Although studies on this specific subject are rare, an increasing number indicate that red light therapy can be a safe and effective alternative to medications for the treatment of menstrual cramps. As we reflected upon the findings listed above, we could see that red light therapy can help to alleviate symptoms related to menstruation, like PMS, through the effects of endorphins across your entire body. As you read, red light therapy provides some natural relief for symptoms of menstrual disorders, such as pain, in this study. For people suffering from primary dysmenorrhea (frequent pain), the use of red light therapy may alleviate some of the pain while targeting certain acupuncture points. [Sources: 12]
Red light therapy may help fight symptoms of PMS, decrease pain, ease discomfort, and may even help decrease the inflammation/scarring that you might be experiencing as a result of disorders like endometriosis. Red LED lights can help decrease inflammation and boost circulation, which may aid in both the skin’s appearance as well as general health. Blue lights can also help kill acne-causing bacteria, which can help reduce pimples, along with cystic acne and bumps below the skin. Yellow LED light therapy can help increase the production of red blood cells, which helps with the healing of skin and cell rejuvenation. [Sources: 5, 12]
Low-wavelength red light is naturally occurring and can penetrate deeply into the skin, where cells can absorb and utilize it. The light seems to go deep into the skin and influence sebum production, as well as reducing inflammation and irritation of the area. As one study in the Journal of Seminars in Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery notes, mitochondria in the skin cells may be able to absorb red light at lower wavelengths. [Sources: 1]
Used to treat hyperpigmentation, this colored light helps to diminish brown spots and wrinkles by targeting the melanocytes located at the innermost layers of skin — the cells that make melanin. Because of the soothing effects, this color light has on the skin, the light helps flush waste matter out of the skin and increases lymphatic circulation. [Sources: 5]
Red Light Therapy for Pain uses a low heat that does not damage or burn your skin, nor does Red Light Therapy expose your skin to harmful UV radiation. Although the lower-light laser works at red light frequencies, the treatments are more concentrated, which allows this type of pain therapy to be useful in both chronic and acute pain management, helping release muscle cramps, and speeding up the body’s healing capabilities. This means that Infrared Light Therapy is capable of treating indicators of pain related to deeper muscle tissues, bones, and joints. [Sources: 6]
Infrared therapies promote the reduction of pain, like reduced muscle soreness following exercise or sports, and lighter, more agile movements. Infrared therapy has also been known to improve circulation and target loosening tight muscles, often contributing to headaches and neck pain. [Sources: 3, 11]
Just as plants grow using the suns energy in photosynthesis, infrared (IR) therapy – or low-level light therapy – uses specific, proven wavelengths to trigger natural responses in human tissues, which may boost circulation, speed tissue repairs, alleviate muscle soreness, relieve stiff joints, and improve overall cellular function at a microscopic level. From managing chronic pain to improving athletic endurance, infrared (IR) light therapy has been clinically proven to deliver therapeutic benefits across a range of health applications, penetrating deeply below the skin’s surface to improve cellular-level health. [Sources: 10]
IR light therapy may help suppress pain signals, release nitric oxide, decrease inflammation, and enhance circulation and blood flow to deliver oxygen and nutrients to areas of pain. Using infrared light may be helpful to dramatically decrease pain in the case of back pain, as well as other common types of pain, such as pain in our feet and ankles, which limits activities, as well as musculoskeletal pain at our knee joints, wrists, and elsewhere in the body. Low-level laser therapy has also been shown to reduce scar tissue and adhesions causing pelvic pain, by modulating cellular inflammatory responses. [Sources: 3, 6, 9]
Recent evidence suggests that high-intensity laser treatment (HILT) is effective for controlling PD pain as well. Not only does low-level laser therapy help modulate the inflammatory process, decreasing those pro-inflammatory markers, but it also helps the immune system boost production of anti-inflammatory mediators. Another study found an 83% decrease in pain when stimulating the acupuncture points using low-level laser therapy, treating 31 women for low-level laser treatment for the 5 days before their monthly menstrual cycle. [Sources: 0, 9]
One study that investigated the effects of laser acupuncture (the use of low-level laser therapy directed at specific acupuncture points) and exercises for primary dysmenorrhea showed total recovery for 76.67% of the 30 women after three months (3 treatments/month). Studies, another was conducted ( ), which concluded that Red Light Therapy was able to reduce mean pain during periods from 8.3 to only 3.8 after only three menstrual cycles for the 44 women who took part in Red Light Therapy research. In the study published in The Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics, subjects using Low-Level Light Therapy (LLLT) showed a statistically significant decrease in pain levels after a month and almost no pain at all after three months. [Sources: 2, 7, 9]
The results from this study suggest that a belt of Near-infrared light-emitting diode is effective at reducing menstrual pain, and menstrual pain duration when compared with analgesics in Korean women suffering from dysmenorrhea. This data suggests that an infrared device could be used as an effective and safe option for women with dysmenorrhea, with continued effects following treatment. These findings from this study show that the FIR Belt) is effective as a new alternative treatment to alleviate primary dysmenorrhea. [Sources: 3, 8, 11]
The study showed that the RLT can efficiently alleviate pain in adults suffering from various musculoskeletal disorders. The researchers’ findings indicated that RLT could aid the speed of recovery following facial bone defects. Although further studies are needed to verify the effectiveness of green light therapy in treating pain, it could prove an additional tool that helps patients in a safe, non-invasive manner. [Sources: 1, 6]
This combination makes it an excellent treatment to ease symptoms associated with PMS, and reduce the pain and inflammation associated with conditions like endometriosis. Red light therapy is a natural way to decrease inflammation and enhance cellular function, as well as help in soothing symptoms related to PMS, assisting with endorphin release throughout the body (aka the happy hormone). Photons released by an LLLT (low-level laser light therapy, also known as Red Light Therapy) is absorbed in the skin and will aid in increasing a form of cellular energy called ATP (adenosine triphosphate). [Sources: 7, 12]
The combination means one device can be used for both superficial skin and muscle pain as well as deeper muscle and joint pain, using a wider range of light to allow more penetration, absorption, and resultant benefits. Light can also be used as an effective, non-invasive treatment option, with few or no side effects, for improving sleep, mood, and overall well-being. Today, low-light laser therapy is safe and effective, and done in the convenience of your own home, using FDA-approved devices, which allow you to manage pain on your own. [Sources: 4, 6]
Sources:
[0]: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10103-021-03490-z
[1]: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325884
[2]: https://healthtechinsider.com/2016/11/03/light-treatment-menstrual-pain-video/
[3]: https://searchandrestore.com/does-red-light-therapy-help-menstrual-cramps/
[4]: https://www.kaiyanmedical.com/post/no-more-menstrual-pain-with-light-therapy
[5]: https://www.standwellness.com/blog/led-light-therapy
[6]: https://www.soliotherapy.com/light-therapy-for-pain/
[7]: https://redlightrising.co.uk/2022/03/16/red-light-therapy-for-menstrual-pain/
[8]: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2012/240314/
[9]: https://acubalance.ca/blog/low-level-laser-therapy-lllt-and-the-perfect-menstrual-cycle
[10]: https://www.celluma.com/pages/light-therapy-pain-management
[11]: https://fitbodywrap.com/knowledge-center/how-infrared-heat-can-soothe-period-pains/
[12]: https://rouge.care/blogs/rouge-red-light-therapy-blog/at-last-red-light-therapy-for-menstrual-relief
