Anyone else using red and near infrared light to help with their neuropathy and fatigue?

[aksundell]

I have been using it for about a month and it seems to be helpful. Maybe not very potent, but I’ll take what I can get. I thought others might like to know and perhaps some people have more experience with it than I do. It sounds hokey, but there is some small scale medical research that shows it to be affective in helping cell produce energy (ATP) and thus heal better and preform their normal functions better. This webpage gives a nice summary. healthline.com/health/red-l...

[aksundell]

If you would like a more scientific explanation you can see this review article and it’s references. It’s good to keep an open mind, otherwise you may also laugh at the idea that people need B12 injections more than every 3 months or that they can’t just take tablets.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

[Kimmie4]

Hi aksundell, I'm interested in this as well.

Please keep us updated re your progress.

I've used IR light to promote healing and for pain relief, but have no experience with near-IR.

Not sure i had any significant increase in energy though...but i have Hashimoto's so its hard to tell sometimes.

Have you read Ari Whitten's book on IR?

[aksundell]

Thank you for your reply Kimmie4. I haven’t read his book, but I heard a podcast with him interviewing a professor at Harvard who has done a lot of research in this area. I’ll have to check it out. I think there is a lot about health we don’t understand yet and it’s hard to know what is true, but I’ll take any help I can get, even if it’s from the placebo effect. I recently sprained an ankle quite badly and my red/infrared light was better than ibuprofen for the pain. It has also held my arthritis and tendonitis at bay and helped keep the tingling and burning in my legs to a minimum. I feel like I have more energy after using it as well. The effects seem to be rather short lived, but I’m hoping that with time it will lead to some significant improvement in my neuropathy and my fatigue.

[Kimmie4 in reply to aksundell]

Can i ask what kind of IR light you're using? During my hospital training (nursing, 40 years ago) we frequently used IR therapy to promote healing and reduce pain with good effect. Now its all about pharmaceuticals.

[aksundell in reply to Kimmie4]

Yes, this is the light. redlightman.com/product/red... It has LEDs that produce light at 620 ◦ 670 ◦ 760 ◦ 830 nm. I know people have been looking into this for a long time. I think it is real, definitely effective for my neuropathy, arthritis and tendonitis pain, but in some areas it may be most useful combined with other treatments. And, like you said, today it’s all pharmaceuticals. I think that’s where the money making opportunities are. I have seen it being used in spa like settings as there is good dermatology research showing it’s benefits for acne and reducing wrinkles. Athletes and bio hackers use it to improve there recovery and performance. But still it’s not something you can get a patent for. Non money maker like light therapies and B12 deficiency treatment are definitely neglected. There are a lot of red lights out on the market at various price points and no real certifying authority to confirm their intensity or wavelengths. I just tried to pick a company that seemed to be interested in the science.

[Kimmie4 in reply to aksundell]

I was researching the same company's devices early this year and discussed using near IR with my treating GP as he's pretty open-minded. I use the word "discussed" loosely - he didn't know about it's application for Hashimoto's so couldn't comment. Before i had time to decide, the pandemic struck and i shelved those plans.

I hope you continue to feel benefits and keep us updated. Thanks for raising this topic.

[Bellabab]

You might want to look at acupuncture - it helps with many things and again we do not know why.

[fbirder in reply to Bellabab]

And waving crystals around, and sticking a lighted candle in your ear, and drinking hexagonal water, and putting burning mugwort on various parts of your body, and gargling with oil, and a tin foil hat, and drinking your own urine.

All have their advocates.

[jacwright in reply to fbirder]

you always make me laugh fbirder how about dancing naked in the woods chanting BS BS BS

[Bellabab in reply to fbirder]

I speak of experience as a consultant psychotherapist working with people who had problems with drugs, alcohol etc. Sometimes called addictions. We used acupuncture on the ears and our clients found it extremely helpful. Acupuncture is entirely acceptable and should not be confused with the strange examples you have given. It is accepted within the NHS. nhs.uk/conditions/acupuncture/

Other alternative therapies such as massage, aromatherapy and others have also been found helpful. I do not believe we have discovered quite how helpful yet and certainly more research is needed. I prefer to be more open minded and if it helps then use them. Just as we self inject B12 because our anecdotal experience is that it helps.

[aksundell in reply to fbirder]

Fbirder, why do you have to be such a hater? We are trying to have a real discussion. I’m glad they removed your previous ugly comments. We are not idiots. In fact it seems we are a physician, a nurse and a psychotherapist all with experienced in the complex science of human health. If your mind was not so closed perhaps you could learn something from us.

[fbirder in reply to aksundell]

Sorry.

Why is it OK to advocate one type of ‘alternative’ treatment but not other kinds?

Why shouldn’t I recommend sticking a lit candle in your ear as an alternative to real medicine? Who are you to say that recommending acupuncture is OK but ear candling must not be mentioned.

If we can recommend one type of treatment, why not all kinds?

There is scientific evidence that setting fire to mugwort and putting it on your skin is a valuable therapy. cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/do...

[aksundell in reply to fbirder]

I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were advocating those things. It seemed more like you were mocking us. The longer I practice medicine the more I know the current establishment does not have a monopoly on knowledge. Remember when people laughed and ridiculed the idea that ulcers were an infectious disease. I’m glad to learn that mugwort can be helpful for women in labor. Thank you for sharing that.

[aksundell in reply to Bellabab]

Thanks Bellabab. I did try acupuncture and sadly it was not very helpful for my situation. I appreciate your suggestion and comment below.

[aksundell]

I think most people can relate to the experience of feeling better after getting some sun, and having more energy in the summer than the winter. I suspect the red light and infrared light emitted by the sun may be at least partially responsible for this. I don’t find it far fetched to think that our biology responds to the sun. I and I think most people know this to be true from their lived experience. I feel grateful I am able to buy a light to let me experience that on demand and without exposure to UV radiation.

[Hopinggh]

Hi there ! I have neuropathy and have searched and researched for a device that i can afford . I bought a Tecanne Right Light Therapy Lamp, 54 W, bulb with clamp included , 660 nm and 850 nm , 18 little bulbs , 9 for each wavelength. , e26/e27 socket size. The price was around $42. You can hook it anywhere with the clamp.

I tried this once. It is very strong.

I plan to make good use of it soon.

I believe in all the info out there that this is a healer. It aids circulation as well.

Good luck !

Hopinggh

[aksundell]

Thanks, good luck to you as well

[kittyflowers]

That sounds interesting and positive....and safe!

Thanks for posting and I will follow your link.

I wish you well. X