| I recently started doing research for an article on | | | | information out there to achieve a reliable confidence |
| beneficial use of infrared light therapy for pain | | | | coefficient. |
| management. Per the usual approach, I started by | | | | - In Europe and The United States there are a large |
| looking for studies to validate that it worked or did not | | | | number of controlled studies coming out of the |
| work. After about three hours of sifting through | | | | veterinary sciences that show validated success on |
| abstracts on studies associated with infrared, laser, | | | | large animals, especially horses. Infrared and other |
| bright, red, blue and a combination of red and blue light | | | | forms of light therapy have been, and continue to be |
| therapies for pain management, I came to several | | | | used, on horses at race tracks and stables globally. |
| conclusions: | | | | There is sufficient positive data to say that pain |
| - Most of the unsubstantiated data found, suggests | | | | management uses on high performance horses (and |
| that it works for pain management in humans. There | | | | regular horses for that matter) is beneficial and has |
| are few concise studies associated with humans, that I | | | | become a fairly standard treatment. |
| could find, that would validate the benefit of light | | | | - Finally, there is sufficient data validating the success |
| therapy for pain management (they may be out there | | | | of light therapies with humans for SAD, nonseasonal |
| and I was looking in the wrong directories or journals). | | | | depression, existing acne and prevention of future |
| - There has been some contractor research | | | | acne. On a very general level, some of the basics |
| completed by NASA for using light therapy in space | | | | principles are the same and would tend to give you a |
| for pain management. It was tough to find | | | | warm glow of confidence on its use for pain |
| substantiated data on the results of those studies. You | | | | management. |
| do get the impression by reading the periphery of the | | | | OK, what does all of this mean? It seems that there is |
| NASA studies that light therapy is used in space (I | | | | strong likelihood that light therapy works for humans |
| would expect the space station) on humans with | | | | for pain management, but that you proceed at your |
| success. | | | | own risk. With that in mind, the following course of |
| - The FDA has approved sale of specific light therapy | | | | action is how I would go about it, not to be perceived |
| apparatus for pain management. Those approvals | | | | as direct guidance in any way. |
| seem to be based on research conducted by the | | | | |
| manufacturer, or agent of the manufacturer, for | | | | 1. Determine specifically what pain you want to treat |
| specific light spectrums for specific applications, e.g. | | | | before making any purchase. |
| shoulder pain. | | | | 2. Determine if there is a device available for that |
| - There have been several controlled studies by | | | | specific pain, approved for sale by the FDA. |
| veterinarians in Brazil which have shown positive | | | | 3. Given the answer is yes, the next thing I would do is |
| results with animals, generally rats. You could make a | | | | determine how much I could afford to spend, not |
| case for extrapolating the positive results of those | | | | having full confidence that it was going to work, or |
| studies to humans. That is a common practice when | | | | better yet, find a unit that has a money back |
| you have an abundance of animal data and enough | | | | guarantee. |
| human data to achieve an acceptable confidence | | | | 4. Buy it and give it a try, and follow the manufacturers |
| coefficient. There does not seem to be enough human | | | | directions exactly. |