Is red light therapy a placebo?

Norman Rosenthal, clinical professor of psychiatry at Georgetown University School of Medicine, who coined the phrase “seasonal affective disorder. He notes that red light has actually been used as a placebo control for phototherapy studies in which another active treatment was tested. But it's already clear that red light therapy isn't magic or a placebo. Red light therapy, due to its properties, acts on the body at the cellular level.

Phototherapy or phototherapy, classically known as heliotherapy, is a method recognized by scientific medicine for the treatment of various diseases. It includes exposure to outdoor daylight or specific indoor artificial light sources. Expectation ratings showed that patients expected their light box to make them feel a little better than their generator. Despite this slight advantage for light, the benefit of light treatment over placebo was not statistically significant.

In addition, red light combined with blue light (which has a proven antimicrobial effect) increases the effectiveness of acne treatment. Red light therapy, also called low-intensity laser light therapy (LLLT), is a drug-free alternative to traditional medicines. Red light therapy has a moderate and proven effect on weight loss, cellulite, eyes, persistent pain conditions, major depressive disorders, and the treatment of animal diseases (chronic pain, wound healing, and common animal hair problems). Bright light (≈6000 lux) was produced by light boxes, and placebos were simulated negative ion generators.

Transcranial infrared laser stimulation produces beneficial cognitive and emotional effects in humans. Photodynamic therapy (often with red light) is used to treat certain types of superficial non-melanoma skin cancer. Another possible limitation lies in our use of a sample of relatively young participants, an average age of 19 years, with a low average level of unwanted physical symptoms at baseline (as reflected in pre-treatment responses to study side effects). Photodynamic therapy is a form of phototherapy that uses non-toxic, light-sensitive compounds that are selectively exposed to light, thereby becoming toxic to target malignant and other diseased cells.

Scientists have previously observed that testosterone levels vary from season to season, suggesting that phototherapy, similar to that used to treat some forms of depression, can increase testosterone levels. Red light therapy is clinically proven and proven to be effective in reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, bags under the eyes. In contrast, the low response rate to light in the previous study can be attributed to a smaller placebo component, rather than a deficient dose of light. Despite Patient Testimonials and Study Results, LED Red Light Therapy for weight loss Is Controversial Among Researchers and Health Professionals.