Red light and Near Infrared Red Infrared light uses a process called photobiomodulation to change the condition of damaged tissue by stimulating cellular metabolism thereby accelerating the healing process, and also vastly reducing pain. Also for healthy individuals it can be a natural performance enhancement tool for athletes and a great preventative measure (a process known as preconditioning - more on this later) for normal healthy individuals.
As light pours into the tissue, light will be reflected, scattered and absorbed. Red light therapy devices operating in the Near infrared frequency range can (unlike visible light), penetrate to deep structures.
Light that penetrates into the tissue can be absorbed by Melanin, Hemoglobin, Oxyhemoglobin, and water. Energy from these absorption events will generate heat which will be felt as soothing warmth in the body and tissues.
As light pours into the tissue, light will be reflected, scattered and absorbed. Red light therapy devices operating in the Near infrared frequency range can (unlike visible light), penetrate to deep structures.
Light that penetrates into the tissue can be absorbed by Melanin, Hemoglobin, Oxyhemoglobin, and water. Energy from these absorption events will generate heat which will be felt as soothing warmth in the body and tissues.
But the primary target for photobiomodulation is the Cytochrome C complex which is found in the inner membrane of the mitochondria.
Cytochrome C is a vital component of the electron transport chain (ETC) that drives cellular metabolism. In fact it may be THE most important complex in the ETC in that it is here where oxygen "docks" as the final electron acceptor in the ETC to product ATP, the molecule that facilitates energy transfer within the cell. It is literally the main "currency" of energy that powers up your 37 trillion cells!
As light is absorbed, cytochrome C is stimulated leading to increased production of ATP [list all sources needed for energy].
In addition to ATP, red light therapy stimulation also produces free nitric oxide, reactive oxygen species and cAMP (these are just the most important examples, but by no means exhaustive).
Nitric Oxide is an important vasodilator and an important cellular signaling molecule involved in many physiological processes.
Reactive oxygen species have been shown to affect many important physiological signaling processes including the inflammatory response.
cAMP....
In concert, these signaling molecules have been shown in concert to induce growth factor production, to increase cell proliferation and motility, and to promote extracellular matrix deposition (increased protein synthesis - mainly collagen and strengthening), and also many other pro survival pathways.
Cytochrome C is a vital component of the electron transport chain (ETC) that drives cellular metabolism. In fact it may be THE most important complex in the ETC in that it is here where oxygen "docks" as the final electron acceptor in the ETC to product ATP, the molecule that facilitates energy transfer within the cell. It is literally the main "currency" of energy that powers up your 37 trillion cells!
As light is absorbed, cytochrome C is stimulated leading to increased production of ATP [list all sources needed for energy].
In addition to ATP, red light therapy stimulation also produces free nitric oxide, reactive oxygen species and cAMP (these are just the most important examples, but by no means exhaustive).
Nitric Oxide is an important vasodilator and an important cellular signaling molecule involved in many physiological processes.
Reactive oxygen species have been shown to affect many important physiological signaling processes including the inflammatory response.
cAMP....
In concert, these signaling molecules have been shown in concert to induce growth factor production, to increase cell proliferation and motility, and to promote extracellular matrix deposition (increased protein synthesis - mainly collagen and strengthening), and also many other pro survival pathways.
What is Wavelength?
The wavelength of light is the distance from peak to peak between successive crests of a wave (the distance from peak to peak), especially points in a sound wave or electromagnetic wave.
The wavelength of light is the distance from peak to peak between successive crests of a wave (the distance from peak to peak), especially points in a sound wave or electromagnetic wave.
Our eyes perceive wavelengths of the electromagnetic waves that are in the visible spectrum. The longest wavelength our eyes see appears to us as the color red, while the the shortest wavelengths appear to us as violet. Infrared (below red) and ultraviolet (above violet) lie just outside our perception. We say visible spectrum because this is the biologically active window of frequencies our eyes can respond to (which have wavelengths between 400 and 700 nms). That is, we cannot see wavelengths too much above 700 nms (NIR) or too much below 400nms which by the way is a very narrow range of frequencies compared to the entire electromagnetic spectrum. In fact, if the entire electromagnetic spectrum were laid out across the Brooklyn Bridge, the portion we can see with our eyes would be just a few feet wide." Look closely here at the tiny sliver of rainbow in the middle of the bridge. Our eyes are blind to everything outside of this tiny sliver!
But the human body can respond to other wavelengths. For example, we can "feel" infrared as heat (roughly 800-10,000 nm from NIR to MIR to FIR) and, our skin interacts with UV (100-400nm).
But the human body can respond to other wavelengths. For example, we can "feel" infrared as heat (roughly 800-10,000 nm from NIR to MIR to FIR) and, our skin interacts with UV (100-400nm).
"optical window".
An important consideration involves the optical properties of tissue. Both the absorption and scattering of light in tissue are wavelength dependent (both much higher in the blue region of the spectrum than the red), and the principal tissue chromophores (hemoglobin and melanin) have high absorption bands at wavelengths longer than 600 nm. Water begins to absorb significantly at wavelengths greater than 1150 nm. For these reasons, there is a so-called "optical window" in tissue covering the red and NIR wavelengths, where the effective tissue penetration of light is maximized (Figure 2). Therefore, although blue, green and yellow light may have significant effects on cells growing in optically transparent culture medium, the use of LLLT in animals and patients almost exclusively involves red and NIR light (600 - 950 nm).
An important consideration involves the optical properties of tissue. Both the absorption and scattering of light in tissue are wavelength dependent (both much higher in the blue region of the spectrum than the red), and the principal tissue chromophores (hemoglobin and melanin) have high absorption bands at wavelengths longer than 600 nm. Water begins to absorb significantly at wavelengths greater than 1150 nm. For these reasons, there is a so-called "optical window" in tissue covering the red and NIR wavelengths, where the effective tissue penetration of light is maximized (Figure 2). Therefore, although blue, green and yellow light may have significant effects on cells growing in optically transparent culture medium, the use of LLLT in animals and patients almost exclusively involves red and NIR light (600 - 950 nm).
