In this article they are talking about using red 630nm and near infrared 805nm light to stop short and long term brain damage in stroke patients.  The light is capable of penetrating the skull into the brain.  They are experimenting with pulsed light hoping for deeper penetration.  I wonder why they aren’t just using longer wavelengths of infrared which would certainly penetrate deeper.   They mentioned the the cells they are targeting have a peak absorption at 630nm red and 805nm infrared, but if the damage is deeper than those wavelengths can penetrate, wouldn’t less than peak absorption be better than nothing?

Anyway, I hope they get this all worked out and make this treatment available to all soon.

2. Red is Red.  If the light looks red, you’ve got red light therapy. The whole range of red light, from about 620nm – 700nm does the same thing.  Don’t get roped into spending more for one red light that might be 30nm different than the one you can afford just because they say it’s better.

3. Intensity does not equal effectiveness.  Don’t buy a red light therapy product based on claims of intensity.  Get the light that best fits your budget and your lifestyle.  They will all work when used as directed.

4. More is not better.  The treatment time for just about any red light therapy application is between 1 and 5 minutes per area.  Research has shown that longer treatment times are not necessary and, in fact, can render treatment ineffective.   Sometimes it’s even better to do treatments twice or three times per week instead of daily. Resist the urge to over do it, and be patient as your results are revealed.

We chose enLux LED because of their superior product, excellent service, and their commitment to the planet.

enLux LEDs are a good choice for many light and color therapy applications because they are affordable, easy to use, and they last about forever.

Where to get enLux LEDs?

I have made the full line of enLux LED flood lights and spot lights available on SmarterLights.com.

How to choose the right enLux high power LED for your light or color therapy use.

There are 4 different types of enLux LED lights.

1. The R30F.  (F=flood light) This is the standard one used for general light/color therapy.  It has as much light output or more as the 150 watt GE Dichromatic with an 80 degree beam – good for small and larger area applications, for example, good for both facial and back acne treatments.

2. The R320F.  This is a slightly less powerful and less expensive version of the R30.  Still plenty of power.  Choose it if you want to save some money, or travel a lot, since it’s smaller.

3. The R30S. (S=Spot light) All the power of the R30F focused by a fresnel lens.  Good for small area applications such as facial treatments and chakra zones.

4. The R30W.  (W=Wide angle flood light).  This is the same as the R30F except with a wide, 160 degree beam angle.  Great for full body light or color therapy treatments, or flooding a whole wall or ceiling with color for general color therapy.

How to Use enLux LEDs for Light and Color Therapy (General Guidelines)

enLux LEDs can be used in place of more expensive LED light therapy products for most applications where the same wavelength or wavelength range is called for.  For specific treatments, follow these guidelines first, then use the recommended treatment procedure for the LED product you are replacing.

1. These lights are very bright.  Always wear protective eye wear when using them, especially when using them on your face.  Keep your eyes closed even with the eye protection on, unless they’re block out glasses.

2. Use them a minimum of 6″ from your skin. enLux LEDs are much more intense than regular LEDs.  The treatment distance can be from 6″- 24″ away from your skin or more depending on they type of therapy you’re doing.  Many products on the market will direct you to use their light right against your skin.  With these lights, 6″ is as close as you should get.  Too much intensity is not usually good when it comes to light therapy.  There would be no danger in using them closer, just the possibility of rendering your therapy ineffective or worsening the condition you are trying to treat.

Guidelines for Specific Lights and Applications

The enLux 630nm Guidelines for Use – Covers acne, rosacea, wrinkles, collagen, hair loss, and wound care.

The enLux 415nm Guidelines for Use – Covers acne and MRSA light therapy.

The enLux 465nm Guidellines for Use – Covers acne and MRSA light therapy.

The enLux Hybrid Guidelines for Use – Covers acne light therapy.

Even people who already have active lifestyles can suffer from muscle fatigue.  In a gym, it can be an inconvenience or can require an exerciser to need to rest more frequently.  Outside of the gym, though, it can not only be unpleasant, but can also cause dangerous situations, as a Greenville County, Virginia man discovered in June, 2010, when he had to be rescued when he’d climbed over fifty feet up the side of Rainbow Falls in Jones Gap State Park and, due to muscle fatigue, was unable to climb up or down.

This problem has led to massive efforts in the medical community to help to prevent muscle fatigue.  Though creatine supplements have been thought to be a viable solution for some, others dislike the fact that while some studies show positive results, not all human studies have demonstrated desirable outcomes. Furthermore, it the contradictory results of studies implies that not everyone responds to creatine in the same way.  Moreover, the conflicts with common substances (such as caffeine) and medications (such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and the side effects to creatine can be quite unpleasant for dieters and other users.  Some side effects include weight gain (which is obviously quite undesirable to dieters), muscle cramps (which makes exercising more difficult and negates the benefits for muscle fatigue), dizziness, high blood pressure, kidney damage and liver dysfunction.

Fortunately, a study published on July 13, 2010 in the journal Photomedicine and Laser Surgery called “Effect of Light-Emitting Diodes Therapy (LEDT) on Knee Extensor Muscle Fatigue” showed that using LEDT showed a significant reduction on quadriceps knee muscle fatigue using POST-MVC, higher torques (p=0.034)  with LEDT (237.68±48.82Nm) when compared to placebo (225.68±44.14Nm) treatment.

Light therapies may, therefore, hold the key to natural and side effect-free prevention of muscle fatigue for dieters who are trying to exercise for weight loss.

Sources:

• http://www.wyff4.com/news/24148535/detail.html
• http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6TB0-50F36FP-2&_user=10&_coverDate=07%2F01%2F2010&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=7da36f99f04c40c7400f840ba6e1b213
• http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/creatine-000297.htm
• http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/pho.2009.2688

Most of the parts on this thing were pretty dry, however, some of the scientists had a sense of humor.

This was my favorite line of the weekend:

“The only way a (low level) laser is going to hurt somebody is if they drop it on their foot.”

I’m sorry I didn’t get the speaker’s name to credit that to.   There was a chuckle through the audience, indicating agreement on the part of all.

It was mentioned over and over, there are zero adverse side effects to low level light therapy, be it low level laser or LED light therapy.  As mentioned above, this includes red light therapy, red/infrared light therapy and infrared light therapy – generally wavelengths between 600nm and 1100nm.

It was said that light only effects cells “under stress” and has no effect on healthy cells.

The last part of the weekend was specifically devoted to “Human Safety Evaluation of Light-based Devices for Home Use” and he was talking about things like the resistors inside the devices getting hot, so that if you took the thing apart and touched one of them, you might burn your fingers.  If there were any reported negative side effects of LED or low level laser light therapy, we’d have heard about them then.  There are none.

• back, hip and knee pain
• sciatica
• diabetic leg ulcers due to hardening of arteries and decreased blood supply
• bedsores or pressure sores
• lympedema
• bursitis
• arthritis
• herniated disc
• carpal tunnel syndrome
• rotator cuff tears
• psoriasis
• allergic contact dermatitis
• acne
• ringworm
• impetigo
• warts
• herpetic lesions of the face and genital area (in fact, lesions that usually recurred after three weeks of treatment could be delayed for up to 37 weeks)
• athletic injuries

Finally, he tells us that a presentation was given showing preliminary research that LILT could help to stimulate nerve cell damage. Prior to this, it had been commonly believed that Nerve cells DO NOT regenerate, which is why spinal cord injuries seem so final.

While the exact mechanics of LILT are still under research and there is no definitive answer as to precisely how it works, there seems to be a general understanding of it. LILT uses light in the Red to Infrared wavelengths. LILT appears to kick-start the body’s natural healing process by delivering electro-magnetic energy to the affected cells, which is then transformed into biochemical energy.  This provides increased blood flow and accelerates healing times.

LILT sessions are generally 30-60 minutes long, working from shorter to longer sessions. LILT is non-toxic, safe, and noninvasive. Dr. Walker recommends that you try LILT before resorting to drugs or surgery.

Two post-conference articles can be found here:

Canada Free Press

Welland Tribune