Red Light Therapy is known as Low Level Laser Therapy (LLT) and more recently termed Photobiomodulation Therapy (PBM) in the scientific literature. There is a large body of evidence supporting the efficacy of PBMT (photobiomodulation therapy).
1. The management of oral mucositis (OM) in patients undergoing radiotherapy for head and neck cancer (HNC). Based on its therapeutic effects, PBMT may have utility in a broad range of oral, oropharyngeal, facial, and neck complications of HNC treatment.
2. Third degree burns; A systematic review was performed to identify the role of PBM therapy in experimental models. The current literature research indicates that photobiomodulation Therapy (PBMT) can be an effective short-term approach to accelerate the healing process of third-degree burns to increase and modulate the inflammatory process to accelerate the proliferation of fibroblasts and to enhance the quality of the collagen network.
3. Androgenetic Alopecia (hair loss): The market for home-use PBM devices to treat androgenetic alopecia has rapidly expanded, and the FDA has recently cleared many devices for this purpose. Thirteen commercially available devices were identified and compared. Devices varied in shape, wavelength, light sources, technical features, rice, and level of clinical evidence. to date, there are no head-to-head studies comparing the efficacy of these devices. Photobiomodulation therapy devices have an excellent safety profile and mounting evidence supporting their efficacy. However, long-term, high-quality studies comparing these devices in diverse populations are lacking.
4. Alzheimer's Disease & Cognitive Dysfunction: Photobiomodulation (PBMT) using low-level light-emitting diode can be rapidly applied in neurological and physiological disorders safely and noninvasively. Photobiomodulation is effective for chronic diseases because of fewer side effects than drugs. Photobiomodulation was investigated using light-emitting diode on amyloid plaques, gliosis, and neuronal loss to prevent and/or recover cognitive impairment, and optimal timing of photobiomodulation initiation for recovering cognitive function in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. The study concluded that PBM may be an excellent candidate for advanced preclinical Alzheimer's disease research.
6. Insulin Resistance: Insulin resistance (IR) is the main risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). Noninvasive and nonpharmacological therapies, such as exercise and diet are effective in treating IR and DM2; however, adherence to them generally is low and diminishes positive effects in the long term. Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) is another noninvasive and nonpharmacological therapy, which produces positive effects on mitochondrial metabolism, oxidative stress, and inflammation generally linked to IR and DM2 and may improve or attenuate the severity of these diseases. Although these results are exciting, randomized clinical trials are urgently needed to confirm the clinical relevance of PBMT in the treatment of IR. Investigation about the effects of PBMT combined with different volumes of physical exercises may also contribute significantly for those patients having difficulty to adhere to the recommended minimal exercise volume. Finally, studies on PBMT parameters (e.g., dosimetry, wavelengths, single-point vs. full-body irradiation) are also necessary for the appropriate prescription of PBMT for the treatment of IR.)
7. Brain Health: Photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy on the brain employs red to near-infrared (NIR) light to treat various neurological and psychological disorders. The mechanism involves the activation of cytochrome c oxidase in the mitochondrial respiratory chain, thereby enhancing ATP synthesis within your cells. Additionally, light absorption by ion channels triggers the release of calcium ions, instigating the activation of transcription factors and subsequent gene expression. This cascade of events not only augments neuronal metabolic capacity but also orchestrates anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic responses, fostering neurogenesis and synaptogenesis. It shows promise for treating conditions like dementia, stroke, brain trauma, Parkinson's disease, and depression, even enhancing cognitive functions in healthy individuals and eliciting growing interest within the medical community. However, delivering sufficient light to the brain through transcranial approaches poses a significant challenge due to its limited penetration into tissue, prompting an exploration of alternative delivery methods such as intracranial and intranasal approaches.
8. Peripheral Neuropathy: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common side effect of chemotherapy (CT), affecting 68% of patients. Current treatment strategies are based on pharmacological symptom management, but have limited results. Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) is a new and emerging therapeutic tool in the supportive care of cancer patients. PBMT might be an effective treatment strategy to manage CIPN, with very encouraging reports from renowned teams, but evidence is limited.
9. Reverse skin aging: Photobiomodulation is a process by which the absorption of red-light energy produces a series of physiological effects at the cellular level such as the enhancement of mitochondrial Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) production, cell signaling and growth factor synthesis, and the reduction of oxidative stress. Light emitting diodes (LEDs) photobiomodulation is an increasingly popular therapy for treating skin problems, especially for reversing the signs of skin aging.