LED Light Therapy for Concussion
Concussions are very prevalent these days with so many children, as well as teens, engaging in full contact sports. The medical community offers very little in the form of treatment. They tell the parents to go home and watch their child and look for changes in mood, behavior, headaches, nausea, dizziness, neck pain, interruption of sleep cycles, and cognitive functioning (memory, concentration, etc.).
What if there were treatment outside of traditional medicine? Would it be worth it to go ahead and be proactive so that your child does not have to go through all these difficult symptoms and get behind in their school work and school attendance?
Have you ever heard of LED Light Therapy, also known as low level light therapy (LLLT)? Sometimes referred to as photobiomodulation, phototherapy, or photon therapy, LED stands for light emitting diodes. These are not your typical Christmas tree LED lights. They are superluminous therapeutic diodes, which are embedded in pads for placing on the skin. The most therapeutic LEDs are the red (about 630 nanometers) and near infrared diodes (890 nm). There are plenty of current clinical trial studies documenting the positive benefits of LED light therapy for symptoms of concussion and other traumatic brain injuries.
The good news is that the FDA has actually cleared LED light therapy for:
- reducing pain, swelling, and inflammation
- increasing lymphatic and blood circulation
There are two major physiological events that happen during a light session. The LEDs stimulate the release of:
- Nitric oxide in the blood (dilates the blood vessels so more oxygen and nutrients are delivered to the cells)
- Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in the mitrochondria of the cells (for better cellular repair and cleanup)
You can find LED light therapy in some physical therapy clinics but more often in the offices of chiropractors and sometimes massage therapists. As a Bowen Therapy practitioner, I use the Anodyne Therapy LED light system, which most of the current studies used in their clinical trials. I include LED phototherapy in almost all of my sessions to enhance the benefits of the Bowenwork. It has worked effectively for concussions, as well as other head injuries and headaches.
To pursue the possibility of using this forward thinking and effective treatment for you or your child, call 972-930-0260 to make an appointment with Brenda Briscoe at Living Well Health & Wellness or to ask more about the treatment.
