Whether it’s from physical activity or chemical pollutants in our food and environment, we all sustain injuries regularly. Anything that can help accelerate the body’s healing process can free up resources and allow it to focus on maintaining optimal health rather than the healing itself.
Dr. Harry Whelan, professor of pediatric neurology and director of hyperbaric medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin has been study red light in cell cultures and on humans for decades. His work in the laboratory has shown that skin and muscle cells grown in cultures and exposed to LED infrared light grow 150-200% faster than control cultures not stimulated by the light.
Working with Naval doctors in Norfolk, Virginia and San Diego California to treat soldiers injured in training, Dr. Whelan and his team found that soldiers with musculoskeletal training injuries who were treated with the light-emitting diodes improved by 40%.
In 2000, Dr. Whelan concluded, “The near-infrared light emitted by these LEDs seems to be perfect for increasing energy inside cells. This means whether you’re on Earth in a hospital, working in a submarine under the sea or on your way to Mars inside a spaceship, the LEDs boost energy to the cells and accelerate healing.”
There are literally dozens of other studies evidencing the powerful wound-healing benefits of red light.
For example, in 2014, a group of scientists from three universities in Brazil conducted a scientific review of the effects of red light on wound healing. After studying a total of 68 studies, most of which were conducted on animals using wavelengths ranged from 632.8 and 830 nm, the study concluded “…phototherapy, either by LASER or LED, is an effective therapeutic modality to promote healing of skin wounds.”