technology, when the LED which emitted visible red light was first developed in 1962 by Nick Holonyak Jr. (who became known as the father of the LED) when working for General Electric, the cost of one single bulb was astronomic. It has only been in the last ten or so years that the cost has been reduced to an affordable level for most, and consequently how photobiomodulation equipment finally became affordable for businesses like FreedomLight Therapy to be able to offer photobiomodulation wound treatment at an affordable cost.

Adjustable doses of light are now possible with photobiomodulation

When we were kids, one of the things most of us did with a flashlight was put our hand over it and watch it glowing. This wasn’t photobiomodulation as it would have been the wrong form of light – it wasn’t red light. However, what we would have discovered, by accident, is that light penetrates the skin and can go deep into the cells of the body.

This, to a major degree, is one of the key factors for the success of photobiomodulation as you can vary the strength of the red light being emitted by the equipment, and therefore the depth to which the treatment can effectively reach.

Photobiomodulation isn’t just for wounds

Of course, it would be a mistake to think that you needed to have a wound to take advantage of the benefits of photobiomodulation. You would be surprised just how effective it can be for rejuvenating tired muscles, reducing pain, boosting energy and for those of you who like a good workout at the gym, following up a trip to the gym with a trip to FreedomLight Therapy can also help to improve your recovery time.

And the great thing about the equipment used for photobiomodulation treatment is that with our light beds, treatment can be self-administered and as you get used to the treatments, you can increase the power of the light to obtain optimum results.

To find out more about photobiomodulation, FreedomLight Therapy, or if you have any questions you would like answered, either come in to see us at the FreedomLight Therapy Center, 435 E 2nd Ave. Owasso, OK 74055, call us on: (539) 525-5356 or email us at: info@freedomlighttherapy.com

The post Is Photobiomodulation a New Wound-healing Gimmick? appeared first on Freedom Light Therapy | Red Light Therapy | Tulsa, OK.

What is Photobiomodulation and How Does it Work?

admin — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 21:32:06 +0000

It doesn’t help that photobiomodulation is such an awkward word to pronounce, However, life is made slightly easier knowing that it is also abbreviated to PBM.

So what, exactly, is PBM?

Well, let’s break down the word into three sections ‘photo’ – ‘bio’- and ‘modulation’.

In simple terms, ‘photo’ stands for light, ‘bio’ stands for biological, and ‘modulation’ means “the exertion of a modifying or controlling influence on something”.

In other words, light is being used to modify parts of the human body.

Photobiomodulation uses red and near-infrared light

Of course the light being used is not a laser, so it has no harmful or damaging effects. This is red light and near-infrared light coming from light emitting diodes (LEDs) similar to the ones we use at home, and they don’t do us any harm.

It is also worth pointing out that PBM doesn’t just achieve one single result. In other words, it is not used only to help heal wounds – this is just one of the documented benefits of PBM. Because you can adjust the strength of the PBM light, that affords it tremendous flexibility.

Nine different ways to benefit from photobiomodulation

As we will cover in greater detail in additional blog articles, PBM can be used for nine different ‘treatments’:

Speeding up recovery after a strenuous workout
Improving hormonal balance through targeting specific endocrine glands
Maintaining the musculoskeletal system through regeneration of tendons and joints
Improved eye health as the light wavelengths of LEDs do not harm the retina
Better sleep through optimization of your circadian rhythm
Improved nail, skin, and hair conditioning through improved collagen production
General health in the long term through PBM’s ability to have a positive effect on mitochondria
Reducing inflammation through specific targeting
Light has beneficial effects in counteracting seasonal depression when the dark evenings roll in, while also improving brain health through the synthesis of activating neurotransmitters

Photobiomodulation can be used proactively and reactively

One of the great advantages of using PBM is that you don’t have to use it in a reactive manner. In other words, you don’t have to wait for something to go wrong before you begin therapy.

PBM is also a proactive measure you can take to not just improve your health and wellbeing but maintain it as well.

This means you can create a weekly plan for your PBM sessions at FreedomLight Therapy to target specific areas of your body and to achieve specific results. Better still, because our ReGen Pod and TheraLight Pod treatments are ‘self-administered’ you can set your schedule without having to worry about the Center being open. As a member, you get access to all equipment used for self-administered therapies at any time of the day or night – all you need to do is book your sessions and then it almost becomes a case of ‘medice, cura te ipsum’ – physician, heal thyself.

The post What is Photobiomodulation and How Does it Work? appeared first on Freedom Light Therapy | Red Light Therapy | Tulsa, OK.

The Many Advantages of Self-Administered Photobiomodulation

admin — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 21:30:37 +0000

Here at FreedomLight Therapy Center we have been enthusiastic from the day we first opened our doors to provide safe and effective treatment for numerous physiological ailments. Beyond that, we also wanted to make them both affordable and easy to access.

When choosing the best equipment to provide photobiomodulation (PBM) treatments, we decided that the best way to keep membership and treatment costs down would be to equip the Center predominantly with PBM equipment that is so easy to use, you don’t need a clinician to administer the treatments.

Your first visit to the Center will involve an appointment with one of our senior members of staff who will show you how to use all the equipment and how to progressively build up the light strength as you get used to the treatments.

So how is this such a good idea?

Well, for a start, you know exactly what areas of your body you want to treat with PBM, so who better to administer it? It makes perfect sense as it avoids the typical ‘guidance’ conversation where you try to get someone else to hit all the right spots.

Beyond this, there is also the question of convenience.

Most of us have pretty hectic schedules and there literally aren’t sufficient hours during the day. Well, unlike many other therapy centers, PBM is available to you 24/7/365 as your membership automatically grants you access to our secure facilities whenever you want it.

Consequently, you have a couple of extra options available to you. First, you can book a late-night or early morning session when you know you will have a little ‘me time’, and you can concentrate solely on yourself. Alternatively, you can simply check the availability of treatments and pop into the Center on a ‘spur-of-the-moment’ impulse. This is especially useful if you are already finding the treatment energizing and rejuvenating, and you feel in need of an impromptu PBM boost.

In addition, you know better than anyone how many or how few PBM treatments you need, and that your requirements can change. Here at the FreedomLight Therapy Center we want you to feel able to adjust the number of treatments you need with the minimum of hassle, which is why booking slots online and self-administering PBM treatments work best.

Finally, there is always that problem of those ‘hard to reach’ areas , but with our ReGen Pod and TheraLight Pod that is no longer a problem and there is nothing better when treating aches and pains while being able to switch off and relax completely.

The post The Many Advantages of Self-Administered Photobiomodulation appeared first on Freedom Light Therapy | Red Light Therapy | Tulsa, OK.

The Top-10 Benefits of Photobiomodulation

admin — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 21:29:42 +0000

Photobiomodulation Therapy is also known as PBT, low-level laser therapy (LLLT), low-power laser therapy (LPLT), red light therapy (RLT) , Light Therapy, and Photobiomodulation (PBM). They are all one and the same, so hopefully that will have cleared up any potential confusion.

Because PBM uses red light, and near-infrared light, the latter being a type of energy that the eyes cannot see, but the body recognizes in the form of heat. However, the levels of heat are not excessive, and you will not accidentally ‘cook’ yourself. The treatment is subtle yet can be exceptionally effective.

Beyond that, PBM can be used to treat a multitude of minor ailments as well as helping wounds to heal, so our list of the top-10 benefits is not the complete list.

So, what are these top-10 benefits?

Reduction of osteoarthritis pain – one particular study showed that this type of pain was reduced by 50% after PBM treatment.
Multiple research projects have shown that PBM treatment has helped to reduce wrinkling in skin, aid with acne-related scars, help with burns and reduce symptoms of UV damage to the skin.
Reducing inflammation – this can include toothache, strained muscles, joint inflammation, and inflamed nodules.
General health and wellbeing – because red-light therapy targets mitochondria, the energy factories for cells, it can only do you good and is currently being investigated as part of an effective anti-aging regime.
The musculoskeletal system depends heavily on collagen synthesis and the reduction of any swelling. PBM is effective at achieving both goals.
Boosting hormonal levels – endocrine glands targeted by red light tend to become strengthened and, subsequently, the level of hormones reduced tends to increase.
Improved performance and recovery times – many athletes now use PBM treatments both before and after a workout at the gym. The pre-workout light treatment helps to improve performance, while treatments after a workout help the muscles to recover more quickly.
Improved mental health – it is a well-documented fact that seasonally-associated depression affects many people in the winter. The red-light spectrum used with PBM has a beneficial effect on the brain through the activation of neurotransmitters.
Improved sleep patterns – we are advised to avoid light in the blue spectrum before bedtime as this can have a negative effect on our circadian rhythm. However, when we wake in the morning, extensive exposure to light is highly beneficial. A series of twenty-minute sessions on the TheraLight 360 Pod will get you sleeping well at night.
Detoxification – using our Firefly treatment, this form of PBM targets both free radicals as well as toxins, harmful bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites. To measure the effectiveness of the treatment, you will be given an F-scan to show the level of pathogens in your body and how those levels reduce with each session.

The post The Top-10 Benefits of Photobiomodulation appeared first on Freedom Light Therapy | Red Light Therapy | Tulsa, OK.

The Science Behind Photobiomodulation (PBT)

admin — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 21:28:37 +0000

During the process called photobiomodulation (PBM), photons enter the tissue and interact with the cytochrome c complex contained within the cell’s mitochondria. This interaction triggers a cascade of biological events that can increase cellular metabolism, decrease pain, and accelerate the healing process.

That’s the easy part!

Photobiomodulation is also known as low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and red-light therapy

Photobiomodulation (PBM) is the more contemporary term used as a ‘catchall’ for all similar treatments that involve red light and near-infrared wavelength light, all of which are used as a therapeutic and non-invasive treatment for a number of common (and not so common) ailments, such as sore joints and muscles, scarring, healing of wounds and improvements in skin texture such as reducing scarring from acne.

What does the process of Photobiomodulation do?

It is generally agreed that the application of a therapeutic dose of light to impaired or dysfunctional tissue leads to a cellular response instigated by mitochondrial mechanisms. Studies have shown that these changes can have a positive impact on pain and inflammation, plus tissue repair.

The main target for the photobiomodulation process is the Cytochrome C complex, which is found in the inner membrane of a cell’s mitochondria. Cytochrome C is a key component of the electron transport chain responsible for driving the cellular metabolism.

Photobiomodulation helps to increase the production of ATP (energy)

When light is absorbed by Cytochrome C oxidase (COX), the electron transport chain is stimulated to increase the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) within the mitochondria. With damaged tissue, ATP production in a cell is reduced, consequently slowing down the metabolism of the cell as a protective mechanism. With PBM, this assists in restoring the oxidative process which helps restore normal cellular function.

An increase in free nitric oxide activity

Light therapy also increases levels of nitric oxide (NO) while also modulating reactive oxygen species (ROS). NO is known to be a strong vasodilator (it opens up the blood vessels in the targeted area) as well as an effective cellular signalling molecule. When combined, an increase in NO and raised ROS levels create an environment for faster signaling, which can result in reduced inflammation.

Getting light to the source of the problem

For PBM to take place, light must reach the mitochondria of the damaged target tissue. With PBM when light therapy is applied to the surface of the skin, optimum results are obtained when sufficient light (photons) reaches the targeted tissue. The question is, what is the best form of light?

Unlike white light, which contains a broad range of wavelengths, laser light is monochromatic (it only has one wavelength) and is measured in nanometers (nm). Considerable research has been carried out to establish how melanin, blood, fat, and water absorb light, and this has led researchers to specify a window or range of wavelengths through which light can penetrate biological tissue. This window is referred to as the optical or therapeutic window, which is the window used by PBM.

To sum up

Photobiomodulation helps to restore normal cellular function which, in turn, helps to prevent apoptosis (cell death). This then helps reduce inflammation, edema, and speeds up the tissue repair process. The light used for PBM is monochromatic, enabling it to penetrate flesh and reach areas targeted for treatment.

The post The Science Behind Photobiomodulation (PBT) appeared first on Freedom Light Therapy | Red Light Therapy | Tulsa, OK.

Scientific Research Papers on Photobiomodulation

admin — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 21:26:12 +0000

In many ways, you may be primarily interested in knowing if photobiomodulation (PBM) works or doesn’t. After all, you have probably come across our website while researching treatment for a specific ailment or to find a means to alleviate pain.

However, here at FreedomLight Therapy, we have seen that when it comes to PBM, the more you know about it, the more you will want to know about it. Not only do we find that it provides effective treatment for a number of common ailments, but we also find it fascinating just how much research has been carried out on the subject.

Partly as a means to support our belief in the effectiveness of PBM, but also to satisfy your own curiosity, rather than cram the main pages of our website with scientific documents, we would provide you with an extensive reading list for you to peruse as and when you have the time. After all, when making a decision about any form of treatment, an informed decision is always a good way to start.

To find out more about photobiomodulation, FreedomLight Therapy, or if you have any questions you would like answered, either come in to see us at the FreedomLight Therapy Center, 435 E 2nd Ave. Owasso, OK 74055, call us on: 539-525-5356 or email us at: info@freedomlighttherapy.com

The post Scientific Research Papers on Photobiomodulation appeared first on Freedom Light Therapy | Red Light Therapy | Tulsa, OK.