Before we get started I want to make one thing clear: I am not a doctor. What follows here is not medical advice. Please consult your doctor if you have a wound that will not heal, or shows any signs of infection.
Red & Near Infrared Light Speeds Wound Healing
When I heard that red light can heal a wound 200% faster 1 is when I fell in love with light therapy.
You see, I have always loved the elderly. A non-healing wound in an elderly person, especially one with diabetes, can easily become infected and lead to amputation, or worse. So it became the purpose of my business to make this information known, to help close wounds, prevent infection, prevent amputation – maybe save a life.
So, if you or someone you love has a non-healing or slow healing wound, take heart:
- many studies have shown that red and / or infrared light therapy can close the wound, even in diabetics.
- Depending on several factors, it will take about 4 – 8 weeks of consistent treatment to fully close a previously non-healing wound.
- There are no adverse side effects.
- The equipment is easily available and affordable.
- You can get started today.
Research & Articles
What follows is a sampling of research and articles showing that red and infrared light therapy speeds the healing of open wounds. If you are going to browse through these, there are a couple of things you should know first:
1. What is it called? Doctors and researchers call red and infrared light therapy just about everything but that. It is most often called:
- LLLT – low level light therapy
- LLLT – low level laser therapy
- LILT – low intensity laser therapy
- photobiomodulation
- photobiostimulation
- others
2. No color mentioned. Science describes color in terms of wavelength, measured in nanometers (nm) as follows:
- Any number between 620 nm and 680 nm is visible red light (red light therapy.)
- Any number between 700 nm and 1100 nm is near infrared, invisible to the human eye, (near infrared light therapy.)
3. Laser or LED. Some studies will use lasers, some will use LEDs. Although this was a heavily debated topic once, it is generally agreed upon now that they are both equally effective.
General Wound Healing
[tabs] [tab title=”Study 1″]
Publication: SlideShare
Title: LLLT, Low Level Laser (LED-Ga-As-660) Therapy on Soft Tissue Healing: Review, Mechanism and a Case Report
Highlights: This study results efficacy of LLLT on wound healing in human model, and indicates that it can be a very important adjective tool /modality for chronic intractable wound management, and in any way it is not harmful to human being.
Notes: This report was difficult to read as published, but contains excellent information if you could manage to print it. It also looks like there are many other related links to the right of this one.
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Publication: Informa Healthcare 2000, Vol. 18, No. 2 , Pages 1-19
Title: The Use of Low Intensity Laser Therapy (LILT) for the Treatment of Open Wounds in Psychogeriatric Patients A Pilot Study
Highlights: “84% of these wounds completely healed, 11.2% partially healed, 2.1% did not change, and 2.7% got worse. The number of treatments for the 158 completely-healed wounds ranged from 3 to 133 (mean 18.5) and the treatment period ranged from 5 to 383 days (mean 47.7). Wound healing was found to be related to nutritional status but neither walking status nor wound size.
Results indicate that LILT is effective in the treatment of open wounds when it is used as a component of a total wound management program.”
Link to Study: http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.1080/J148v18n02_01
[/tab][tab title=”Study 3″]
Publication: Journal of Clinical Laser Medicine & Surgery. 2003 Apr;21(2):67-74.
Title: Effect of NASA light-emitting diode irradiation on molecular changes for wound healing in diabetic mice.
Highlights: We believe that the use of NASA light-emitting diodes (LED) for light therapy will greatly enhance the natural wound healing process, and more quickly return the patient to a preinjury/illness level of activity.
Link to Study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12737646
[/tab][tab title=”Study 4″]
Publication: Journal of Clinical Laser & Medical Surgery. 2001 Dec;19(6):305-14.
Title: Effect of NASA light-emitting diode irradiation on wound healing.
Highlights:We believe that the use of NASA LED for light therapy alone, and in conjunction with hyperbaric oxygen, will greatly enhance the natural wound healing process, and more quickly return the patient to a preinjury/illness level of activity.
Links to Study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11776448
http://www.syrolight.com/info/effect-of-nasa-light-emitting-diode-led-irradiation-on-wound-healing
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Venus Ulcers & Pressure Ulcers
[tabs] [tab title=”Study 1″]
Publication: Dermatologic Surgery 1998 Dec;24(12):1383-6.
Title: The use of low energy photon therapy (LEPT) in venous leg ulcers: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
Highlights: In this placebo-controlled, double-blind study LEPT was an effective modality for the treatment of venous leg ulcers. There were no adverse side effects.
Link to Study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9865208#
[/tab][tab title=”Study 2″]
Publication: Annals of Vascular Surgery. 1990 Mar;4(2):179-81.
Title: The use of infrared laser therapy in the treatment of venous ulceration.
Highlights: “Two ulcers healed completely and there was a 27% (p less than 0.01) reduction in size of the remaining ulcers. Treatment resulted in a 44% (p less than 0.01) increase in ulcer floor area occupied by healthy granulation tissue. The most dramatic effect of laser treatment was the reduction in ulcer pain, from 7.5 to 3.5″
Notes: Please notice a secondary but “dramatic” and certainly meaningful result of this treatment is pain relief.
Link to Study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2310669
[/tab][tab title=”study 3″]
Publication: Photomedicine and Laser Surgery 2011 Jun;29(6):399-404. doi: 10.1089/pho.2010.2858. Epub 2011 Jan 9.
Title: Visible light-induced healing of diabetic or venous foot ulcers: a placebo-controlled double-blind study.
Highlights: At the end of the follow up, all the wounds were closed in 9 out of 10 patients (90%) from the treatment group, whereas in the placebo group only 2 out of 6 patients exhibited closed wounds (33%). In this small scale placebo-controlled double-blind study, broadband (400-800 nm) visible light was an effective modality for the treatment of leg or foot ulcers.
Link to Study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21214497#
Note: This study used broad spectrum light from 400-800 nm – basically white light, or sunlight. According to this, even shining white light on the wound will help it heal faster than no light at all.
[/tab][tab title=”Study 4″]
Publication: Photodermatology Photoimmunololgy Photomedicine. 2001 Feb;17(1):32-8
Title: Effects of phototherapy on pressure ulcer healing in elderly patients after a falling trauma. A prospective, randomized, controlled study.
Highlights: Patients treated with pulsed monochromatic light had a 49% higher ulcer healing rate, and a shorter time to 50% and to 90% ulcer closure compared with controls. Their mean ulcer area was reduced to 10% after 5 weeks compared with 9 weeks for the controls. The results are encouraging as pulsed monochromatic light increased healing rate and shortened healing time. This will positively affect the quality of life in elderly patients with pressure ulcer.
Link to Study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11169174
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How it Works
Here’s how red and infrared light therapy works in wound healing:
1. It increases circulation and the formation of new capillaries.2 Increased circulation and the formation of new capillaries means the wounded area receives more of the oxygen and nutrients it needs to initiate and maintain the marvelous healing process.
2. It increases phagocytosis, 3 or the clean up of dead or damaged cells, including dead bacteria, helping in infection control.
3. It increases lymph system activity. This helps to ensure efficient clean up and detoxification of the wounded area without overtaxing the lymph system. Helps in prevention of lymphedema.
It stimulates the production of fibroblasts. 4 Fibroblasts synthesizes collagen, elastin, and proteoglycans in the final healing phases.
4. It stimulates the production of collagen, the key protein involved in wound closure.
5. It stimulates tissue granulation,5 the forming of new connective tissue and tiny blood vessels that form on the surfaces of a wound during the healing process.
6. It causes the release of ATP, or raw cellular energy.6 This provides energy to the damaged and surrounding cells to do what they were designed to do – heal themselves
Side Effects & Precautions
In the last 14 years that I am aware of, there are zero adverse side effects reported with red or infrared light therapy. Please read this page before beginning your treatment.
How to Get This Treatment
In Your Practice
For medical professionals and those with special interest, Thor Laser, the current leader in this field, provides education, training and equipment.
For Yourself
Because of technicalities in the research and FDA approval processes, at the time of this writing, light therapy has not yet been FDA approved for wound care. As a result you won’t yet find ‘in-home’ devices advertised for that purpose. However, the same therapy has already been FDA approved for things such as wrinkle reduction and pain relief. Many devices are already on the market for these uses, and the very same devices can be used “off label” for wound care at your own discretion.
Check the Red Light Therapy Reviews page for a list to get you started, or, do an internet search for “red light therapy” or “red infrared light therapy.”
If you would like to try to find a doctor in your area doing these treatments, search “LLLT clinic,” or call your local naturopaths, chiropractors, sports medicine doctors, physical therapists, etc.
Which Light is Best For Wound Care?
In my opinion, a hand-held combination red / infrared light would be best for wound care. Here’s why I say that:
- Infrared light penetrates much deeper than red light. That would make it better for the care of deeper wounds, like surgical wounds.
- Deeper penetration of the light also means energy is delivered to even more of the surrounding tissue, bringing all the above mentioned healing benefits with it.
- The addition of infrared light will also bring pain relief to a deeper level.
- If you must treat the wound through a bandage, the longer wavelength of the infrared energy will penetrate it, whereas the red light will be reflected by a white bandage, or at the very least, interfered with.
A hand-held light is usually better for wound care than a light with large panels because:
- it’s more portable
- it’s easier to put in an exact position
- it’s easier to hold in place during treatment
All of that being said, red light alone is really all you need. So if red is all you can find or afford right now, buy it, and just get started.
How a Treatment Would Go
If you choose a low power, battery operated, hand-held device, treatment would go generally like this:
- disinfect the device with an alcohol wipe before each treatment
- cleanse the area about to be treated with a non-medicated cleanser
- hold the device close to the skin, but not touching the skin
- treat each coverage area for 3 – 5 minutes
- treat the wound itself, and the surrounding area
- treat once daily until fully healed
If you choose a higher power device such as the lights sold here, treatment would go generally like this:
- disinfect the light with an alcohol wipe before each treatment
- cleanse the area about to be treated with a non-medicated cleanser
- hold the light 6-12 inches away from the surface of the skin
- treat each area (6-12” diameter) for 1.5 to 3 minutes
- treat the wound itself and the surrounding area
- treat once daily until fully healed
What to Expect From Treatment
Some devices might get warm, others will not.
Some people will feel a warming effect in the skin, others will not.
There will be no pain, tingling, burning or any uncomfortable or unpleasant sensation. In fact, there will likely be no sensation at all.
You can expect pain associated with the wound to be reduced almost immediately. Although this effect is temporary, it is a welcome relief.
You can expect healing to take place faster than if no light were used, however, the rate of healing will vary and depend on many factors including the overall health of the person, their level of nutrition, how long the wound has been open, etc. Studies generally show diabetic wound closure in about 8 weeks of consistent treatment.
What Else You Can Do
Quality nutrition plays a huge role in healing, so I’ve learned. Most people can agree that this includes unprocessed meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, healthy fats & not much else. Well, lots of pure water. The best book I can recommend on quality nutrition as regards physical healing is Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo.
Vitamin D has been found fight infection, boost the immunity, and significantly improve your health overall. Most of us are deficient, and the elderly are at significant risk. Follow this link to learn more about Vitamin D deficiency, testing & dosing on our home site.
Endnotes
As I write this page (September 22nd-24th, 2014), I’m sitting in the hospital, beside my grandfather, who is under hospice care. He’s 89 years old. When you are that old, dying is to be expected. But, it’s what led us here that is relevant.
He’s had diabetes for many years. We didn’t know it, but it had progressed so far that two of his toes had died. When this was discovered, amputation of those toes was the only recourse. Well, an 89 year old does not just bounce back from surgery. The wound became infected, and another amputation soon followed. Needless to say, after a two month ordeal, grandpa has not recovered. For him, light therapy never had a chance.
It is my sincere hope that you have found this information in time to save your ‘grandpa’.
If you have any questions or need help choosing a light, let me know, I’ll be glad to help you.
