Using Light Therapy for Depression

Depression is one of the few disorders that can be treated successfully, and it responds well to it. But to find out which type of treatment works best is difficult, especially one that is new to the market such as light therapy for depression. But there are many medical conditions similar to depression, and medications can cause the symptoms of depression–fatigue, loss of pleasure, or sadness. And for a fact depression will not leave until the actual problem is not only identified but treated correctly.

Conventional methods for treating depression include psychotherapy, electroconvulsive or ECT therapy, and antidepressant drugs. The medical field recognizes that treatments for depression can vary, depending on its severity and its cause. Both holistic practitioners and traditional medical physicians agree that for extremely serious depressions, light therapy for depression should be considered as a complementary treatment as compared to the conventional ones.

These complementary conditions considered acceptable for light therapy for depression would be seasonal depression or seasonal affective disorders, not major or chronic depressions such as manic depression or manor depressive disorders. But there are several other conditions, including the light therapy for depression of SAD, that accept light therapy as an excellent treatment–early morning insomnia, productivity enhancement, night-owl insomnia, jet lag, late-shift drowsiness, bulimia, lupus, nonseasonal depression, or even prolonged menstrual cycles.

A lot of the early research on light therapy for depression has been inadequately funded, which has led to its lack of research at the very beginning. Also the studies had lots of flaws in its design problems, which caused them to be weak in their quality.

But research in Canada has completed one of the most recent studies that says light therapy for depression is just as effective of a treatment as medications, and is considered to be the safest treatment for bipolar depression. And not only is it effective, it is cheaper than traditional medication and treatments, in addition to being much safer with fewer side effects. Almost all of antidepressant treatments, except lithium, have the ability to make the condition of bipolar disorder much worse than without them, forcing an increase of subtle “manic side” symptoms.

When applying light therapy for depression treatments for winter depression or season affective disorder, light therapy originally started out with early morning treatments. But recent results have demonstrated how light therapy treats depression is still unknown, and is very much unestablished in its results. Recent studies have shown us that research in light therapy may occur in the evenings or other times with just as good of results.

Theories on Light Therapy Safety

Light therapy uses ultraviolet and other types of light to treat a wide range of illnesses and medical and emotional problems. Almost anything from skin problems to emotional distress and depression can be at least helped by light therapy. But as with most medical and alternative therapies, there are some disadvantages to light therapy.

It is widely known and acknowledged by the medical community that ultraviolet light is damaging to the skin. It breaks down vitamins A and C in the skin, and can damage the skin’s collagen. Some genetic damage has also been seen with extended exposure to UV. Blue light is also used in some light therapy; unfortunately, blue light can cause breaks in cellular DNA. While the cells can usually repair themselves, research has shown that cancer can easily develop in damaged cells like those injured by blue light exposure.

LED Light Therapy

The Beginning of LED Light Therapy with NASA

The LED Light Therapy goes back to early scientific experiments by NASA that originated with LEDs, or the Light Emitting Diodes. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in the state of Alabama, in addition to Quantum Devices, Inc., of Wisconsin, had taken specific plants that were placed aboard the Space Shuttle, exposing them in space to near-infrared light produced by LEDs.

The purpose of using the LEDs was because they increased the energy that was produced in the energy compartments of each plant cell, causing the cells to grow much faster. Everybody on Earth benefited from NASA’s new scientific find for faster-growing plants–farmers especially as their crops could be grown faster, bringing about a quicker harvest, faster processing, and bringing in more money for a faster turn-about-time. From this moment on, LED Light Therapy took on an entire new meaning.

While NASA was working on the growing rate of the plants in space with the LEDs, Quantum Devices scientists overheard discussions among physicians in regard to laser therapy for their patients. Apparently, laser lights for people accelerated cell growth and healing, but had some pretty serious drawbacks in its use. Surrounding tissue areas had became overheated when the lasers were used, the lasers were said to be huge and expensive to operate, they were limited in color wavelength, and on the average they were not very reliable.

When NASA and Quantum Devices joined forces, the resulting LED Light Therapy had many advantages over the older methods. LEDs did not heat the tissues, as did the older lasers, because they used a longer wavelength that was near-infrared light that helped to penetrate deeper into the tissues. In other words, the redder the light is the longer the wavelength, which means it can penetrate the body tissues deeper. This made it a perfect treatment for crush injuries, badly burned victims, cancer chemotherapy and radiation treatment complications–all areas where large body areas are involved.

When LED light is used to activate the light-sensitive chemotherapy drugs to destroy cancer, the nickname Photo Dynamic Therapy was given to it, or PDT. In addition, the stimulation of normal cell chemicals uses LED Light Therapy without any drugs to heal and regenerate human tissues. How this works is that LED Light Therapy reacts with parts of certain cells that are called cytochromes, that respond to light and color in order to cause their energy levels to raise.

The new LED Light Therapy medical treatment has begun to help people who have had no hope of treatment with their diseases, by regenerating tissue, muscle, brain and bone. The most exciting thing is the original experiments by NASA with their LED Light Therapy that began in space are now being used for muscle and bone atrophy in astronauts.

Light Therapy

Light therapy is a rather complicated alternative medicinal field in itself, and is considered a vibrational medicine that uses acupuncture points, meridians, chakras, reflex zones, and many other areas to alter unbalanced frequencies in the body.

Based on scientific principles, light therapy can also be considered a form of energy medicine in addition to the vibrational medicine. It pulsates to a particular frequency that can be restored through resonant vibration, in order to achieve balance in the system. This balance is constantly seeking to reassert itself from an unbalanced state, through its own wisdom and intelligent form whenever light therapy is brought into play.

The body’s systems when it goes through some sort of crisis or trauma can not correct itself on its own, at least whenever a psychotic registration occurs. What consist in the makeup of the system of the body are the physical, the mental, the spiritual, and the emotional levels–all of which can be influenced by the application of light therapy. And since light therapy consists of vibration and resonance, the different areas of the body’s physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects have the ability to resonant to the many different vibrational frequencies.

In light therapy, the five physical senses are stimulated by vibration and resonance. This stimulation occurs with touch, color, light, sound, aroma, sacred geometry, and the use of crystals and gems. Receiving this stimulation can occur as an individual unit or as a total process, creating a balance in the system’s physical aspect. When an imbalance begins to occur, the body becomes deficient or completely overwhelmed by any amount of the senses–one or as a group.

By realizing that the body requires a balanced stimulus effecting the body, the senses can be approached on a steady and regular basis by utilizing the senses through processes–such as light therapy. Only then can healthy restoration begin to occur with deep changes toward a balanced system in the body.

Light therapy is important, as our bodies require light on a daily basis. The full spectrum of light influences the entire body to maintain its health, in a world where society is continuously blocking this light by staying indoors or deflecting the many forms of the light spectrum through the use of sun screen, sunglasses, or contacts. Seeing as light enters our body 90% of the time through the eyes, the skin, and the chakras, it is important to receive this light spectrum in order to stimulate the endocrine system, the immune system, and the body’s organs. As little as two hours of indirect sunlight offer the visible light spectrum, infrared, and ultraviolet light for a marked emotional well being and healthy body.

The Power of Intense Pulse Light Therapy

One of the latest procedures for light therapy is the Intense Pulse Light Therapy, also known as photo laser, computer controlled light therapy, light laser and many more. Pioneered by Dr. Patrick Bitter Jr., this new light therapy emits high intensity pulses of light to penetrate the human skin for skin disorders. This new light therapy is used for the removal of facial wrinkles, old age or “liver” spots, freckles, tattoos, hair removal, and many other skin disorders. The Intense Pulse Light Therapy especially is used by those who cannot stand the traditional lasers.

The procedure of the light therapy may begin with a topical anesthetic application, where once the numbing has taken effect in the treatment area, an application of a cold and soothing gel will be applied and then a pyramid or glass prism is placed over the gel and area. A non-aggressive pulse, or intense flash of light, will then be flashed through the prism toward the treatment area in order to keep the skin undamaged for further treatments.

Different types of machines are designed for different levels of repairs and penetration for the Intense Pulse Light Therapy:

• PhotoDerm VL - light pulses are directed at the spider and varicose veins, in addition to vascular birth marks. What is targeted is the blood’s hemoglobin for vascular lesions.
• PhotoDerm PL - light pulses are directed at the age spots, freckles, different types of discoloration, and flat pigmented birthmarks. The targeted area is the melanin in the epidermis for pigmented lesions.
• PhotoDerm HR an EpiLight - light pulses are directed at the melanin in the hair shaft, traveling to the follicle, heating and destroying it for hair removal.

Not everyone can be treated with Intense Pulse Light Therapy, especially insulin-dependent diabetics, due to the risk of wound-healing and infection problems. Also, anyone who uses blood thinners should have them discontinued before treatment, such as Coumadin, Heparin, aspirin, or 10-days discontinued usage before treatments, such as any herbal remedies that are anti-coagulant–garlic, ginger, cayenne, papaya, gingko, gingko biloba, Vitamin E, or selenium.

There are always risks with anything that is medical whether or not it is natural or traditional medicine, even if it is just slight. With Intense Pulse Light Therapy, blistering or slight bleeding may be possible. Also, lightening or darkening of certain areas due to the treatments may occur, and if so it may be between three to 12 months before any type of normal skin tone will appear. In very, very rare occurrences, scarring may occur.

Acne Light Therapy

The most common types of acne affect approximately 17 million teens and young adults in the United States, with the rare acne conglobata occurring in young men and acne fulminans–a severe form of acne conglobata–occurring in teen boys. And with this high of statistics, it is no wonder that Acne Light Therapy is becoming a top choice for safe alternative acne health treatments.

It has been proven in several studies that blue and red light working together through Acne Light Therapy, in specific wavelengths, have an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect upon acne. The blue light at 415nm has an antibacterial effect, while the red light at 660nm acts as an effective anti-inflammatory. But so far, the USDA has approved only the narrow-band, high intensity blue-light therapy for acne treatments with results. And today, it is the best treatment so far, as the blue-light products being developed now do not contain ultraviolet light, or UV rays. The blue-light treatments consist of eight sessions in increments over four-weeks with each one being about 15 minutes long. About 55% of the patients state they saw noticeable improvements.

The reason Acne Light Therapy is so popular as a treatment for acne, as compared to the traditional antibiotics, is because if taken for a prolonged period of time the antibiotics can damage the lining of the gastrointestinal area of the body, in addition to exacerbating the very condition being treated. One study did an Acne Light Therapy testing, showing that 50% of those who had severe acne problems demonstrated higher levels of toxins in the bloodstream. If this has occurred, attempt to replenish the microflora that has been wiped out due to the excessive use of antibiotics with a probiotic supplement, such as eating bananas.

Additionally, a UK-led study of approximately 10,000 acne sufferers had excellent results with 70% participants reporting they had significant acne improvements with red-blue light therapy. Dr. Tony Chu from London, England, the doctor in charge of the Acne Light Therapy, has made it is his entire career to find a treatment for acne, and is quoted as saying that light therapy is the “most significant advance in the treatment of acne for two decades.” Dr. Tony’s Chu’s treatment for Acne Light Therapy is a device called the DermaLux, a light therapy box that the acne inflicted individuals can sit in front of for 15 minutes per day. How the treatment works is the acne-causing bacteria is killed by the correct mixture of red and blue light. Recent studies have also applied benzoyl peroxide cream twice daily.