Anyone tried using red light therapy?

Posted by domokane @domokane, Jul 29, 2023

There seems to be some evidence that photobiomodulation - heating the skin via infra red light - has some benefits for stimulating nerve re growth. There are lots of devices available on Amazon as well as lots of seemingly expensive treatments provided by chiropractors.

I would be interested to know of any personal experience with such devices and any possible recommendations.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Neuropathy Support Group.

@misssusie0625

Do you have other pain issues besides neuropathy?
Wondering if this therapy would help my neck/back/sacrum. Thank you!

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The issue that my infrared light therapy addressed was immense pain in my wrist and basal thumb joint. Since April I have not been able to use that hand. I tried any device (i.e. splints etc) to immobilize my hand as to give it the opportunity to heal. No luck until I decided to try this therapy. Once or twice daily for 2-3 weeks and my hand is good. I can open jars, lift groceries etc. So that is my amazing success story. I have no idea as to neck/back/sacrum pain so I am very tentative about translating my success to your journey.
As for the neuropathy, I am not sure if there is improvement. My neuropathy has been slowly progressing which makes it difficult to gauge success. I will continue to use this therapy on my feet and post my findings. I am a natural skeptic ... so I don't recommend an idea until I feel sure that it works. So for neuropathy, the jury is still out.

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@tomkipp

What is the company name/model that you purchased and approx cost?

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The device which I purchased was by Anodyne. It is a company out of Florida. They sell to medical providers and so they were reluctant to answer questions regarding my device which they offer ONLY to medical providers (I am not in the medical field). However I do believe the company offers machines with less output for the non-medical consumers.
I found this unit by doing an online search for their products. I found a used model identical to my therapist's office. I paid approx $750.
Note: I watched for several months the physical therapist use the infrared light pads on my feet so I copied her protocol as to strength and length of time.
By no means am I promoting this company or its products. I mentioned in my original post that after doing a "deep dive" into infrared units and reading countless reviews, it appeared that American manufacturers produced more reliable & safer devices. I am sure there are other American manufacturers of safe infrared light devices for nonmedical consumers.
Its a journey ... I get it. My wrist & hand are markedly better ... however my neuropathy, I cannot say one way or the other.

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@robindancer5678

Can you share what the company name is and how to purchase it? Thanks.

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See my above answer to the same question. Hope that answers your question.

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@rebe

I purchased a red light therapy device online for about $150 six months ago. I was disappointed. It did not alter the gradual numbing of my feet.

I then went into hyper-mode & researched infrared light and the different manufacturers. I found there to be a huge difference as to quality of the machines based on U. S. versus imported manufacturers. I then wrote down the company name and model number of the machine used my physical therapist & purchased identical machine (even tho I am not a medical provider, I happened to find one online). So I am in week 3 of using it. There is no doubt …. absolutely no doubt … that it has helped the arthritis in my wrist. I can use my hand for the first time in 5 months. In regard to my neuropathy, the jury is still out. My neuropathy has stopped progressing in the past weeks but I am a rather jaded personality. I don’t know if that assessment is wishful thinking or truly positive results. I believe that I will know for certain in another month. I hope this helps.

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Which red light did you purchase that seems to work?

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Have tried this as prescribed by chiropractor. $4000+ later with no improvement. I have severe neuropathy both legs from waist to toes. Right leg worst resulting in multiple fractures foot and ankle. Right BK Amp for 6 years. Wouldn't recommend!!

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@txflower2023

I have ordered red light therapy hope others will share their experiences. Thanks

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I have beenusing it 2 days and it helps. I know this will not work for everyone but it is for me a godsend.

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I have owned the Anodyne 300 kit since 2017 as part of a program to cure PN. It consists of a lower pad with leds that saturate the bottom of your foot and a calf area pad that wraps around the back of the leg, just above the ankle. My experience was mixed as to the effectiveness and I called the manufacturer about the proper use of it and whether they thought the LEDS were working or not.

The manual indicated to use on each leg for 30 minute sessions, 2 times per day for relief of PN. Doing so would sometimes reduce the pain level but only temporarily. I mean for maybe up to an hour. If I repeat treatment for longer periods, it does not decrease pain further and actually seems to cause a different feeling like restrictive movement with associated pain.

I did ask the manufacturer if it would help to use for longer periods or more times per day and they responded that it might but they recommend the 30 minute sessions. In retrospect, I think there is a missing link in the perception of what this technology actually does. As a patient, I expect it to relieve pain NOW and help heal the nerves. Clearly it does not work that way with me, yet its not clear if each treatment is aiding in the nerve healing process and whether or not further use will help the nerves heal. Accordingly, there is no way of knowing, other than pain assessment, if this unit actually begins to heal anything unless you use it religiously for several weeks and perhaps months and then assess your pain levels and determine if it actually is effective.

Even then, if progress is minimal, one has to decide whether or not it's worth the time and care you have taken to continue treatments or move on to something else. You really have no accurate way of assessing pain levels to add to the confusion. There is no way to remember the pain level a month ago compared to today. The chiropractors and pain assessment doctors use the 1-10 pain level scale that, in my opinion, is rather subjective, since my pain levels will change daily, due to other factors including use of various supplements, OTCs and diet.

Speaking of diet, I just made the decision to reduce:
carbohydrates: sugars, fake sugars, processed meats, carbonated drinks, sugar rich juices, boxed foods etc.
Increased consumption of: Organic only: dark leafy vegetables, grass fed meats, oranges, apples, cherries, blueberries etc.

Reasoning: It has occured to me that there may be a broader approach to healing PN I have ignored. Also, I keep reading, "diet and foods may be a pathway to healing". There is a pre-existing condition that has not been addressed for last few years: Hunger and cravings after eating a full meal. Also a history of high triglycerides has also been ignored by the internists. A1C has been listed as "normal", for the past 10 years so all must be fine. Right?

Though not clinically diagnosed as diabetic, I have recently researched, Insulin Resistance (Dr. Ben Brikman). Quite enlightening and indicating that A1C is not an accurate test for insulin regulation and doctors should be examining Triglyceride to LDL ratio as a more accurate method to determine if a person is insulin resistant. Here is one of the Dr. Brikman podcasts that may be of interest.


I hope this is helpful or at least a consideration when it considering PN treatments. I hope to report good news and some relief from neuropathy in the future. I have tried many other methodologies over the last 16 years with limited results. Additionally, I am aware that all neuropathies are not the same and many types/causalities' exist. Will somebody please figure this out???
Thanks

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Type 2 diabetes (and pre-diabetes) is known to science to be a disease of choice in almost all cases. It can be reversed or halted at will by simply eating less and eating healthy! I am not an advocate of using drugs, especially in the long term. But I think I should point out an NPR news article I just heard on the radio this morning. Apparently many people are now using the heavily advertised drug, Ozampic (spelling?) off-label for weight loss and it seems very effective. Well others have reported that it also reduces cravings for alcohol as well as food. Hope this info can help someone out there.
Neuropathy is a very tough thing to beat. It seems to me that regrowth of nerves will ultimatly be the best way of eliminating it. But that remains a very difficult challenge.

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I did a little research on the Anodyne therapy. This very interesting URL describes their system in more detail. It would not be difficult for anyone with some knowledge of electronics to put together a light source. They use near-infrared light at 890 nm. which is invisible to humans. They pulse it on and off at 292 Hz. with a 50% duty cycle. They recomend 30 minutes per session.
https://anodynetherapy.com/infrared-light-therapy-devices

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@rebe

The device which I purchased was by Anodyne. It is a company out of Florida. They sell to medical providers and so they were reluctant to answer questions regarding my device which they offer ONLY to medical providers (I am not in the medical field). However I do believe the company offers machines with less output for the non-medical consumers.
I found this unit by doing an online search for their products. I found a used model identical to my therapist's office. I paid approx $750.
Note: I watched for several months the physical therapist use the infrared light pads on my feet so I copied her protocol as to strength and length of time.
By no means am I promoting this company or its products. I mentioned in my original post that after doing a "deep dive" into infrared units and reading countless reviews, it appeared that American manufacturers produced more reliable & safer devices. I am sure there are other American manufacturers of safe infrared light devices for nonmedical consumers.
Its a journey ... I get it. My wrist & hand are markedly better ... however my neuropathy, I cannot say one way or the other.

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Have you any updates Rene on the effects of the red light therapy on your PN? Ty

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