Which Therapy Is Best For Thyroid
Is red light therapy good for thyroid and hormones?
Clearlight would like to remind users that this should not be taken as direct medical advice, and you should always consult a licensed health practitioner before making any significant changes to your lifestyle or existing pain treatment regimen.
The human hormone balance is a complex scientific topic.
The interrelationships of hormones, basic physiology, and overall human health are currently heavily scientifically researched all around the world.
Right now, research is looking at how red light therapy affects the thyroid, one of the most important hormone glands in the human body.
In this article, we will be focusing on what the science says about red light therapy and its effect on thyroid health.
Can Near Infrared Light Therapy Help Your Thyroid
In a recent study done in 2013 Low-level laser in the treatment of patients with hypothyroidism induced by chronic autoimmune thyroiditis:
it concludes 48% of the hypothyroid patients maintained normal thyroid hormone levels without thyroid medication at the end of the 9-month follow-up. Almost HALF of the people in the study were able to completely come off their medication and remain off the medication even 9 months after the study completed. ~ PubMed
The bodys biological response to light is one reason that light therapy is recommended to patients for optimal health. We crave light, especially sunlight. Near infrared lamps, as a light source, can actually help with cancer prevention, detoxification, and killing infections. Infrared light lets off the least amount of harmful rays and is beneficial for thyroid and general health as an increasing amount of research shows interesting and positive results for patients who use near infrared light therapy for immune related issues. If you suffer with thyroid disease and symptoms of chronic illness, fatigue, brain fog, light therapy can help to resolve many of these issues. Below is a list of the top 10 benefits.
Read Full Article at Thyroid Nation website
How Can Red Light Therapy Help Your Thyroid
Exciting research has shown that red light therapy can be helpful for the thyroid.
This placebo-controlled clinical trial showed how LLLT was effective at improving thyroid function and helped reduce autoimmunity by lowering thyroid peroxidase antibodies .
Another study concluded as well that the preliminary results indicate that LLLT promotes the improvement of thyroid function, as patients experienced a decreased need for LT4, a reduction in TPOAb levels, and an increase in parenchymal echogenicity.
A long-term follow-up study concluded that LLLT has been deemed safe for the treatment of hypothyroidism that is caused by autoimmune thyroiditis.
Additionally, this study showed how LLLT can create a significant increase in serum TGF-1 levels 30 days post-intervention in the PBM group, thus confirming the anti-inflammatory effect.
Not only can it improve the health of the thyroid, but science has shown near-infrared light therapy to be one of the most effective approaches to aid the body in healing itself from the type of mitochondrial dysfunction caused by EMF.
To sum things up, red light therapy can help increase T4 production, reduce TPO antibodies, reduce inflammation, improve thyroid function, and heal from mitochondrial dysfunction from EMFs. How amazing is that?!
The Red Light I Recommend and How To Use It:
Every photo light that they make is tested with the Geovitals EM filed probe. You can read more about this here.
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Promoting Healing: How Ir Light Therapy Can Help
Systems like the Envy Light Capsule are effective at delivering targeted assistance through full body red and infrared light therapy. These light based systems help individuals address a range of concerns including acute and chronic pain, soft tissue damage, inflammation, flaccid skin and conditions such as alopecia.
Lets take a closer look at the ways that photobiomodulation or light therapy can promote healing and symptomatic relief from a range of concerns.
- Skin Conditions Red light therapy is often used to stimulate the production of cells tied to collagen protein production. Collagen helps to naturally tighten and lift the skin, which can, in turn, reduce wrinkles. Sun damage and inflammatory acne are also targeted through this method of regeneration.
- Pain Management and Wound Healing While there is still much to do in the way of pain management clinical research, many studies confirm the benefits of utilizing light therapy to reduce pain caused by inflammation and stimulate the regeneration of damaged tissue.
- Inflammation Red and infrared light can spur the production of antioxidants, which can reduce inflammation in our system. This therapeutic technique can thus potentially relieve individuals with osteoarthritis, tendinitis, and even carpal tunnel syndrome.
To learn more about photobiomodulation or light therapy and its healing benefits, consult with the team at Lightwave Therapy to learn more about their Envy Light Capsule and its corresponding technology.
What Is The Thyroid Gland
Your thyroid gland is a small but mighty organ that sits at the base of your neck. Located right in front of your voice box, this butterfly-shaped gland has two lobes connected in the middle. It makes and releases triiodothyronine and thyroxine hormones that control many of your important bodily functions, such as metabolism, heart rate, temperature, and energy level.
When your thyroid is functioning normally, you wont notice much. But sometimes the thyroid produces too little thyroid hormone or too much thyroid hormone . This can cause a variety of problems in the body.
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Recent Red Light Thyroid Success Stories
In our own practice, we have had two patients that we ran blood tests for before and after they had been consistently coming in for PBMT sessions. The first patient, a 64 year old female, had struggled with a hypoactive thyroid that we had been treating with Functional Medicine. Change in the body takes time, and certainly that was the case here. However, when this patient got her blood work done, she improved significantly in just two months! Most of her TSH, T4, T3, Thyroglobulin Antibodies, and TPO levels had gone from low to back in the healthy range. She reported having more energy, less pain, and overall feeling much better.
Patient two, a 13 year old female with a hyperactive thyroid, also got blood work before and after consistently getting PBMT multiple times a week for two months. Her results showed that her extremely high levels had lowered enough to no longer have a hyperactive thyroid! She let us know that now she has less pain, sleeps better, and has less anxiety. It is amazing to be able to offer this treatment to our patients and see real results that help improve their quality of life.
Its important to point out that both of these patients had testing that identified issues which were causing their thyroid to stop working right. In addition to getting PBMT they were fixing the underlying problems.
What Is Red Light Therapy Used For
Residing right next to near-infrared light, red light therapy is most commonly used to treat skin conditions. For example, you will often see it used in anti-aging procedures that aim to reduce the visibility of wrinkles and photodamage from the sun. This therapy is also medically approved as a treatment for specific skin conditions, including psoriasis, acne, scars, and warts. Additionally, some skin cancer treatments require photodynamic therapy to activate drugs that treat skin cancer.
Aside from its most common use in treating skin disorders and for cosmetic purposes, athletes often use this therapy for muscle recovery and injury repair. In addition, people with joint pain or inflammation from injury, overuse, or osteoarthritis use light therapy.
Because of its popularity, some people try red light therapy for weight loss, depression, seasonal affective disorder, and cellulite removal. However, research has not yet been able to confirm its effectiveness.
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Treating Deeper Tissues With Red Light Therapy
DrAW: I would mostly agree with that. I would say a better way of thinking about it would be if you want to treat deeper tissues, so if you want to treat muscles, fat tissue, tendons, bones, internal organs, things like that, brain tissue maybe more so than anything, because the light has to penetrate through the skull, and thats probably the hardest thing for light to do, is to penetrate through bone, and then get through that to deliver light to the brain. But any sort of deeper tissue, you want the light to be closer to you. That amplifies the amount of light being delivered.
To be clear, the intensity of the light and the total amount of light actually penetrating into your body is much greater the closer the light is to you. And you want to do longer treatment times because a lot of the light is being absorbed in the surface layers. And so, if youre trying to treat the deeper tissues, you need close proximity to the light, and you need deeper penetration and longer treatment times to deliver enough of a dose of light to those deep tissues.
Whereas, if youre using it for skin anti-aging purposes, especially if youre using a powerful light, you might want to go further away from that light, something like a foot away to 24, even 36 inches away, if you have a real big, powerful light.
DrMR: Thatmakes sense, for sure.
DrMR: Well,my presumption was, its the collagen production that will reduce the wrinklesthats going to give the anti-aging effect.
DrAW:Exactly.
Light Therapy And Hypothyroidism
Thyroid issues are pervasive in modern society, affecting all genders and ages to varying degrees. Diagnoses are perhaps missed more often than any other condition and typical treatment/prescriptions for thyroid issues are decades behind the scientific understanding of the condition.
The question we are going to answer in this article is Can light therapy play a role in prevention and treatment of thyroid/low metabolism problems?Looking through scientific literature we see that light therapys effect on thyroid function has been studied dozens of times, in humans , mice , rabbits , among others. To understand why light therapy may, or may not, be of interest to these researchers, first we need to understand the basics.
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Skepticism Around Red Light Therapy
DrMR: Now,for the skeptics in the audience, if youre saying, Well, how can it do allthese things? Remember, if were stimulating a mechanism thats foundationalto cellular function and cellular health, then that is how we can see onetherapy have a wide array of benefits.
Theres also the question of effect size, which Imsure is probably varied from study to study. And thats something to keep inmind, that if youre 100 pounds overweight and youre expecting to lose 50pounds from the red light, Im assuming that effect size has not been shown.So, its probably important to bear in mind effect size also. I know its hardto do this on a per condition basis, Ari, but any thoughts on effect size, andwhat people should be cognizant of in that regard?
DrAW: I agree with everything you just said there. I want to comment on the first thing you said, which is the skepticism around, How could this affect so many different things? And I totally understand the skepticism. I get that when you hear this long list of things that it could help with, youre like, Aw, this sounds like snake oil to claim its such a panacea. First of all, its not a panacea. I could give you a long list of things it doesnt work for, if you wanted. Im sure there are several hundred things that it doesnt work for. But what I listed off there are the things that it does work for.
DrMR: Im soglad you made that point.
Ask About The Return Policy And Warranty
The best red light therapy devices will come with a clear return policy and warranty.
Red light therapy devices are certainly an investment, and you might be hesitant about pulling the trigger.
If theres a return policy and warranty in place, though, you can enjoy peace of mind. Youll know that, if you decide you dont like the device or something breaks, you can return it or get a repair/replacement right away.
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How To Use Red Light Therapy For Thyroid At Home
If you are looking to use red light therapy for thyroid at home, there are a few things you need to take into consideration.
First, it is important to find a red light therapy device that emits the correct wavelength. Second, you need to make sure you are using the device correctly. And finally, you need to be aware of the potential risks and side effects associated with red light therapy. When it comes to finding a red light therapy device that emits the correct wavelength, you may want to consider consulting with a medical professional.
They can help you determine which wavelength is best for treating your specific condition. Alternatively, there are a number of online resources that can assist you in finding a red light therapy device that emits the correct wavelength. When using a red light therapy device, it is important to follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer.
For example, you will likely be instructed to hold the device a certain distance from your skin. Additionally, you may be instructed to move the device around during your treatment.
Understanding Red Light Therapy
The team at LIGHTWAVE Therapy with the Envy Light Capsule specializes in providing professionals with a full body and facial rejuvenation system that provides clinical results. As explained by Michael J. Breus, Ph.D. and Fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Red light therapy is when a particular frequency of light is exposed to the eye or body.
While Dr. Breus may offer substantial benefits regarding red light therapy, he makes it very clear that this is something different from a traditional red light bulb. A red lightbulb may create a certain type of ambiance but it wont actually emit the lightwaves required to have an impact on our sleep patterns and energy production.
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Whats Red Light Therapy
Red-light therapies are a type of low-level laser light treatment method. Believe it or not, our cells are capable of absorbing light energies directed to themjust like plants! Red-light therapy works based on this idea, and it has given promising results to both researchers and consumers.
A deficiency in the production of thyroid hormone from thyroid glands is the start of a vicious cycle. Similar to almost everything in our body, thyroid glands require energy to operate efficiently. However, T3 and T4 hormones are the prime sources of energy for thyroid glands. Hence, a deficit in T3 and T4 hormones irrefutably further dampens the thyroid glands function.
In the case of thyroid diseases, red-light devices specially developed for it are available in the market. When the red light is directed to the throat , itll absorb into the cells. Subsequently, it stimulates endogenous mitochondria to produce more energy.
Though the produced energy isnt in the form of T3 or T4 hormones, itd still work effectively to restore the function of thyroid glands. In turn, the normal production of T3 and T4 hormones and consequently begin stimulating thyroid glands like they usually do. This right here is how red lights stop the vicious cycle of thyroid deficiency and solve thyroid-related problems.
Other Tips To Prepare
Another step you can take to prepare your skin for red light therapy is to use a face massager or face roller in the hour or so leading up to your appointment. These rollers can stimulate blood circulation to the treatment area, which can maximize the effectiveness of your red light therapy session.
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Several Studies Have Shown Profound Benefits Of Photobiomodulation For Autoimmune Hypothyroidism
- A recent 2013 randomized, placebo-controlled study in hypothyroid patients demonstrated that in people who got near-infrared light therapy, thyroid function dramatically improved, and remarkably, that thyroid antibody levels were massively reduced. Amazingly, 47% of patients were able to stop medication completely! Moreover, the researchers also followed up 9 months after treatment and found that the effects were still evident!
- They even published a 6-year follow-up, which basically said that even at 6 years, some of the benefits still remained, but periodic sessions were recommended to maintain all benefits.
- “The levothyroxine dose required by group L was significantly lower than that required by group P . The anti-TPO and anti-Tg levels did not differ between the groups. Conclusion. LLLT, by the methods described, has been shown to be safe for the treatment of hypothyroidism resulting from CAT”
Why Does Red Light Help Thyroid Disease
It turns out that PBMT is a great match for the thyroid because of how PBMT works and the location of the thyroid. Because the thyroid is near the skin in the front of the neck, the red and infrared light can actually be absorbed by the thyroid.
When the thyroid cells are lit up with these wavelengths of light it helps the cells heal, detoxify and do their jobs better. In my experience thyroid problems come from three major categories.
The first is nutrient deficiency. The most common nutrients that I find thyroid patients need are iodine, iron and selenium. Obviously if the thyroid doesnt have what it needs its going to have a difficult time doing its job.
The second common cause of thyroid disease is toxins. All glands seem to be a place where toxins get stored. As a result of the toxins, thyroid cells are damaged. The part of the cell that is hurt the most is the mitochondria. Mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cells. Without healthy mitochondria making the fuel for the thyroid, the thyroid cant do its job.
The last category of problems that hurt the thyroid are from the GI tract. Infections in the gut can hurt the thyroid. A leaky gut will hurt the thyroid. When the gut is inflamed the thyroid will be inflamed.
I help my thyroid patients by testing for these categories and fixing whatever problems the testing identifies. This is necessary for complete healing of the thyroid.
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