Using Red Light Therapy to Reduce Pain and Inflammation Naturally

By Leslie K. Hughes
Introduction
Inflammation is an issue that plagues America. In nearly every chronic disease that affects over 130 million people in the United States, inflammation exists. It is a problem that many people live with, but don’t realize the importance of getting a handle on until it’s often too late. Studies show that inflammation can lead to all sorts of health issues including arthritis, heart disease, stroke, and more. [1]
To make matters worse, many of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications given to people who suffer from chronic inflammation put them at higher risk of both heart attack and stroke. Thus, it is vital that people start exploring alternative treatments for reducing inflammation.
One such alternative that has shown great results is red light therapy. This approach to helping inflammation is a natural and effective treatment for this issue that doesn’t come with the long list of risks and side effects that pharmaceuticals do.
However, it is important to note that in some instances, inflammation can actually be good for you.
Confused? Read on to clear things up on when inflammation is good for you, when it’s bad for you, and how you can reduce the inflammation that poses a threat to your health.

What is inflammation?
Acute inflammation is fairly common.
On the other hand, chronic inflammation can cause issues.
Understanding the of inflammation is signs and symptoms of inflammation.
- Swelling
- Heat
- Pain
- Redness
- Rashes
- Pain
- Lack of energy
- Digestion issues

The dangers of chronic inflammation are something to be aware of.
So now the question is, what is red light therapy and can it help with inflammation.
If you’re not familiar with red light therapy, the short version is this: light therapy delivers safe, concentrated wavelengths of natural light to your skin and cells. These red and near-infrared wavelengths of light stimulate those cells and reduce oxidative stress, so your body is able to make more usable energy to power itself. This increases function, speeds healing, and lowers inflammation and pain, as demonstrated in numerous peer-reviewed studies. [4]
Using red light therapy for inflammation is becoming more common.
Red light therapy has the power to dramatically lower inflammation levels in the body. [5] This means that red light can be used to treat problems like osteoarthritis, joint injuries, and excessive swelling without any of the side effects that are commonly associated with inflammation-reducing non-prescription drugs such as NSAIDs. [6] The following conditions that are connected with acute and chronic inflammation all prove to have promising results with the use of red light therapy treatment:
- Arthritis
- Asthma
- Sinusitis
- Muscular sprains
- Fibromyalgia
- Neuron inflammatory
- disorders such as Alzheimer’s
- Irritable bowel syndrome and colitis
- Rheumatic conditions

How red light therapy works for inflammation.
Red light reduces inflammation by stimulating cellular repair and regeneration. A relaxed inflammatory response can accelerate healing. While acute inflammation is a necessary part of the healing process (without it, wounds or cuts would not heal), chronic inflammation and dysfunctional inflammation cause delays in healing. [5,6] Most of red light’s effects are through the cells’ mitochondria absorbing light. In essence, what this all boils down to is that near-infrared and red light therapy help mitochondria produce more energy, decrease inflammation, and help build the cell defense systems to increase resiliency.
According to Dr. Michael Hamblin of Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, one of the leading photomedicine researchers, natural red and NIR light are, “a very mild form of stress that activates protective mechanisms in the cells … for instance, when longer wavelengths or visibly red light hits the skin, it nudges mitochondria to make energy more efficiently and boost production of healing anti-inflammatories or disease-fighting antioxidants.” [7]

Red light therapy can treat inflammation across the body.
Exercise and inflammation
Exercise therapy and red light therapy actually work synergistically in reducing inflammation, meaning that they improve each other’s effects. [6] So if you’re exercising without incorporating red light therapy into your workout routine, you are missing a major opportunity to reduce localized or systemic inflammation. A reduction in inflammation can help your injuries heal much faster if you decide to integrate red light therapy into your life.
Red light therapy devices for inflammation
Now that you understand the benefits of red light therapy, it’s time to start looking for the device that’s right for you. Vital Red Light offers all the benefits of red light therapy from the comfort of your own home thanks to our affordable and highly-effective devices. We have a wide range of options to fit your specific needs – from our Vital Charge handheld device to our Vital Elite full-body device. All of our devices use medical-grade 5-watt LED lights and are FDA-cleared.
Conclusion
Inflammation is an important part of our life as it serves as a natural response to dangers that our bodies may encounter. However, it is important to not let acute inflammation become chronic inflammation, as that’s when this natural healing reaction transforms into a harmful one that can put the body at risk of serious health issues.
By living a healthy lifestyle and incorporating red light therapy into your life, you are able to support your cells doing their job of keeping your inflammation at a safe level and thus, keeping your overall health in an optimal place.
Explore the Vital Red Light devices today to help you get rid of pain and inflammation today.
Citations:
[1] “Playing with the Fire of Inflammation.” Harvard Health, 12 Apr. 2021,
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/playing-with-the-fire-of-inflammation
[2] “Understanding Acute and Chronic Inflammation.” Harvard Health, 1 Apr. 2020, https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-acute-and-chronic-inflammation
[3] Bjordal, J M et al. “A randomised, placebo controlled trial of low level laser therapy for activated Achilles tendinitis with microdialysis measurement of peritendinous prostaglandin E2 concentrations.” British journal of sports medicine vol. 40,1 (2006): 76-80; discussion 76-80. doi:10.1136/bjsm.2005.020842, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2491942/
[4] George, Sajan et al. “Effect of red light and near infrared laser on the generation of reactive oxygen species in primary dermal fibroblasts.” Journal of photochemistry and photobiology. B, Biology vol. 188 (2018): 60-68. doi:10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2018.09.004, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6214457/
[5] Chung, Hoon et al. “The nuts and bolts of low-level laser (light) therapy.” Annals of biomedical engineering vol. 40,2 (2012): 516-33. doi:10.1007/s10439-011-0454-7, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3288797/
[6] Alves, Agnelo Neves et al. “Effects of low-level laser therapy on skeletal muscle repair: a systematic review.” American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitation vol. 93,12 (2014): 1073-85. doi:10.1097/PHM.0000000000000158, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25122099/
[7]Hamblin, Michael R. “Mechanisms and applications of the anti-inflammatory effects of photobiomodulation.” AIMS biophysics vol. 4,3 (2017): 337-361. doi:10.3934/biophy.2017.3.337, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5523874/