Light therapy terminology could be bewildering. The only way around this is to understand this terminology, the meaning behind the terms and the types of light therapy. If you are new to the light therapy space, you may find this cascade of names overwhelming and confusing. Hopefully, this article will help you to bring some order and clarity on the subject of light therapy related terminology.

Red light therapy and low-level laser therapy (LLL) are terms that describe the use of light in therapeutic applications. These terms are better known, because they have been around longer than other terms denoting light therapy. For example, near infrared light therapy (NIR) and infrared light therapy (ILT) are also two forms of light therapy. Their names are defined by the spectrum of the wavelength used. Each of them, as well as the red light therapy, can be a form of LLL. Another term for light therapy, that is more recent, is photobiomodulation therapy, PBM or PBMT.

Understanding the differences among various forms of light therapy is not as complicated as it might seem at first. The easiest way to start is to understand the related terminology. To do that, you should start from the top of the hierarchy and move down the chain. Along the way you will be able to learn and understand the relevant terms.

The Hierarchy of the Light Therapy Terminology

The term light therapy is the original name. Therefore, it stands at the top of the hierarchy. More modern equivalent of light therapy is photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT). Thus, these two terms are equal in meaning and occupy the top position in the hierarchy. The next level deeper brings about terms that are critical in understanding of the variety of forms of light therapy.

Already mentioned earlier, low-level laser therapy, is one of the earliest modern forms of light therapy. Originally developed in the 60s, this name became equivalent to the name light therapy. They are often used interchangeably. However, this is not a completely correct way to use these terms. While LLL is a form of light therapy, it is not its only form. Furthermore, LLL usually refers to light therapy in the red light thorough to infrared wavelength spectrum. Yet, today, there are numerous other light therapy options from yellow to blue to ultraviolet light spectra.

This article will focus only on the subjects relevant to the light therapy in the red to infrared spectra. This should help to avoid any confusion regarding beneficial effects of light. Thus, unlike the light in red to infrared spectra, light of other spectra could be harmful in some cases. For example, ultraviolet light can cause harm, if it is used improperly. However, that is the subject matter which outside of the scope of this article.

LLL and LED Light Therapy Options

Since the invention of LLL, technological advancements allowed the use of modern light emitting diodes (LED) for light therapy. Thus, LEDs dethroned low level lasers (LLL) as the only option for light therapy. Nonetheless, many are still using the term LLL synonymously with light therapy. Just like the brand name “Hoover” displaced the common name “vacuum cleaner” for many, “LLL” displaced “light therapy” for some. However, regardless of individual preferences for terminology, the reality is that today LLLs and LEDs share the light therapy space. Each one is prominent in its own rights and for numerous applications in general wellness, medicine and beauty related fields.

The Top Levels of Light Therapy Terminology

To sum up, the two top levels of the light therapy hierarchy are:
Level 1: Light Therapy or Photobiomodulation (PBM)
Level 2: Low level laser (LLL) therapy and LED-based light therapy.

The next level down brings about terms that differentiate forms of photobiomodulation by the wavelength of light. Thus, you may encounter terms like red light therapy, near infrared light therapy and infrared light therapy. While these three types of photobiomodulation closely related, they also differ.

Prior to discussing these three wavelength options, it is important to note again that there are others. For example, ultraviolet light, blue light, green light, they all have their uses. They differ in wavelength and the quality of light. However, most importantly, they differ in the effects of these types of light on the body.

As you may recall, the focus of this article is on the light in the red to infrared spectra. Therefore, there will be no discussion of any light in the other spectra. You will be ahead of the game, if you remember that the applications of those forms of light are different.

Photobiomodulation using Light in the Red to Infrared Spectra

The red light waves fall in the range of 600 nm to 700 nm. The near infrared light waves fall into the 700 nm to 1400 nm range. The term “near infrared” alludes to the fact that this is the type of invisible infrared light that is closest to the visible red light range. Last, but not least, is the infrared light, which falls into the 780 nm to 1 mm wavelength spectrum. These three types of light have different depths of penetration and absorption by the life tissue. Therefore, their applications are in accordance with those factors.

Thus, to sum up, the next level in the terminology hierarchy belongs to the wavelengths of the light. The focus of this article is primarily on red to infrared light spectra. Other wavelengths of light, from yellow to blue, are also suitable for various forms of light therapy applications.

Level 3: Photobiomodulation based on the light wavelength, or spectrum:

1. Red light therapy.
2. Near infrared light therapy.
3. Infrared light therapy.

Types of Photobiomodulation by Application

Now you can differentiate three levels in defining light therapy or PBM. Moving forward, the next level in the hierarchy of terminology defines PBM by application type. Thus, red light therapy is suitable for topical and systemic applications. It can be used for wound healing, for various forms of skin therapy, for muscle relaxation and more. Numerous studies provide evidence to support benefits for these applications.

The term systemic photobiomodulation defines applications of red light therapy via the blood. Relatively recent research has shown that blood contains free-floating mitochondria, which absorbs the energy of red light. The term systemic implies that this type of light therapy can produce systemic effects in the body.

Using Light Therapy for Brain Stimulation

Perhaps the most complex and sophisticated application of light therapy is its use for brain stimulation. This form of light therapy is called transcranial photobiomodulation or tPBM. The light is used to penetrate through the skin, muscles and the cranium to reach the brain. Current research shows that the best form of light for tPBM is near infrared light (NIR). NIR has presented best penetration and absorption rates, and these facts have been documented using EEG and MRI scans of the brain.

The post Light Therapy Terminology first appeared on Vielight Inc - Deutsch.

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The fact of the matter is that the benefits, or their absence, can become apparent only through rigorous scientific research and studies. Many of such studies are under way. Neuroscientists and other researchers are working and collaborating to study many possible applications for light therapy. The numerous studies, that are underway, range from small exploratory studies to large-scale clinical studies. Furthermore, the focus of research also ranges significantly. Some explore the effects of near infrared light on people with Alzheimer’s Disease. Others explore the efficacy of the NIR and red-light therapies in treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. The range of possible applications for PBM seems boundless and literally extends from head to toes.

Using light therapy treatment for neurological and psychiatric traumas.

Over the last decade, scientists have been testing the effects of NIR in treatment of neurological and psychiatric traumas. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and polychronic psychological trauma are all subjects to ongoing exploration. The attraction to use photobiomodulation in treatment of such complex neurological and psychiatric traumas and disorders is mainly threefold. One, it is very cost-effective. Two, it offers a non-invasive alternative to common first-line treatments. The last, but, surely, not the least, the PBM therapies can be easily administered at home by the effected individuals.

Discussion about photobiomodulation

To facilitate further discussion about photobiomodulation, we asked researchers, who directly study PBM, to share their experiences and knowledge. One of them is Prof. Margaret Naeser, Ph.D, Research Professor of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine. Prof. Naeser has been studying and practicing photomedicine and light therapy treatments for well over three decades. Some of the most reputable scientific publications have published her work. Many others based their scientific work in the area of light therapy on her published research.

We had a very long chat with Prof. Naeser. Below is the first part of incredibly enlightening conversation which also brought a glimpse of hope.

Conversation about light therapy with Prof. Margaret Naeser, Ph.D. Part one.

We finished the work with stroke and laser therapy in the 1980s. In the 1990s we treated pain in carpal tunnel syndrome with light therapy. Actually, it was red-beam laser. That research was published in an AMA journal, the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, in 2002.

In 2007 I got a phone call from Massachusetts General Hospital, Wellman Center for Photomedicine, very famous center. Mike Hamblin called me out of the blue. I didn’t know them then. He said: “I’d like to speak to Margaret Naeser”, and I said that this was Margaret Naeser. He said: “Margaret, we want to talk to you. You’re the only person we can find in the entire VA (Veteran Affairs) hospital system who’s ever published something on Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT), and it’s in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2002. We want to use it on the brain to treat the soldiers coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan”. And I was just floored. I couldn’t believe you could deliver photons to the brain.

From curiosity to practice

I was really curious because there were a few papers being published on the use of laser therapy to treat paralysis in stroke. At that time I was working with stroke patients who had aphasia. I also was invited to Shanghai, China, to learn more about the laser therapies. There I lived for two months, and I got to use my Chinese. I also did do research on the application of laser therapies in treating paralysis in stroke. That was at the Boston VA Medical Center in the 1980s. At that time I made several trips to Germany. I learned a lot about laser therapies in Germany and in Austria, and, I might say, in German.

I brought a lot of it back to the Boston VA Medical Center. We worked there originally with stroke and paralysis. Then, in 2002, we published a paper on treating pain in carpal tunnel syndrome with red-beam laser light. That work was published in 2002, Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, an American Medical Association journal.

Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT): from treating carpal tunnel to treating brain

Getting back to 2007 and the call that came from Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School. Thus, Michael R. Hamblin, Ph.D., famous researcher at Mass General Hospital, called me. He wanted to use red and near-infrared light to heal the brains for the soldiers coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan.

I was at first very skeptical about what Michael Hamblin told me. He was sure that we could deliver photons into the brain by placing the laser or LED on the scalp. I just was so skeptical. Perhaps, because I was mostly treating the arm or the leg with paralysis or pain, as in carpal tunnel syndrome.

Regardless, I agreed to work with him. We put our ideas together, and he was right. Later, we did publish our first paper on the use of transcranial light emitting diodes to improve thinking and cognition in traumatic brain injury. That was also with Anita Saltmarche. We only had two cases, but both did well, and some of the treatments were done at home. All that was very impressive to me. Particularly the fact that you could have therapy that could be done by the patient, him or herself, at home.

Studying light therapy for treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury

From then on, we started working on a study with eleven traumatic brain injury cases. Those subjects were getting treatment at Harvard Medical School at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. The Chief of Rehabilitation there, Dr. Ross Zafonte, agreed that we would do the work there. It was possible because Dr. Michael Hamblin was part of the Harvard Medical School, and I was willing to try that.

We published our findings in a paper in 2014. All of the patients did well. They improved by one or two standard deviations in executive function and verbal memory. There were four cases of the 11 who had PTSD, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. They all improved very dramatically. We decided to continue on with that. We worked with different pieces of equipment over time, and we’re still doing it at the Boston VA Medical Center.

Right now we’re working with football players. These are retired professional football players who might be developing CTE, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. That material was in the poster which we presented at the 2019 International Brain Injury Association meeting in Toronto.

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