Light and Health

Here in Medicine Hat we have enjoyed an exceptionally mild winter.  The same cannot be said for many of our patients we live to the north and east of the city.   Although the calendar says it is spring looking at the thermometer and the snow on the ground this past week, we know that spring has not yet come to our part of the country.  When the sun does shine however it lifts our spirits with more than just the expectation of warmer weather to come.

Sunshine has a very positive effect on our physical bodies.  After a few cloudy days going out into the April sunshine just seems to energize a person.  The energy does more than just lift our mental spirits.  Did you know that every cell in the human body gets energy from light?  Each cell has receptors that absorb the energy from light and convert that energy into the energy which runs the cell.  So when light shines on the cells of our body, they have more energy to do what they need to do.  They grow better.  They heal better.  When individual cells function better and are healthier, the tissues that are made up of those individual cells are also more functional.  Ultimately the whole person is healthier.

While sunlight is very beneficial it is not always possible to expose tissues needing light stimulation to the sun.  For instance injured joints or an injured spine may not be practically exposed to enough sunlight to have a therapeutic effect, particularly during a Canadian winter.  The full spectrum, scattered waves of sunlight only penetrate a maximum of 1/2 inch into the body.  Most times injured tissues are much deeper.  So although sunlight has a therapeutic benefit, it is very limited.

To practically use light to stimulate healing in the body, requires the light to be focused rather than scattered and of wavelengths that can effectively penetrate deep into the body.  The most effective sources of such light are lasers.  Low level laser therapy (LLLT) has been developed specifically to stimulate the healing of the body.  It uses specific wavelengths and powers that are most effective at energizing the cells of injured tissues.  At the same time LLLT produces no heat and it does not damage any healthy tissues.  Shining laser light on injured tissues is almost like plugging the cells into a power source to get them working.  Once the cells are energized the injured tissues can quickly return to their normal function.

In our office we have found LLLT to be a very valuable adjunct to chiropractic adjustments.  It speeds the healing process significantly.  It reduces the sensitivity of irritated nerves.  It improves circulation.  It reduces inflammation.  It normalizes the function of the body's healing cells.  Chiropractic works with the natural ability of the body to heal and LLLT simple enhances the process. 

Even though going out into the sunshine can have a very positive effect on the body, when it comes to stimulating healing, laser light is far superior.