If you’ve been reading my blog, you may know that I’ve been testing out a red light treatment for lymphedema to see if it can help with swelling both short and long term. After reviewing the science, which is advancing rapidly, I have high hopes that this natural treatment might provide us lymphedema sufferers more systemic relief. Is that realistic? I’ll need more time to evaluate red light therapy benefits for lymphedema, but in the meantime, I wanted to provide an update of how it’s going so far.
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My 50-Day Red Light Therapy Update
I’ve been using my red light therapy panel for 50 days now, and I wanted to share my progress and thoughts. So far, I have noticed some early improvements, which is keeping me very optimistic that this unique technology maybe can help us repair our compromised lymphatic systems.
Consistent Treatment Schedule
One of the things I’ve been focusing on is maintaining a consistent treatment schedule. I use the red light therapy panel for about 12 to 16 minutes per day. I’ve been using it about 5 days a week.
I purposely am not using it every day. While many people recommend it, one MD I was listening to on a podcast warned that it is best to take breaks. Plus that works for life, right? Some days it just isn’t easy to fit it in, so that becomes a rest day.
Is It Working? Early Results of Red Light Therapy
So far, so good! I have felt some interesting benefits which is making me feel good about this technology. Here they are:
- Lymphedema swelling. So far, it appears to be helping with drainage, at least short term. The biggest change is that I don’t feel that liquidy feeling in my left leg, which I had earlier in the year. So it seems to be helping short term. However, my aim here is to see if this red light therapy can get my weak lymph system functioning better, so that will take more time to assess.
- Pain reduction. This is awesome! I get a sore shoulder frequently, probably because I work on the computer alot , and that is pretty much gone. Which is huge because I always needed to do yoga every few days to loosen it up, or I would pay the price. I also have a couple toes that usually ache and I realized I’m not feeling that anymore either. And to round it out (I”m old, ok?) I have some arthritis in my left hand that started when it swelled after a big hike. That is a big irritation and its almost gone! Huge relief.
- Sinuses and allergies. I have alot of allergies and have been doing those allergy drops for awhile, which help. But usually one side of my nose is always a bit congested. But since using the red light, this feels like it is breaking that up! For the first time in awhile my right side is clear.
- More energy. This is a big one for me. I am feeling more energy, which is helping my workouts feel easier. My husband complains less about how slow I go up hills when hiking. That’s a win! 🙂
And one final tidbit: at my age, I”m stiff in the morning but it goes away in a few minutes. I usually have a few creaks and cracks that occur as I get up in hips and knees. They are not painful at all, just weird, and I just realized those have stopped. I have not heard them in awhile.
Can Photobiomodulation Help Us Feel Younger?
So far, I’m thinking that this really works. It makes sense the more you learn about it. Red light therapy, also known as photobiomodulation, works its magic on a cellular level, boosting energy production and promoting healing. From what I”ve read, it basically helps old cells clean up and start performing more efficiently.
And while it seems like magic, it’s just science. In my reading, I found out we used to get all of this light energy from the sun. But now with modern life, we live indoors, we have blazing lights at all hours. When we are outside and in the sun, we wear sunglasses and sunscreen. So we don’t get the almost constant sunlight our predecessors got when they lived outside and didn’t have electricity and internet.
And this type of light therapy, often referred to as PBM for short, has been in use for awhile. According to Robert Pinelli, MD, Founder of the Switzerland Eye Research Institute in Lugano, writing in Opthamology Times:
“PBM has also been used in the last 20 years for musculoskeletal pain, injury, dysfunction, and wound healing; to improve acute muscle performance and reduce muscle damage after exercise; and for neuropathic pain, lymphedema, and oral mucositis.”
If we lived outside and rose at dawn, and watched sunsets and campfires, we would not need it. Really, we’re just replacing what modern life has depleted.
Learning More About Photobiomodulation
If you’re interested, there’s some fascinating stuff out there both for reading and listening about red light therapy benefits for lymphedema and other conditions. .
Here are a few links to some information from medical experts (not laypeople like me), so you can learn more about this intruiging new field of study:
Benefits of Red Light Therapy (an Interview with Michael Hamblin, PhD)
Photobiomodulation shows the power of light by Robert Pinelli, MD (article)
https://www.ophthalmologytimes.com/view/photobiomodulation-shows-the-power-of-light
What Is Photobiomodulation? An expert explains in layman’s terms, Dr. Jason Pang (article)
There’s plenty more out there, ranging from scientific papers to everyday people writing about their experience.
How am I using Red Light Therapy as a Lymphedema Treatment?
I am very happy to report that is has been relatively easy to integrate this into the daily to do list.
One thing, however, as I noted: I don’t use it every day. I’ve been using it about 5 days per week. Although red light therapy has been used in doctor’s offices and other places for a couple decades, home use is relatively new. From what I’ve heard from MDs, sounds like constant stimulation for the cells is not necessarily a good thing without breaks. So I think doing it with a few rest days makes sense. Plus that’s the most realistic as some days one just runs out of time.
What Red Light Therapy Panel Should You Choose?
There are many out there these days. It’s a big purchase so definitely do your research.
I always try to get the most bang for the buck, but focus on value. I did not want to pay for bells and whistles I don’t need, but I did want enough power to make sure I wasn’t wasting my time.
Here is the panel I bought and am using, it’s called the MitoPro 1500. It is a full body panel, which helps treat more at once. However, I have read that many people start with a smaller panel and do that to treat the full body by treating from a distance.
I chose the MitoPro because of the great reviews for this company, and the fact that their prices were lower than their peers. However, their products are very well rated for sheer power and safety. I also had some questions and got ultra fast responses from them. Finally, they offered a no-questions asked return policy for 60 days, and don’t charge a restocking fee. This is also critical so you can change your mind if it isn’t helping you as you thought.
If you’re interested in buying a MitroPro panel, use the discount code FL001 for an additional 5% off the price.
My Final Take: A 50-Day Update on Red Light Therapy for Lymphedema
Overall, I’m quite happy with the short term benefits I’m feeling in just 50 days of using red light therapy for lymphedema. I’m excited to continue this journey and see what kind of bigger impact it can have on lymphedema over a longer period of time.
Stay tuned for future updates!
Interested in giving red light therapy a try?
This is the panel I’m using after significant research. I found it the best combination of value and price. And if you want to try it, use the discount code FL001 to get an additional 5% off.
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