02/15/2021
REDS LIGHT THERAPY & STROKES:
According to the CDC, each year more than 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke. Sometimes called “brain attacks,” strokes can cause lasting brain damage and long-term disability. Nearly 90% of strokes are ischemic strokes, in which blood flow to the brain is blocked.
In 2007 researchers from Israel conducted a clinical trial with patients who had suffered an ischemic stroke. Transcranial application of 810nm NIR light was applied to the heads of the patients. Significant and lasting improvements were noted even after only one treatment, and results were still evident 90 days later.
Strokes often affect basic motor functions. Some patients experience spasticity, which can cause pain and weakness. In a 2016 study, researchers from Brazil treated stroke patients with LLLT, and patients experienced reduced pain and increased time to onset of muscle fatigue. These findings suggest that red light therapy may contribute to increased (and normal) recruitment of muscle fibers and reduction of pain.
Animal studies and clinical trials have found notable results in treating stroke:
Animal models: Suppression of nitric oxide activity was noted after irradiation with 660nm light; at 808nm, neurogenesis (regrowth of neurons) began within 24 hours after stroke, and there were improvements in behavioral performance and neurological function.
Clinical trials for acute stroke: 120 patients aged 40-85 who had suffered from ischemic stroke showed improvement in neurological deficits after irradiation with 810nm NIR light.