Light therapy has been shown in over 40 years of independent research worldwide to deliver powerful therapeutic benefits to living tissues and organisms. Both visible red and infrared light have been shown to affect at least 24 different positive changes at a cellular level. These results have been widely published for the past several decades.
Light radiation must be absorbed to produce a biological response. All biological systems have a unique absorption spectrum that determines which wavelengths of radiation will be absorbed to produce a given therapeutic effect. The visible red and infrared portions of the spectrum have been shown to be highly absorbent and produce unique therapeutic effects in living tissues.
Infrared therapy is not new to the veterinarian field. In fact, it has been used in the equine market for more than 20 years. Light therapy should not be confused with Laser therapy, although both use light as the energy delivery method. The most natural form of light therapy is, of course, exposure to sunlight or ultraviolet light outdoors. But as we all know, many species including humans, do not get the amount of outdoor exposure that is optimal to health.
RevitaVet has some interesting thermal images and case studies using light therapy worth viewing.
Visible and non-visible (infrared) lightwaves can penetrate up to 2″ into the tissues to improve circulation, encourage growth of new capillaries, and encourage the formation and distribution of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is critical to the proper functioning of soft tissues and nerves.
Light therapy is also referred to as photonic therapy or heliotherapy. There is a wide range of light therapy tools available from small penlight devices that are affordable, easy to use, and safe to packages that include boots, pads, and battery packs for treating broader areas. By far, one of my favorite light therapy tools has been the poll cap from RevitaVet…I use it during many of my bodywork sessions.
Below are a few links to more in-depth articles on the uses and the efficacy of light therapies:
https://www.revitavet.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/healinglightswhite.pdf
https://www.revitavet.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/MechanismsActionInfraredLightTissueHealing.pdf