Archives For Light Therapy

Light Therapy, Chronic Pain, & Mice

What Is Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain is classified as persistent pain that can last for weeks to years. It’s usually self diagnosable and there is no known cure quite yet, although there are forms of treatment that can help. There are more than 3 million U.S. cases each year, making this a common condition.

Chronic pain is more than physical. It’s also mental and it can quickly take over your life. Constant physical pain can decrease energy and mood levels, leaving victims feeling low and even depressed. The most common form of treatment for chronic pain is medication. Acupuncture, surgery, electrical stimulation, and cognitive behavioral therapy are also forms of treatment. But with medication being the most common treatment for chronic pain, it’s obvious that another option needs to be found. Medicine is not a permanent fix and while it can help you mentally because you are feeling less pain, it’s also harmful in the sense that it is addictive. Solving one mental issue by adding another, addiction, is not a proactive form of treatment. This is why we are going to discuss light therapy.

The Symptoms…

The symptoms for chronic pain do not take rocket science to understand. Acute pain is a painful sensation that typically lets us know of an injury, or a bigger problem. Chronic pain, however, lasts for far too long. If the pain in the patient’s body lasts for more than 12 weeks, it is classified as chronic pain. The primary symptom of chronic pain is constant and persistent pain.

According to WebMD, a credible website dedicated to all things medical, chronic pain has other symptoms, aside from just pain. These symptoms are thought to arise due to the link between the mental state and the physical state during chronic pain. WebMD writes:

The symptoms of chronic pain include:

  • Mild to severe pain that does not go away
  • Pain that may be described as shooting, burning, aching, or electrical
  • Feeling of discomfort, soreness, tightness, or stiffness

Pain is not a symptom that exists alone. Other problems associated with pain can include:

  • Fatigue
  • Sleeplessness
  • Withdrawal from activity and increased need to rest
  • Weakened immune system
  • Changes in mood including hopelessness, fear, depression, irritability, anxiety, and stress
  • Disability

(WebMD.com)

Common pain areas are in the back, joints, mouth, face, muscles, bones, and neck. The sensory perception of this pain can be classified as pins and needles as well as sensitivity to pain. There are many different types of pain and these can be caused by psychological factors. Each patient has a unique form of chronic pain.

The Cause…

It is common for chronic pain to arise due to an injury. For example a back sprain or a car accident. It can also come from illness. And for others, there is no clear cut cause. This might be the most difficult “cause” to deal with.

No matter what caused the chronic pain to arise, it remains a part of the patient’s body due to either inflammation or dysfunctional nerves. The goal of treatment for chronic pain is to reduce the pain and improve functions so that the patient can live a normal life again.

Covering up the pain with medications (opiates) or using more holistic forms of treatment and not seeing results can ultimately make the situation worse. This is why we are promoting light therapy. This is why everyone should be pushing for light therapy!

Light Therapy & Chronic Pain

Red light therapy has been used to treat pain for awhile now. It can relieve sore muscles, heal wounds, relieve joint pain, and so much more. Infrared red light therapy is changing people’s lives every day. And while most red light therapy products are being advertised for treating chronic pain, the research needs to continue. While hand held devices from Amazon may work for some people, each chronic pain case is different. Some are far more intense than others. This is why light therapy is constantly being experimented with in regards to pain. If a cure for chronic pain is on the horizon, we cannot stop searching.

This is why researchers at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital of McGill University are taking their experiments so seriously. These researchers have been able to see pain relief in mice using optogenics, a new, extremely specific, non-invasive form of light therapy. During optogenics, a substance is injected into mice that induce them into a certain condition. For this experiment, they were subjected to chronic pain. The goal of optogenics is to treat the mice of this condition.

Tech Times has an April 2016 article about this light therapy experiment. The author, Catherine Cabral-Isabedra, explains:

“Once neurons were subjected to yellow light, the pain response to light and heat was inhibited. The researchers said that pain relief was seen to last for more than 24 hours in mice with 1 hour of inhibition.

Once neurons were subjected to yellow light, the pain response to light and heat was inhibited. The researchers said that pain relief was seen to last for more than 24 hours in mice with 1 hour of inhibition.

Senior author and professor of neurology and neurosurgery at McGill University Philippe Seguela explained that the opsins, which respond to light, can only be expressed if Cre recombinase is present.

“When we transfer these to neurons, we can control their responses simply by illuminating the skin with innocuous yellow light,” said Seguela.

“Opsins can be packaged in viruses and viral expression can be genetically restricted to specific neuronal populations allowing a higher cellular selectivity,” says Seguela. “This will allow chronic pain patients to benefit from a non-invasive and highly precise analgesic method to modulate their pain.”

The study aims to understand the physiology of chronic pain and provide groundwork for alternative pain management.”

(techtimes.com)

Why This Is So Important…

Given that medications, mainly opiates, are the main form of treatment for chronic pain, this recent discovery is groundbreaking. President Barack Obama has recently proposed new rules to manage the growing opioid use in our country. In United States alone, more than 2 million people are dependent upon painkillers. When painkillers are prescribed for chronic pain, the individuals suffering from pain develop a tolerance to the drug. Eventually they take more, and unfortunately for some, they take far too much and end up overdosing. Pain killers kill more than 40 people each day in the U.S. If chronic pain can be one less condition that is prescribed pain killers, we might be able to see an end in sight for this pain killer cemetery.

Optogenics offers great hope as an alternative to traditional painkilling medications. Because of it’s high temporal and spatial control on neuron activity, light therapy might actually win this battle.

Are You Sold?

Tendilite World’s Top Red LED Light Therapy Joint Pain Relief
Amazon for $194.93 (on sale!)

Optogenics light therapy is currently not being used on humans, but that doesn’t mean you can’t join the game. Red light therapy is being proven effective for treating a wide array of conditions, including pain. For some individuals, red light therapy has been successful in treating chronic pain, depending on what has caused the condition.

The Tendilite Joint Pain Home Therapy treatment package is FDA cleared, drug free and harm free. It is also highly reviewed and a fair price for the results it offers. The treatment sessions are fast and pain free. Patients simply hold, or have someone else hold, a small red light therapy device up to where the pain is for up to one minute at a time. The light should be shined directly at the joint or disc that is causing pain.

This Tendilite device can reduce pain, promote muscle relaxation, increase blood circulation, reduce swelling and stiffness and activate necessary collagen that is used to rebuild connective tissue.

This device is a small step towards big results. While it may not be what was used in the experiments in Montreal, it is still highly effective for lower grade pain. Give it a shot! And keep your eyes peeled for new light therapy research!

Save

Save

New Light Therapy Mask Is Treating Jet Lag!

What Is Jetlag?

Jet lag, also referred to as desynchronosis or flight fatigue, is a major downside to traveling. When flying to a location with a time zone difference of 3 hours or more, passengers often find themselves feeling all sorts of weird once they land. They’re tired, irritable, confused, and often have trouble sleeping.

Jet lag occurs because our circadian rhythms, or biological clocks, are easily disturbed. Circadian rhythm is our body’s internal clock which controls the amount of melatonin and serotonin our brains release. Our circadian rhythm relies on the amount of light our brain senses each day as well as the timing of that light. When taking a long flight to the other side of the country at 12 o’clock in the afternoon, passengers could awake from their plane nap at 10 o’clock at night. Then they’re left wired and all out of sorts. Our bodies don’t understand what time it is, our brain isnwide awake, and there is usually only a slim chance of falling asleep. This is why jet lag occurs. Once our circadian rhythm is disturbed, it’s hard to get back on track.

Aside from feeling fatigue and suffering from insomnia, there are some other physical and emotional symptoms that passengers often face. These include…

  • Anxiety
  • Constipation
  • Dehydration
  • Confusion
  • Diarrhea
  • Headaches
  • Nausea
  • Irritability
  • Difficulty with concentrating
  • Indigestion issues
  • Sweating
  • Dizziness
  • Problems with coordination
  • Sleepiness during the day
  • The feeling of malaise
  • Memory loss
  • Heartbeat irregularities
  • Weak immune system

Anyone can suffer from jet lag – adults, children, babies. While it is not common to need to seek medical attention for jet lag symptoms, the symptoms can leave you out of commission. The recovery process from jet lag depends on the number of time zones crossed during traveling. Typically, passengers tend to recover from jet lag at a rate of one or two time zones per day. To put this into perspective – if you travel through 8 time zones, your body will typically need  5 to 7 days to recover.

The Neuroon Mask…

Traveling is supposed to be fun but it’s hard to have fun when suffering from jet lag. This is where the Neuroon Mask saves the day! A Polish start up company designed the groundbreaking sleep mask with travelers in mind. The mask is meant to shift your body’s internal clock in preparation for long trips.

How It Works…

The Neuroon Mask works by exposing the person wearing the mask to short bursts of light while they are asleep. The company claims that the mask helps reduce the effects of jet lag after traveling to a destination with a time difference of 3 hours or more.

The company decided to create the mask after research from Stanford University in California found that levels of melatonin, a sleep hormone, were greatly altered when patients were exposed to short flashes of light during their sleep. The researchers found that this discovery could be used to alter a person’s sleep schedule and keep their circadian rhythm, or biological clock, in check.

There are biometric sensors built into the Neuroon Mask that can measure the wearer’s heart rate and brainwaves. This records their sleep analytics, sleep architecture, phases of deep/light sleep, REM, and waking. All of these recordings can then be viewed on a smartphone application created specifically for the mask.

Jetlag Blocker…

Perhaps the most interesting and innovative part of the Neuron Mask is it’s “Jetlag Blocker” feature. You can actually enter your destination and the mask will adjust it’s settings and light therapy process to prepare your body’s internal clock for it’s new time zone location. The company recommends starting the light therapy process a few days before traveling. This will increase the chances of beating jet lag.

Why It’s So Important…

Most people brush things such as jet lag aside. They just assume it’s bound to happen. In this case, they either take sleeping medicines, get sick from exhaustion, or just get used to their generally low moods while traveling. This is not the way it should be!

Making light spectrum therapy easy to use is the best way to continually introduce the therapy to the world.

Neuroon Sleep Mask
Available for $299.00
Neuroon.com

The Neuron Sleep Mask is currently available on the company’s website for a pretty fair price if you tend to put your health first. The price includes the Lucid Dreaming cellular app which works for both Android and IOS. Do you travel a lot for work or just love to take off? Is your body extremely sensitive to time zone changes? Are you ready to try the world’s new innovative discovery? The Neuroon Mask is for you! Let us know how you like it.

Save

Light Therapy & The Earth

What Is Light Therapy?

Light Therapy is the process of using different forms of light to help reduce and/or treat a wide array of conditions and disorders. Dermatologists, doctors, and psychiatrists have been using light therapy on their patients for some time. And now, thanks to the convenience of new light therapy products, you can also use the treatment at home. Light therapy has been safely and effectively changing the medical world one patient at a time.

How It Works…

Depending on the condition and the patient’s state of health, light therapy treatments can vary. For skin conditions and disorders, red, blue, and green light therapy devices are used. The treatments can be applied in many different forms including body wraps, handheld wands, tanning style beds, and masks. These methods are used for chronic pain, acne, wrinkles, cellulite, rosacea, psoriasis, and more. For mental conditions, such as seasonal affective disorder or depression, light therapy lamps and boxes are typically recommended. The high powered LED lights mimic outdoor sunlight to boost energy levels, maintain regular sleep cycles, treat depression, and more. There are also more extensive and intense products being used in doctors’ offices. For example, intravenous light therapy can be used post surgery to reduce inflammation and swelling. And light that is shown on the skin after certain ointments are applied to affected areas can treat many forms of skin cancer.

All of these discoveries and new insights into the world of medicine are groundbreaking and even life changing for some patients. The best part of it all, there’s still so much to learn! We have barely begun to crack the surface of what light therapy can do for us.

Saving The Earth…

Just as light therapy is changing the medical field, it’s also saving the earth. Saving lives and saving the earth! Does it get any better than that?

Light Therapy Options (LTO) is a Connecticut-based company that provides light therapy products to treat and heal a wide array of skin conditions and disorders. This company stands out from the rest due to it’s pride in being eco-friendly.

Light Therapy Options’ products are high powered LED lights that are meant to be applied to affected areas of the skin in specific, accurate wavelengths. The devices themselves aren’t necessarily what makes this company stand out from the pack. There are many similar products on the market that can effectively treat and heal light therapy relying conditions. However, most of the products on the market are made of non-recyclable plastics and have a limited lifespan, along with some other features that can harm our environment.

How It Works…

Light Therapy Options stands out from the crowd for many reasons. The company aims to be as environmentally friendly as possible which is why they created these features for their products…

High Power LED: These use less electricity and reduce treatment times. Other treatments are between 10 and 30 minutes. LTO treatments are between 30 seconds and 3 minutes.

No Replacement Parts: The devices are extremely durable and have been designed to hold up through home use, travel, spa use, and more. They have a 50,000 hour lifespan. To simplify, if you use a device for 3 minutes at a time, it will last for many lifetimes.

Non-Disposable: Because of the insanely long lifespan, these products are non-disposable. LTO claims that you will never need to buy a new device.

Recyclable: Even though these products are made to be non-disposable, accidents can happen or you could run out of uses for the products. In this scenario, the products are recyclable.

No Toxic Gases: Many compact fluorescent bulbs and other light products contain toxic gases. LTO products do not.

Not Battery Operated: LTO devices are powered through a wall socket. No need to throw out batteries!

Combined Product Uses: LTO  makes some devices that work for many different conditions so you to only have to purchase one device, instead of many different ones for all of your conditions.

Why Is This So Important?

It seems that many of us get so caught up in what the earth can do for us, that we forget what we can do for the earth. We only get one earth and we need to treat it like that is the case. Every step we take towards ensuring an environmentally friendly world is a step in the right direction. While Light Therapy Options is the only company currently making eco-friendly light therapy products at such a high level, it’s important to see what we can strive for. If one company can do this, why can’t they all? If you are considering buying a light therapy product, make sure you check and see if Light Therapy Options has what you are looking for!

Are You Sold?

Light Therapy Options has more than 10 products on their site. We have chosen to share a couple of those devices with you to explain in further detail just how wonderful we think this company is!

The Peak 415 Blue Light HP LED Powerhead
$259.00 (on sale!)
LightTherapyOptions.com

The Peak 415 is one of the most popular products on the website. It is available in either 120 volt or 220 volt and includes standard safety goggles to protect your eyes. Different goggle options are available to purchase as well for just a few dollars. The Peak 415 is made with a high power LED power head that is used with your own fixture (stand). It contains 48 HP LED chips and has a peak wavelength of 415 nanometers. It can be used for both personal and professional use and has been rated highly effective for treating acne. The website claims that the 415 nanometer wavelength has been identified as the most effective wavelength against acne causing bacteria without entering the UV range. It is the strongest acne light in their product line!


The Genesis DH Red Light / Near Infrared HP LED Powerhead
$299.00 (on sale!)
LightTherapyOptions.com

The Genesis DH is made with a high power LED head with 120 volt power and includes standard safety goggles. It has a standard sized bulb which means that you can use it with any open faced fixture you choose. The Genesis DH is specifically designed for pain relief, wound care, anti-aging, and much more. The device combines red and near infrared light therapy into one small unit which provides you with the benefits of both light therapy forms for every one of your treatment sessions. The website states that it is most commonly used as a handheld device for pain relief but it has also been proven effective while being used hands free for collagen production, anti-aging, and more. Why not give the 90 day trial period and lifetime warranty a try?

Save

Save

The UVLrx System – Intravenous Light Therapy

What Is Intravenous Light Therapy?

The UVLrx system is a term that is going to become frequently heard in the medical world. This system is a form of intravenous therapy that introduces low light energy into the circulatory system. This injection supports red blood cell oxygenation and a healthy immune system. The Model UVL1500 in used in assisting post-surgical and non-surgical patient recovery. The system helps inflammation, pain, and speeds up the wound healing process. This system is making headlines and quickly making a name for itself with it’s harm-free nature, low risk rates, and impeccable results.

Michael Harter, CEO and president of UVLrx, states that, “According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, more than 20 million cosmetic surgical and non-surgical procedures were performed in 2014. The success of those procedures depends heavily on quality of recovery and patient response, which is why inflammation abatement is so important for the industry. By immediately reducing inflammation caused by an aesthetic procedure, our technology may minimize pain and accelerate healing, which in turn may lead to better results and a more satisfied post-op patient.”
(businesswire.com)

The system does more than reduce inflammation post cosmetic changes. It can also fight infections, brain disorders, chronic conditions, and more.

How Does It Work?

The Sophia Health Institute in Washington began using the UVLrx back in March of 2015. The health institute specializes in chronic pain and speaks highly of the system. Officials explained how the system works:, “It is a light therapy device that integrates and delivers multiple wavelengths of light intravenously without removing blood from the patient. The wavelengths involved in the UVLrx Station protocol stimulate the body’s natural immune system, weaken, and deactivate blood-borne pathogens. The UVLrx Station wavelengths are related to reductions in inflammation, increases in natural energy levels, and improvements in blood circulation. UVLrx can be used to treat many conditions including but not limited to chronic viral, bacterial, or parasitic infections, neurological disorders, inflammatory conditions, and many more chronic, unrelenting conditions.” (sophiahi.com)

The health institute goes on to explain how light therapy works by activating our photoreceptors. Examples of these photoreceptors are flavoproteins, porphyrins, hemoglobin, and flavins. When these receptors are exposed to light they come excited. This excitement affects all of the biochemical pathways directly and indirectly connected with the receptors.

Our photoreceptors can absorb a certain amount of light. This absorption spectrum defines the wavelength of light and color they need. Each wavelength of light is important and targets certain cells in order to drive extremely specific biological pathways. This also helps us line up colors with our wavelength therapy.

  • Red (635 nm): Used to regulate cell bioenergetics. Supports immune response and cell repair.
  • UVA (365 nm): Kills foreign particles like bacteria, fungi, and virus.
  • Green (535 nm): Affects blood components and hemodynamics. Helps repair and stabilize pathways.

All 3 forms of wavelengths are delivered during each intravenous light therapy treatment. This creates a thorough and comprehensive treatment.

Why Is It So Important?

The UVLrx Station Model UVL1500 is the first system to offer intravenous and concurrent delivery of ultraviolet-A or UVA and multiple visible light wavelengths. It is used to treat a wide array of medical conditions and it is the first for many things. This system uses an adapter and a standard IV catheter to treat blood intravenously.  There is no longer a need to remove blood from the body in order to treat it. The UVLrx intravenous light therapy system is a pioneering treatment program.

Light Therapy & Diabetic Ulcers

What Are Diabetic Ulcers?

Diabetic Ulcers, or Diabetic Foot Ulcers occur for a variety of reasons. They occur in about 15% of people who suffer from diabetes These ulcers are open sores or wounds and are commonly located on the bottom of the foot. 6% of people who suffer from diabetic foot ulcers are hospitalized due to infection or other ulcer-related complications.

According to the American Pediatric Medical Association, “Diabetes is the leading cause of non-traumatic lower extremity amputations in the United States, and approximately 14-24 percent of patients with diabetes who develop a foot ulcer will require an amputation. Foot ulceration precedes 85 percent of diabetes-related amputations.” (apma.org)

These are some pretty high numbers and if there is a way to decrease these statistics, life will be easier for those suffering from diabetes.

The Cause…

Persons suffering from diabetes can develop a foot ulcer. There are a few factors that make diabetes patients more prone to foot ulcers. These are…

  • Native Americans, African Americans, Hispanics, older men
  • People who use insulin
  • People with diabetes related kidney, eye, and heart diseases.
  • People who are overweight
  • People who use tobacco and alcohol

Ulcers can form on the foot due to…

  • Lack of feeling in the foot
  • Poor circulation
  • Foot deformities
  • Irritation (friction or pressure)
  • Trauma
  • Duration of diabetes
  • Neuropathy (reduced or inability to feel pain in feet due to nerve damage from elevated glucose levels)
  • Vascular disease (reduces body’s ability to heal and lowers immune system)

The Symptoms…

With diabetic foot ulcers, t pain is not a symptom. Most people who develop an ulcer have lost the ability to feel pain, making pain an uncommon symptom. Some common symptoms are…

  • Drainage in socks
  • Redness
  • Swelling
  • Odor

Normal Treatment…

The main goal in ulcer treatment is to help the ulcer heal as quickly as possible. The faster the wound heals, the less time there is for infection to occur. At this time, most people are using traditional forms of treatment for ulcers.

If an ulcer is infected the traditional form for treatment is to:

  • Take pressure off the wound
  • Remove dead skin
  • Apply medications
  • Manage blood glucose and other health problems

If an ulcer has not become infected, the traditional form for treatment is to:

  • Keep blood glucose levels stable
  • Keep ulcer clean
  • Keep ulcer bandaged
  • Clean wound daily
  • Use ulcer bandage or dressing
  • Avoid walking without shoes

Many patients are required to wear special footwear, braces, castings, use wheelchairs, or use crutches. While all of these options discussed above help reduce pressure and irritation on the ulcer and can speed up the healing process, they are far from fun and can make continuing on with your every day life very difficult. Living with diabetes is difficult enough without having to constantly keep an eye on your foot.  This is where light therapy is changing the game for ulcer victims.

Light Therapy & Traditional Ulcer Treatments…

Phototherapy, or light therapy, is being proven to speed up the healing process for diabetic foot ulcers. When light therapy is combined with some of the simple forms of treatment for ulcers, such as keeping it clean, a wound can be healed rather quickly. While light therapy has been proven effective at treating ulcers with no other help from traditional forms of treatment, the process will be sped up and more effective when combined with some traditional medical treatment.

How It Works…

Light therapy is a non-invasive form of treatment and it is harm free, making it an incredible option for ulcer treatment. This form of treatment works by exposing affected body parts to daylight or a specific wavelength of light in a device at home or in a doctor’s office.

Red light therapy is the most commonly used form of treatment for wound healing. Red light can heal a wound 200% faster than a natural healing process. Infrared red light therapy works by using a range of wavelengths to penetrate the outer layer of the skin to a depth between 8 to 10 mm, which provides the cells with usable energy. This energy can bring about many different reactions in cells such as:

  • Healing
  • Inflammation reduction
  • Increased production of collagen
  • Increased circulation
  • Formation of new capillaries
  • Increased lymph system activity
  • Increased release of raw cellular energy (ATP)
  • Increased cellular clean up (phagocytosis)
  • Tissue granulation is stimulated

Red light therapy will not treat ulcers or other wounds immediately. However, if used on a consistent schedule, patients can see results in 24 hours to 2 months depending on the intensity of the ulcer and the treatment regime.

Side Effects…

While the list of benefits for red light therapy is nearly endless, the adverse side effects are nonexistent. There have been no reported cases of light therapy harming anyone attempting to treat diabetic foot ulcers. Interestingly enough, there are no reported negative side affects for red light therapy in general!

Breaking Headlines!

The promise that light therapy shows in treating wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers is remarkable. If light therapy can stop infection, heal wounds, help us keep all of our limbs, and make diabetics’ lives easier, what can’t it do?!

Light Therapy & Epilepsy

What Is Epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a disorder that occurs when nerve cell activity in the brain is disturbed. The troubling result of the disturbance is seizures. Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disorder and sadly, it can affect people of all ages. The intensity of the disorder varies from person-to-person and is chronic. This means that it can last from several years up to a lifetime.

Epilepsy is a condition of the brain. Everything related to the disorder stems from the brain even though seizures can affect other parts of the body. It’s important to note that a seizure and epilepsy are not the same thing. An epileptic seizure occurs due to abnormal excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain. A seizure is an event and epilepsy is a disease that causes seizures.

The Symptoms…

There are more than 200,000 documented US cases of epilepsy each year. The victims of this disorder are faced with unpredictable and reoccurring seizures. These seizures can range in occurrence – from multiple times a day to just once a year. There are a few different forms of seizures and each person responds differently, with different symptoms. The seizures usually last from around a few seconds to a few minutes. Some people are conscious throughout the seizures; some people lose consciousness. Some people awake afterward and have no memory of the seizure.

It is easy to recognize a dramatic seizure – one that makes you fall to the ground and move your muscles aggressively and uncontrollably. However, many seizures are difficult to notice. According to WebMD, a credible website for all things medical, all seizures are different. According to the website: “Some seizures make you stare into space for a few seconds. Others may consist only of a few muscle twitches, a turn of the head, or a strange smell or visual disturbance that only you sense.

Epileptic seizures often happen without warning, although some people may have an aura at the start of a seizure. A seizure ends when the abnormal electrical activity in the brain stops and brain activity begins to return to normal. Seizures may be either partial or generalized.” (WebMD.com)

WebMD continues to explain the differences between partial and generalized seizures:

Partial seizures
Partial seizures begin in a specific area or location of the brain. The most common types of partial seizures are:

  • Simple partial seizures. Simple partial seizures do not affect consciousness or awareness.
  • Complex partial seizures. Complex partial seizures do affect level of consciousness. You may become unresponsive or may lose consciousness completely.
  • Partial seizures with secondary generalization. Partial seizures with secondary generalization begin as simple or complex partial seizures but then spread (generalize) to the rest of the brain and look like generalized tonic-clonic seizures. These two types can easily be confused, but they are treated differently. Most tonic-clonic seizures in adults begin as partial seizures and are caused by partial epilepsy. Generalized tonic-clonic seizures are more common in children.

Generalized seizures
Seizures that begin over the entire surface of the brain are called generalized seizures. The main types of generalized seizures are:

  • Generalized tonic-clonic seizures (grand mal seizures), during which the person falls to the ground, the entire body stiffens, and the person’s muscles begin to jerk or spasm (convulse).
  • Absence seizures (petit mal seizures), which make a person stare into space for a few seconds and then “wake up” without knowing that anything has happened.
  • Myoclonic seizures, which make the body jerk like it is being shocked.
  • Atonic seizures, in which a sudden loss of muscle tone makes the person fall down without warning.
  • Tonic seizures, in which the muscles suddenly contract and stiffen, often causing the person to fall down.

(WebMD.com)

Quick Stats…

To put things into perspective, we have gathered  statistics from all around the world. The Epilepsy Foundation lists these “Quick Stats” on its summary page for epilepsy:

  • 65 MILLION: Number of people around the world who have epilepsy.
  • 3 MILLION: Number of people in the United States who have epilepsy.
  • 1 IN 26 people in the United States will develop epilepsy at some point in their lifetime.
  • BETWEEN 4 AND 10 OUT OF 1,000: Number of people on earth who live with active seizures at any one time.
  • 150,000: Number of new cases of epilepsy in the United States each year.
  • ONE-THIRD: Number of people with epilepsy who live with uncontrollable seizures because no available treatment works for them.
  • 6 OUT OF 10: Number of people with epilepsy where the cause is unknown.

The Cause…

While there are a few risk factors for epilepsy, a cause for the disorder cannot always be identified. Some people are diagnosed with epilepsy due to a tumor, infection, or brain damage. It is possible for epilepsy to develop due to family history.

The mostly unknown causes combined with the statistics previously discussed are what makes epilepsy so scary. This is why we need a new way to fight it! This is where light therapy comes into play.

Light Therapy & Epilepsy

While there is still no absolute cure for epilepsy, there is groundbreaking research being done. Light therapy is looking like one of the best ways to treat epilepsy and it’s nothing short of mind blowing.

Optogenics is a new scientific field that is providing researchers with new tools that help them further understand how the brain works in times of health and disease. This method uses light to control events in living cells. The method lets scientists examine normal and abnormal brain cell functions. It also helps them discover new ways to treat neurological disorders. These new methods are breaking ground and changing the world for the better.

IFL Science, a website dedicated to publishing articles for true lovers of the sciences, recently did a piece on this new  science. The article explains exactly how the technique works:

“The technique involves inserting genes into specific groups of brain cells, or neurons, within a region of interest, usually by infecting them with a virus that has been engineered to contain specific DNA sequences. These genes, which are usually sourced from bacteria or jellyfish, then produce a light-sensitive protein which either switches the cells on or off in response to light. This allows scientists to scrutinize how cell types contribute to the function of neural circuits.

Additionally, because this technique can be used in living organisms, such as animal models of Parkinson’s, researchers are gaining new insights into various neurological disorders. And now, new research has hinted that one day, it could be used as a novel way to stop seizures in epileptics.” (iflscience.com)

The Proof…

Recently, studies were conducted on mice that effectively stopped the seizures that they were scientifically manipulated to have. At first, the researchers used optogenics to activate the cells within the cerebellum. This structure controls body movement. The researchers found that firing these cells during seizures quickly caused them to stop, thus bringing the abnormal electrical activity back to it’s normal place. This led the researchers to conduct another experiment. They wondered whether inhibiting the same cells as before would make the seizures worse. They used the same technique once more but prevented the cells from firing during the seizure. Instead of making the seizures worse, as they had anticipated, it actually stopped them. This means that it doesn’t matter whether the cells are excited or suppressed. As long as you disrupt the existing pattern of firing, the seizures can be avoided.

Another experiment was conducted after the previous one showed so much promise. IFL Science explains,

“Next, the researchers examined the effects of stimulating a specific type of cell within a structure called the dentate gyrus, which forms part of the hippocampus, a region critical for learning and memory. Some lines of evidence suggested that these cells, called granule cells, may prevent seizure activity in the hippocampus, although no studies had investigated this in live animals before.

“Preventing these cells from firing during seizure was found to effectively stop the seizure, whereas stimulating them made the seizures worse. Activating the same cells in healthy mice also caused them to experience seizures.” (iflscience.com)

In Conclusion…

These experiments suggest that this new method of using granule cells can represent a potential new target for getting seizures under control for victims of epilepsy. The world of medicine is changing every day thanks to light therapy.

Color Light Therapy & Why It Should Be Taken Seriously

 

Why is it that we understand the power and importance of light for the world around us, but we don’t appreciate the effect it can have on humans? We understand how light affects the world, the earth, the sea, the depth of the earth that we cannot reach, and just about anything we comprehend globally. But the medical field is yet to fully comprehend or embrace the power that light has over us as humans. Flavia Schlegel, Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences spoke at the Internal Year of Light conference in Merida, Mexico in February 2016.. Schlegel discussed the importance of light therapy being cost effective and practical for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Julianne Bien, owner of Spectrahue Light & Sound Inc., is the inventor of the Spectrahue method of color light therapy. She owns a Toronto-based company that sells handheld light therapy tools and educational tools. Bien wrote a piece for Common Ground’s “health and spirit” section of their website. Bien discussed how incredible it is that light therapy is finally being taken seriously. Bien writes, “Health-related uses of light include diagnostics, surgery, psychiatry, psychology, revitalization, rejuvenation and emotional and spiritual makeovers. We have laser-based instruments, LED-based apparatuses, full-spectrum lights and various digital and analogue devices. Where we lag behind is in understanding how, exactly, our bodies respond to light. This is why terms such as chromotherapy, phototherapy and light therapy in general – although ancient in origin – very slowly progress toward full endorsement of the medical establishment.” (commonground.ca)

The world inside of us is just as important as the world around us. Light therapy can help us effectively manage the world inside of us. Conditions such as emotional trauma, autoimmune problems, allergies, metabolic imbalances, seasonal affective disorder, jet lag, sleep and attention deficit disorders have been showing better results with the use of light therapy than other medical options such as medicines and surgeries. Bien claims that there are very good reasons for this, but the medical world hasn’t quite explored it yet.

Back in the 20th century, John Ott, a photo biologist, made an interesting discovery. Ott was assigned to document the effects that pharmaceutical drugs had on living cells. He used an electronic microscope and a special camera to do this. Ott discovered that when he changed the color filters on his camera lens, the cells’ behavior changed as well. Ott claimed that the color changes had even more of an effect on the cells than the drugs had. This is what inspired Julianne Bien’s company. Bien discussed this in her Common Ground article as well by stating:

“On the ‘ground level’ where life in our bodies unfolds, light and colour have more say than chemical compounds which we concoct. Our cells naturally understand the language of light and its messages – which the colours convey through their frequencies – to ignite, burn, sizzle, scorch, smoulder or go off. That’s the same cycle the stars in our universe undergo.

“I’m often asked how colour light therapy really works. It appears esoteric and mystical, bordering on magic. The best analogy I know – one we all know well – is fire.

“Fire is quirky. It is our species’ first tool, process and weapon. It gives off light and heat on demand, echoing our life-giving star in the sky, and we get to wield it at will. If you look closely, it varies in colour, depending on intensity. At first, it’s yellow and orange; green flame tips and blue-ish bursts will tell you it’s sizzling; you’ll want it bright white, though, if you wish to melt metal or bake clay.

“Still, starting and maintaining a fire is tricky, at best. It’s moody. It might flare up in an instant or just smoulder for hours. Sometimes, a trained hand gives up in frustration; another time a fire will light itself up. Too much moisture around it and it won’t even start; too little and it burns itself out.

“So it is with us. We are internal combustion engines, with trillions of tiny burners. Our cells burn up oxygen and produce heat. They use the resulting light as an ultra-fast messaging system. It all works to perfection – from toes to teeth – except when it won’t.

“When an imbalance sets in, our internal flame in an organ dies down. Or it flares up, past all safety limits, causing redness, fever and pain. We don’t know what triggers this any more than we can pinpoint the cause of a wild forest fire or control it.

“Knowing how tiny our internal burners are, it’s easy to see how fine-tuned and delicate any support we give them must also be.” (commonground.ca)

Bien sells handheld color light therapy devices that she believes are even more effective than normal light therapy. Most light therapy devices output a bright light, with a wide surface being covered, in just one direction. Handheld color light therapy illuminators “work off the silent communication between the person sending faint light and the person receiving it”, according to Bien.

The concept of color light therapy is an ancient finding. Records exist from thousands of years ago that show conditions and disorders being effectively cured with color light therapy practices. This form of therapy is harmless and brilliant, but the world seems to have forgotten the importance of this discovery over time. If an equal amount of time and money that is used for chemical drug experiments was used to further research color light therapy, the world would quickly become a much healthier – and brighter – place.

Light Therapy & Huntington’s Disease

What Is Huntington’s Disease?

Huntington’s Disease is a devastating disease that currently has no cure. It is a complex neurological genetic disorder that causes motor, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms. It is caused by a hereditary gene defect that damages specific nerve cells in the brain. This is a progressive disease. The symptoms and damage progressively worsen over time. The disease can affect movement, cognition, which is perception, awareness, thinking and judgement, as well as behavior. The disease ends with a loss of motor and executive function. It is extremely heart wrenching and difficult for anyone involved.

The Symptoms…

The symptoms for Huntington’s Disease vary depending on the person. While each victim ultimately ends up with the same symptoms, the first symptoms to appear can vary. Throughout the course of the disease, some symptoms appear to have a more dominant effect than others. Movement, cognitive, and psychiatric disorders appear in each victim. MayoClinic, a website dedicated to answering all of our medical questions and needs, wrote a piece on Huntington’s Disease. They accurately described the symptoms by writing,

Movement disorders

The movement disorders associated with Huntington’s disease can include both involuntary movements and impairments in voluntary movements:

  • Involuntary jerking or writhing movements (chorea)
  • Muscle problems, such as rigidity or muscle contracture (dystonia)
  • Slow or abnormal eye movements
  • Impaired gait, posture and balance
  • Difficulty with the physical production of speech or swallowing
  • Impairments in voluntary movements — rather than the involuntary movements — may have a greater impact on a person’s ability to work, perform daily activities, communicate and remain independent.

Cognitive disorders

Cognitive impairments often associated with Huntington’s disease include:

  • Difficulty organizing, prioritizing or focusing on tasks
  • Lack of flexibility or the tendency to get stuck on a thought, behavior or action (perseveration)
  • Lack of impulse control that can result in outbursts, acting without thinking and sexual promiscuity
  • Lack of awareness of one’s own behaviors and abilities
  • Slowness in processing thoughts or ”finding” words
  • Difficulty in learning new information

Psychiatric disorders

The most common psychiatric disorder associated with Huntington’s disease is depression. This isn’t simply a reaction to receiving a diagnosis of Huntington’s disease. Instead, depression appears to occur because of injury to the brain and subsequent changes in brain function. Signs and symptoms may include:

  • Feelings of irritability, sadness or apathy
  • Social withdrawal
  • Insomnia
  • Fatigue and loss of energy
  • Frequent thoughts of death, dying or suicide

Other common psychiatric disorders include:

  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder, a condition marked by recurrent, intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviors
  • Mania, which can cause elevated mood, overactivity, impulsive behavior and inflated self-esteem
  • Bipolar disorder, or alternating episodes of depression and mania

In addition to the above symptoms, weight loss is common in people with Huntington’s disease, especially as the disease progresses.

(MayoClinic.org)

Light Therapy & Huntington’s Disease…

In recent studies of Huntington’s Disease, scientists have discovered that there are other non-motor symptoms that are associated with the disease. These symptoms are related to sleep and circadian rhythm abnormalities. This is where light therapy comes into play.

While it is still unclear whether the sleep and circadian rhythm abnormalities are caused directly by Huntington’s Disease or they are simply a result of the neurodegenerative disease, this is still an impeccable discovery. Looking at it from the disease victim’s point of view, it doesn’t necessarily matter what is causing the sleep-wake changes. These disturbances affect the quality of life whether someone is struggling with a disease or not. This is why it should be treated in people with Huntington’s Disease. It is important to note that these abnormalities in Huntington’s Disease victims will make their symptoms worse and exaggerated, ultimately leading to a faster decline in health. Why make something that is already bad, even worse, when there is an option to fix it?

With light therapy, it is easy to take the proper steps towards getting a good night’s sleep. It is important to be logical and treat the symptoms that can be prevented.

The Treatment…

Using a light therapy box is the best way to treat sleep disorders in people struggling with Huntington’s Disease. Patients are told to spend thirty minutes to an hour in front of a light box each morning. A standard light box emits 10,000 lux of light at about a 14 inch distance. To understand these forms of measurement better, it’s important to understand how the sun works. On a bright sunny day, brightness levels will range from 10,000 lux (normal) to 100,000 lux (direct sunlight). If patients spend a chunk of their morning in front of a light box, there body’s internal clock will be regulated. Regulating patient’s internal clocks, or their circadian rhythms, will help them feel energized and more productive throughout the day. It will also allow the brain to shut down easier when it’s time for bed, allowing for a full night’s sleep. Once again, light therapy is making the world a better place…saving people one disease at a time.

Light Therapy & Children

When discussing light therapy, children aren’t typically brought up in conversation. It’s easy to assume kids are primarily happy.  Children would seem to have  far less to worry about day-to-day. They can power through just about anything, have endless energy, and they wake up ready for the day. Most of the time….

But kids are sensitive to the world around them, too. In fact, some things may be more difficult for children to deal with because they are not old enough to understand what’s happening. Children can be just as easily affected by the outdoor weather, seasonal changes, jet lag, depression, and skin conditions. Light therapy is equally as important and ground breaking to children as it is to adults.

Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a form of depression that occurs in the fall and winter months as the days become shorter and the nights become longer. When this seasonal change occurs it’s hard to keep our body’s internal clocks or circadian rhythms in check. The change typically results in decreased moods, low energy levels, trouble sleeping, and more. The depression begins to subside in the spring when the days start to become longer again. Anti-depressants prescribed for depression are dangerous for children and not recommended. This is where light therapy comes into play. Drug-free, harm-free, all natural treatment sessions can raise children’s energy levels when they need it the most.

Color light therapy has a wide array of benefits for children as well. This form of light therapy shines different colored lights into children’s eyes to stimulate the brain and enhance it’s functions. Unlike light boxes used for SAD and similar conditions, colored light therapy is medically supervised. Doctors guide their patients through a series of therapies involving many different colors of light. This form of therapy has been proven successful in treating many different conditions and disorders from allergies, to vision improvements, to speech problems, and more.

Growing Up Easier is a website dedicated to helping parents and guardians raise their children in the best way possible. John Downing, PhD, a contributor to the website, wrote a piece about light therapy for children and youth. In his piece, he lists all of the ways that light therapy has helped children:

  • Allergies
  • Anxiety
  • Arithmetic difficulties
  • Arthritis
  • Attention Deficit Disorder
  • Hyperactive Disorder
  • Autism
  • Balance problems
  • Behavioral problems
  • Borderline personality structure
  • Brain damage
  • Chronic fatigue syndrome
  • Conduct disorder problems
  • Coordination
  • Depression
  • Developmental retardation
  • Digestion problems
  • Disorganization
  • Down’s Syndrome
  • Dyslexia
  • Epilepsy
  • Headaches
  • Hyperactivity
  • Learning differences
  • Learning disabilities
  • Rage
  • Reading difficulties
  • Seizures
  • Short term memory deficiency
  • Speech problems
  • Stress
  • Wandering eye problems

(GrowingUpEasier.org)

Downing also explains how light therapy can directly affect a child’s lifestyle and well-being in five different categories. Downing has been researching light therapy in children for some time and strongly believes in the treatment’s powerful effects. The website reads…

Body: Light Therapy eliminates physical problems such as fatigue, insomnia, hyperactivity, poor coordination, balance difficulties, autonomic and endocrine imbalances.

Spirit: Light Therapy gives the soul back its light and helps the spirit soar. It takes the innate energy of the child or youth, which the mind sends out into the world, and grounds it more deeply into the soul. It allows the child or youth to control their energy instead of the energy controlling the child.

Mind: Intellectual difficulties are lessened; including poor reading comprehension, pronunciation, concentration, memory, organizational ability, and mathematical ability.

Emotions: Emotional problems are reduced or eliminated; including low self-esteem, depression, fears and anxieties, SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).

Social: When the body, mind and emotions of a child are functioning optimally and the spirit is soaring, social interactions will be appropriately smooth and rewarding.

(GrowingUpEasier.org)

Light therapy is safe for children and is a wonderful and effective alternative to medication. If your child or someone you know is struggling with any of the disorders or conditions discussed, light therapy might be a good option. Give it a shot!

Light Therapy & Jaundice

 

What Is Jaundice?

Jaundice is a common condition in newborn babies. It affects full term and pre-mature babies and usually occurs during the first week of a baby’s life. The condition is temporary and usually harmless but treatments still must be conducted to cure the condition.

Jaundice occurs when there is a build up of bilirubin in the baby’s blood. Bilirubin is a naturally occurring substance, but of course, too much of anything can be dangerous. This substance is an orange/red pigment in the blood. According to to the University of Michigan’s Children’s Hospital, “Bilirubin is produced by the normal breakdown of red blood cells. It is normal for everyone to have low levels of bilirubin in their blood. As bilirubin begins to build up, it deposits on the fatty tissue under the skin causing the baby’s skin and whites of the baby’s eyes to appear yellow.” (med.umich.edu)

What Causes Jaundice?

There are several causes for Jaundice. The University of Michigan’s Children’s Hospital also discussed this topic in the health and education section of their website. We have borrowed the list of causes from them…

  • Physiological jaundice: This is the most common cause of newborn jaundice and occurs in more than 50% of babies. Because the baby has an immature liver, bilirubin is processed slower. The jaundice first appears at 2 to 3 days of age. It usually disappears by 1 to 2 weeks of age, and the levels of bilirubin are harmless.
  • Breast-feeding jaundice: Breast-feeding jaundice may occur when your baby does not drink enough breast milk. It occurs in 5% to 10% of newborns. The jaundice symptoms are similar to those of physiological jaundice, just more pronounced. The jaundice indicates a need for help with breast-feeding.
  • Breast-milk jaundice: Breast-milk jaundice occurs in 1% to 2% of breast-fed babies. It is caused by a special substance that some mothers produce in their milk. This substance causes your baby’s intestine to absorb more bilirubin back into his body than normal. This type of jaundice starts at 4 to 7 days of age. It may last 3 to 10 weeks. It is not harmful.
  • Blood group incompatibility (Rh or ABO problems): If a baby and mother have different blood types, sometimes the mother produces antibodies that destroy the newborn’s red blood cells. This causes a sudden buildup of bilirubin in the baby’s blood. This serious type of jaundice usually begins during the first 24 hours of life. Rh problems formerly caused the most severe form of jaundice. However, they are now preventable if the mother is given an injection of RhoGAM within 72 hours after delivery. This prevents her from forming antibodies that might endanger other babies she has in the future

Light Therapy & Jaundice…

Phototherapy, which is a form of light therapy, is used to treat Jaundice in newborn babies. Phototherapy is the most common treatment used to reduce the high levels of bilirubin  found in newborn babies.

For this treatment, a baby lies in a bassinet or an incubator, which is an enclosed plastic crib. The baby is exposed to a fluorescent light that is absorbed by the baby’s skin. Throughout this process, the bilirubin in the baby’s blood is changed into another form. This form is easily excreted in the stool and urine. The time frame for the phototherapy treatment ranges depending on the intensity of the Jaundice. Some babies require several days under the phototherapy light. WebMD, a credible website for all things medical, explain the specifics of the treatment:

“During this type of phototherapy:

  • The baby is undressed so that as much of the skin as possible is exposed to the light.
  • The baby’s eyes are covered to protect the nerve layer at the back of the eye (retina) from the bright light.
  • Feeding should continue on a regular schedule. There is no need to stop breast-feeding.
  • The bilirubin level is measured at least once a day.”

(WebMD.com/parenting)

There is also an at-home alternative for phototherapy. A fiber optic blanket or band can be wrapped around the baby and used for treatments. While fiber optic phototherapy has been proven to show results in treating Jaundice, it is not necessarily as effective or as powerful as in-hospital treatment sessions. The at-home treatment take more time to show hospital level results. This is a great option for babies with mild cases of Jaundice or babies who have no other health issues besides Jaundice. It’s important to fully understand everything related to phototherapy and Jaundice before performing treatments at home.

Phototherapy is a highly effective form of light therapy that is gaining more recognition each day. If light can save our baby’s, what else can it do?