Weight Loss With Red Light Therapy?

July 17, 2022 Ashley 0 Comments

Back in 2018, we got a red light therapy device at my PT clinic.

Patients came in, strapped it on, and spent 20 minutes basking in crimson beams.

I remember rolling my eyes at any positive reports that followed…

Curing back pain with rouge luminescence? Unlikely, I thought.

That is, until years later, when I hit my late thirties and started seeing it advertised for its anti-aging effects. That’s when us ladies pull out all the stops and start trying anything possible that might help delay the signs of being past our prime. (With the exception of fillers. If I wanna look like Brock Lesnar, I’ll just start leading with my face more when I’m passing guard in jiu-jitsu…) I’d tried a lot of things already. Radiofrequency. Microcurrent. Ointments. They all helped a little. But nothing worked quite as quickly and efficiently as red light therapy did. There was immediate lift. Glow. Clearing of stress (and MMA) induced acne. I was rendered shooketh, as the chil’run say. But what really struck me was a sudden evenness of mood I’d not experienced in a very long time. Typically I have these highs and lows (consistent with the touch of bilpolar I’ve got). I’ll get a few good days, followed by a depressive drop that includes copious stress eating, crying, and decreased motivation to do anything. At work, I was suddenly answering “good!” when people asked how I was doing – and actually meant it. I was feeling less FOMO or envy about what everyone else around me had, and just really grateful about where I was and what I was doing. My interactions felt more present (whereas I’m usually kinda stuck in my head and preoccupied with other thoughts). And, with this new reduced stress level, I was stress eating less. I was also more motivated, so I was working out for longer.

It was strange. I’d never planned on the RLT doing any of that, but when I noticed a sudden correlation of starting it for a totally different reason and dropping five pounds (and the depressive episodes) in two weeks without trying… I had to look it up. Sure enough, there was account after account of innumerable benefits rendered from RLT. Some said it cured their depression. Some said it healed the back pain that their PT could not. (Which both upset and encouraged me – because I’m both a therapist and a patient.) Hair regrowth. Collagen generation. Inflammation reduction. Wound healing. Mood improvement. One report after another. Generally, if something is having a placebo effect with me, I’ll know less than a week in of using it. But, after two weeks of feeling like what I imagine normal humans feel like, I realize I’ve struck gold. So many of my lesser tendencies and habitual addictions seem suddenly less alluring because I’m not feeling this intrinsic sense of lack any longer. About a week and a half in, I remembered that clinic I worked at and why they were using it. That’s when I started beaming my mask at my foot (where I have a painful spur). I know better than to think it’s going to reduce the bone that’s grown there. However, most of the pain has been the bursa swelling than the bone itself. After day one, I didn’t notice much difference. But after three sessions, I was floored. I could press on my heel. I could run for longer before pain set in. This was a game changer.

And, as mentioned above, the studies don’t lie.

One research effort done just two years ago divided 60 test subjects, all overweight, into three treatment groups. Those who used the light bi-weekly had a 2 cm decrease in the circumference around their waists. The drawback? You have to be consistent with it. Also, since it’s not a fat blaster, you’d almost do better to use the mask or aiming it at problem areas (or maybe even go to spa to use the sauna or bed) to get the full effect of it. Because, while it doesn’t target fat necessarily, it helps heal via mitochondria. By using the mask, mood may be improved so that there’s more motivation to work out and less stress causing stress eating. By using it as a spot treatment (like me with my heel), the pain that’s making you work out less frequently (or for less time and intensity) may be reduced. Little changes like these are ultimately what have helped me nix the winter inches I gained and hadn’t been able to lose. From weight loss and pain relieving to anti-aging effects and improving the gloomy mood I’ve been in for years, this thing’s lit. (Pun intended.) All I know is that I’m a converted believer in this magnificent modality.

Thinking of trying RLT? Consult with your doctor first to see if it’s safe for you.