Medically reviewed by Noha Sami Hanafy.Exposure to light (both the visible and invisible spectrum), has a direct influence on our vital activity. The especially infrared radiation that affects many biological processes including muscular healing.
Under the influence of infrared radiation, heat is generated in tissues, physical and chemical reactions are accelerated, tissue regeneration processes are stimulated, cell growth is enhanced, biologically active substances are produced, etc. Therefore, for more than half a century, infrared light therapy has been evolving as one of the best treatments for many diseases.
In this article, we will look into infrared light therapy, its medicinal properties in the context of many diseases, how it works, and its effectiveness, based on scientific research. Thereunder, we’ve also highlighted the best devices that can be easily used at home.
 Hooga 300 |  Sparkle Mat |
| For pain relief and hair loss treatment Due to a combination of red and near-infrared wavelength, the device will help not only with pain relief but with hair loss and contribute to circulation improvement. | For pain relief, stress reduction, and respiratory disease treatment The combination of different wavelengths (red, near-infrared) and stones (amethyst, tourmaline) makes this device multi-purposeful. |
 Lightstim |  Beurer IL50 |
| For pain relief The best solution if you suffer from arthritis and chronic pain. Ease the pain by using the device for just 5-30 minutes per day. | For pain and inflammation relief, and common cold treatment The device will perfectly work for those who suffer from chronic pain and chronic diseases (bronchial congestion, mild asthma) as it reduces swelling, and clears the mucous membranes of the airways. |
What is infrared light therapy?
Infrared light therapy is one of the latest innovative treatments for patients suffering from several medical conditions including chronic pain, common cold, inflammatory diseases, and sleep disorders.
This therapy uses light waves of a certain length, which target areas of the body and stimulate the body’s recovery.
Unlike ultraviolet light, which has a damaging effect on the tissues and cells of the body, infrared light helps cells to regenerate and repair themselves. Infrared light also improves blood circulation in the body, promoting deep tissue healing and faster pain relief.
Often, red and infrared light are used together. They have their specialized uses, however, most of the therapeutic benefits often arise from the simultaneous use of both.
In fact, this non-invasive and painless method can provide a wide range of health benefits without damaging the skin.
What are the benefits of infrared light therapy?
Infrared light therapy has a lot of benefits: it is a non-invasive method that helps with acute and chronic pain, muscle tension, colds, weakened immune system, and nervous system disorders (such as insomnia, stress, anxiety, SAD: Seasonal affective disorder).
Can you use red light therapy every day?
Infrared light therapy devices can be used every day as they are a non-invasive method of treatment that has almost no side effects. The only rule is the duration of daily treatment — don’t use the device longer than 30 min to avoid burns.
What can infrared light therapy treat?
Acute and chronic pain
Photobiomodulation aka low-level light therapy or infrared light therapy is an excellent method for relieving pain, caused by chronic conditions such as arthritis. Regular infrared radiation therapy sessions can relieve muscle and joint pain by stimulating blood flow through the affected areas.
Cardiovascular diseases and risk factors
Infrared heat helps lower blood cholesterol levels, which in turn significantly reduces the risk of heart disease (heart attacks) and also lowers high blood pressure. As an additional effect, it can be noted that in the process of vasodilation, the walls of the vessels become more mobile and elastic leading to blood microcirculation improvement [6].
Colds
Infrared heat increases the body’s resistance to infections and boosts immunity against cold and viral infections. Viruses and bacteria become lethargic, weakened, or die completely. The number of white blood cells in the body increases. They fight infection and help prevent colds or flu [7].
Weakened immune system
The method of warming up with infrared rays can be compared to the body’s response to a fever. Thanks to this reaction, the body acquires the ability to fight bacteria and viruses, slow down the rate of their reproduction and at the same time increase the number of leukocytes that fight infectious diseases
Nervous system disorders
The use of infrared therapy has a calming effect on the nervous system — tension is relieved, a feeling of relaxation and comfort of the body is created. It also has a preventive and therapeutic effect, eliminating insomnia, stress, nervousness.
How does infrared therapy work?
Infrared light penetrates the inner layers of the skin to a depth of 2 to 7 centimeters. Hence, it reaches muscles, nerves, and even bones. Many studies have shown that the frequency of infrared light with wavelengths between 700 and 1000 nanometers is best for treating inflammatory conditions.
Infrared rays penetrate deeply into the body, muscles, and tissues. As a result, three main effects are achieved: infrared light increases cell membrane permeability; balancing the cellular pH while increasing nutritional absorption, and elimination of waste byproducts.
- The first effect is an increase in core body temperature.
During 15-30 minutes of external exposure, the skin temperature rises to 40 °C (104 °F) and the internal body temperature rises to about 38 °C (100.4 °F). This temperature rise creates a state of artificial heat that stimulates the immune system to produce white blood cells, antibodies, and interferon (an antiviral protein).
- The second effect is that the cardiovascular system begins to work more actively.
Blood circulates stronger throughout the body, delivering the necessary nutrients and oxygen to the organs, and removing toxins and waste.
- The third effect of infrared radiation is to detoxify the body.
In addition to the effects of accelerating blood circulation, infrared radiation is believed to be able to neutralize toxins in fat cells and tissues. Infrared technology is one of the best forms of detoxification from our body, which, with constant use, makes the body work at its optimal level.
Best infrared light therapy devices
With technological advances in red and infrared light therapy, you can now find high-quality, performance, and affordable devices that you can use at home.
Hooga 300 — For pain relief and hair loss treatment
The Hooga 300 uses a combination of red and near-infrared wavelengths (60 LEDs in total), which are fully adjustable to achieve a wide range of goals: pain relief, muscle relaxation, promote hair regrowth, and blood circulation improvement. The device is designed to work on the face or the whole body, depending on how it is positioned and how close the user is to it.
The panel is not as compact as the Lightstim, however, it does provide power, which reduces the use time to achieve the desired result. Based on this, the device should be used for 5 to 15 minutes.
Also for ease of use and storage, the Hooga 300 comes with a sturdy mount and overhead cables.
Sparkle Mat — For pain relief, stress reduction, respiratory disease treatment
Sparkle Mat
Sparkle Mat combines several therapeutic modalities that work to relieve pain, improve circulation, relieve stress, improve mood and even reduce asthma and allergy symptoms.
The mat consists of different layers, which include LEDs of different lengths (red and infrared light), and stones (amethyst, tourmaline), which have the highest radiation of therapeutic infrared rays and negative ions. The latter helps to reduce symptoms of allergies, asthma and improve overall well-being.
The device comes in three sizes (Portable 20 “x20”, Mini 32 “x20”, Full-sized 72 “x24”), and also has a built-in timer, so you can choose the duration of the session. We recommend starting therapy at 5 minutes, gradually increasing the duration for best results.
Lightstim — For pain relief
Lightstim
LightStim is a renowned brand in the world of LED light therapy.
If you suffer from pain, including chronic pain — this device is for you. LightStim for Pain relaxes muscles, relieves joint pain, and improves blood circulation.
The device emits warm soothing light from 72 LEDs (red and infrared light), which triggers the body’s natural pain relief process.
LightStim for Pain should be used for 5 to 30 minutes depending on the desired result. Also, the device is equipped with a timer with sound effects, which emphasizes its safety.
Beurer IL50 — For pain and inflammation relief, cold treatment
Beurer IL50
Beurer IL50 is primarily used to treat muscle and joint pain. However, it can also be used to treat colds and bronchial congestion, as it reduces inflammation, swelling, and clears the mucous membranes of the airways.
The built-in timer automatically turns off the device at the end of the treatment. Also, the device has an automatic thermal switch for overheating protection.
Beurer IL50 should be used for 5 to 15 minutes. However, it’s worth noting that the ceramic glass plate that makes up the device heats up quickly, so use it responsibly. Also, don’t allow children to use the device.
How effective is infrared light therapy? Based on scientific research
Light as a factor in treatment was used by the ancient doctors of Greece and Egypt. In the 20th century, light therapy began to develop as part of mainstream medicine.
Below are some studies that prove the effectiveness of infrared light therapy.
A study [1] has involved 39 patients with chronic low back pain. They were randomly assigned to infrared (IR) therapy or placebo treatment. As a result, 21 patients received IR therapy, and 18 received a placebo. Infrared therapy was carried out using two small portable devices (at wavelengths from 800 to 1200 nm) in a belt. The patients attended 7 weekly sessions. As a result, the IR treatment group showed a progressive reduction in pain levels of about 50%, which increased towards the end of the seven-week study period, in contrast to the placebo patients.
The following study [2] confirms the effectiveness of infrared therapy for the treatment of pain.
Ninety patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee were randomly divided into three groups (group I: IR therapy for 5 minutes, the total radiation dose of 3 J; group II: IR therapy for 3 minutes, total radiation dose — 2 J; group III: placebo laser group + exercise). All patients received a total of 10 treatments. As a result, significant improvements were noted for all parameters such as pain, function, and quality of life after therapy in both active laser groups.
The next study [3] involved 113 patients with signs of aging. They were randomly assigned to four treatment groups, treated twice weekly with 611-650 or 570-850 nm light. The radiation intensity and duration of treatment varied across all treatment groups. In total, the patients received 30 procedures. As a result, all patients experienced a significant improvement in complexion and skin feel, a decrease in skin roughness, and an enhancement in collagen density.
The result of treatment with red and infrared therapy
Source: US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health
Infrared therapy has been found to significantly reduce pain and other symptoms of fibromyalgia syndrome, a chronic disease in which people suffer from symmetrical musculoskeletal pain throughout the body.
A study [4] that involved 13 women with fibromyalgia each participant received infrared therapy once a day for 15 minutes, two or five days a week. As a result, pain in all patients was significantly reduced by about half after the first session, and the effect became more lasting after about 10 sessions. During this time, the pain decreased from 20% to 78%.
Infrared light therapy is a highly effective remedy for general healing, as well as for the treatment of acute injuries, chronic conditions, and pain. Science confirms that red and near-infrared light has a positive effect on the body at the cellular level, providing relaxing, rejuvenating, and revitalizing therapies.
Summary
Infrared therapy is a new innovative light method for treating pain, inflammation, and other diseases in various parts of the body.
Devices generate intense light that penetrates the deep layers of the skin, promotes vasodilation, improves blood flow, and eliminates the focus of inflammation. The devices work according to the point principle — a powerful beam of energy is aimed at combating pain sensations, enhances protective functions and resistance to various diseases.
Infrared radiation accelerates physical and chemical processes in the body. Tissue regeneration occurs, cell growth and blood flow are accelerated. The vasodilatation occurs, due to which the blood supply improves and the pressure decreases.
Physical tension is relieved, the psycho-emotional state improves and muscle relaxation occurs. Also, due to infrared light therapy, sleep and mood are improved.
This article was medically reviewed by Noha Sami Hanafy,
PhD in Medical Applications of Laser in dermatology.
FAQ
⭕ How deep does infrared radiation penetrate?
Infrared light penetrates the inner layers of the skin to a depth of 2 to 7 centimeters. This means that it penetrates muscles, nerves, and even bones.
⏳ How often can I use infrared light therapy?
Infrared light is perceived as heat and can be used every day without side effects when used correctly. However, it is recommended not to use the devices for more than 30 minutes at a time to avoid burns.
🔎 Can infrared light therapy cause skin cancer?
Infrared LED therapy cannot cause cancer because it does not include the wavelength of ultraviolet rays. It is safe for the skin if used correctly and not overused.
❓ Is infrared light therapy harmful?
Infrared light therapy is painless, safe, and non-invasive. However, you should use safety precautions such as glasses when using the device.
Sources
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- Ali Gur, Abdulkadir Cosut, Aysegul Jale Sarac, Remzi Cevik, Kemal Nas, Asur Uyar. Efficacy of different therapy regimes of low-power laser in painful osteoarthritis of the knee: a double-blind and randomized-controlled trial. – Lasers Surg Med. 2003;33(5):330-8. DOI: 10.1002/lsm.10236.
- Alexander Wunschcorresponding and Karsten Matuschka. A Controlled Trial to Determine the Efficacy of Red and Near-Infrared Light Treatment in Patient Satisfaction, Reduction of Fine Lines, Wrinkles, Skin Roughness, and Intradermal Collagen Density Increase. – Photomed Laser Surg. 2014 Feb 1; 32(2): 93–100. DOI: 10.1089/pho.2013.3616
- Shuji Matsumoto, Megumi Shimodozono, Seiji Etoh, Ryuji Miyata, Kazumi Kawahira. Effects of thermal therapy combining sauna therapy and underwater exercise in patients with fibromyalgia. – Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2011 Aug;17(3):162-6. DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2010.08.004. E-pub 2010 Sep 25.
- Rushdi, Tarek. (2010). Effect of low-level laser therapy on cholesterol and triglyceride serum levels in ICU patients: A controlled, randomized study. EJCTA. 4.
- Park D, Kyung J, Kim D, Hwang SY, Choi EK, Kim YB. Anti-hypercholesterolemic and anti-atherosclerotic effects of polarized-light therapy in rabbits fed a high-cholesterol diet. Lab Anim Res. 2012;28(1):39-46. doi:10.5625/lar.2012.28.1.39
- Mokmeli S, Vetrici M. Low-level laser therapy as a modality to attenuate cytokine storm at multiple levels, enhance recovery, and reduce the use of ventilators in COVID-19. Can J Respir Ther. 2020;56:25-31. Published 2020 Jul 23. doi:10.29390/cjrt-2020-015.
- Mehta P, McAuley DF, Brown M, et al… COVID-19: consider cytokine storm syndromes and immunosuppression. Lancet 2020;395(10229): P1033–4. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30628-0.
- Cotler HB, Chow RT, Hamblin MR, Carroll J. The use of Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) for musculoskeletal pain. MOJ Orthop Rheumatol 2015;2(5):00068. doi: 10.15406/mojor.2015.02.00068.
