good inflammation vs bad inflammation.

In today’s issue:

• How Red Light Therapy combats chronic inflammation

• Good Inflammation vs. Bad Inflammation

• The Best Red Light Device for Inflammation

How Red Light Therapy Combats Chronic Inflammation

Inflammation is one of the leading causes of health problems.

In fact, according to Furman et al., more than 50% of deaths are attributable to inflammation-related diseases.

By targeting inflammation directly, it’s possible to relieve symptoms of chronic skin disorders and even prevent some diseases from developing.

Ancient healers used sunlight to treat physical and mental conditions. Even today, moderate sun exposure is a common treatment for acne and a variety of psychological disorders.

Today, scientists have isolated red and near infrared (NIR) light as the most beneficial in supporting the healing process.

And it’s been shown to be a potent anti-inflammatory treatment as well.

In his landmark paper, light therapy researcher Dr. Michael Hamblin wrote, “One of the most reproducible effects of PBM [photobiomodulation using red and near infrared light] is an overall reduction in inflammation, which is particularly important for disorders of the joints, traumatic injuries, lung disorders, and in the brain."

Good Inflammation vs. Bad Inflammation

Yes, inflammation can be good (acute) or bad (chronic).

Acute inflammation is part of your immune system’s response to injury. It wants to protect the injured area and clear out any invaders. The inflammation increases the blood supply to the area, like a team of paramedics rushing to the scene of an accident.

Perhaps you’ve broken a bone or sprained an ankle. If so, you know how much it swells up… but then eventually goes away.

Chronic inflammation is the kind that never goes away.

It can be attributed to a number of things. Food sensitivities, environmental irritants like mold, and autoimmune disorders are among the common causes. It can also cause a number of extremely negative side-effects like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, and bowel diseases like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. 

Chronic inflammation can also cause you to gain weight because it interferes with your insulin response, which can force your body to store fat.

Utilizing Red Light Therapy may be the key to stopping chronic inflammation.

The Best Red Light Device for Inflammation

We think there are two solid options for Red Light Therapy to target inflammation.

The first is a more targeted approach using a smaller Red Light Therapy panel. You’ll be able to use the light to target specific areas you want to reduce inflammation. This is the best approach if you really only want to target one or two areas of the body.

There are a ton of options out there. The first one we recommend are Mito’s Mobile Flex because you can easily travel with it. For a less expensive option, but at a similar size, we recommend the Hooga HG200. It’s a bit bigger than Mito’s Mobile Flex and has a nice stand so you can set it up on your desk to have a session while you work.

For a more whole-body approach, we recommend Mito’s Full Body Red Light Therapy Mat

If we were forced to choose only one, we would recommend a full-body mat like this one. The mat is considerably higher powered and requires shorter session times. You’ll not only get the benefit of reduced inflammation throughout your entire body, but all the additional benefits of a full-body Red Light Therapy session.

That’s all for today!

The RLTCo Crew