The sun provides numerous health benefits through its nourishing rays. Our bodies require sunlight to produce vitamin D3, which plays a crucial role in supporting the immune system and reducing inflammation. Additionally, exposure to the sun’s UVB rays promotes the creation of beta-endorphins in our skin, which can aid in pain relief, wound healing, immune system boosting, and alleviating depression symptoms.
Extremely important benefits of light radiation
The use of light as a therapeutic treatment dates back to 1903, when Niels Ryberg Finsen was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology for his work on concentrated light radiation and its impact on disease treatment, particularly lupus vulgaris. His research has greatly influenced the field of medicine, and light therapy has been utilized ever since.
“The use of light as therapy is exemplified by its use in the San Sydney Adventist Hospital in Sydney Australia, where light therapy was introduced in 1903 (after Dr. John Harvey Kellogg visited Niels Finsen in Denmark) and is practiced by nurses, physiotherapists, and doctors until the present day,” notes a narrative review published in Physiotherapy Theory and Practice in 2021.
In the 1960s, lasers were discovered as a new way to use light for healing purposes. According to a report published in the Annals of Biomedical Engineering in 2012, red low-level laser light is mainly used in three ways: to reduce inflammation, edema, and chronic joint disorders; to promote the healing of wounds, deeper tissues, and nerves; and to treat neurological disorders and pain. There are various names for light therapy, such as low-level light therapy, light box therapy, biostimulation, phototherapy, cold laser therapy, and photonic stimulation. However, the most commonly used name in the scientific community is photobiomodulation, or PBM.
Photobiomodulation involves using red or near-infrared light at low power densities to benefit cells or tissues. According to an article published in Photochemistry and Photobiology, PBM therapy is used to “reduce pain, inflammation, and edema [swelling] and to regenerate damaged tissues such as wounds, bones, and tendons.”
A review article defines photobiomodulation as the following:
“the use of red or near-infrared light to stimulate, heal, regenerate, and protect tissue that has either been injured, is degenerating, or else is at risk of dying.” The article reviewed the effectiveness of using PBM in disorders of the brain.
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