LED Light Therapy & Osteoporosis

Ongoing research continues to boost the prevailing scientific understanding that photobiomodulation (PBM), also referred to as LED light therapy, offers exciting new treatment options for a wide variety of common ailments and conditions — especially those involving the musculoskeletal system.

LED light therapy’s myriad of promising results involving everything from musculoskeletal pain management to tendonitis recovery has naturally brought about the question of its efficacy regarding osteoporosis. As one of the most common causes of pain and injury in the elderly, the ability to use PBM as an adjunct therapy in concert with established treatments could provide countless sufferers with additional relief.

With LED light therapy, there exists incredible potential to not just mitigate the pain associated with the condition, but the causes of the condition itself. And thus far, the research is showing that this lofty goal is well within the realm of possibility.

Osteoclasts & Osteoblasts
One of the major aspects of the composition of our bones has to do with two distinct yet related cell types — Osteoclasts and Osteoblasts.

Throughout our lives, our bones are in a constant state of renewal. In our younger years, they grow in mass at an accelerated rate. Conversely, in our declining years, their rate of growth stops and even reverses. For the majority of our lives, a delicate homeostasis is achieved in large part by these two different cells — osteoblasts provide the formation of bone, and osteoclasts provide the resorption of bone. In our youth, osteoblasts are in the lead, and as we age, osteoclasts eventually gain the upper hand, resulting in bone degeneration.

Let’s take a look at osteoclasts first. One study   “A 635-nm light-emitting diode (LED) therapy inhibits bone resorptive osteoclast formation by regulating the actin cytoskeleton” found much lower resorption activity in osteoclast cells after red LED light irradiation of 635-nm, stating that LED therapy “may prove to be a valuable tool to prevent bone loss in osteoporosis and other resorptive bone diseases.” (Lim et al., 2014). So PBM shows strong potential to mitigate bone loss, opening up a fascinating line of questioning — could it someday be used to help reverse it?

The question then becomes, how does PBM affect osteoblasts, the cells in charge of bone formation? Given the measurable response in osteoclasts to certain wavelengths of PBM, there may be similarly appreciable results in their cousins, the osteoblasts.

According to one study  (“The Effects of Photobiomodulation on MC3T3-E1 Cells via 630 nm and 810 nm Light-Emitting Diode” – osteoblast-like cell lines widely used in bone biology research — two sets of cells irradiated with 630 nm and 810 nm saw similar positive results in proliferation, level of mineralization, and gene expression, showing a likely “promising strategy to modulate bone metabolism.” (Chang, et al., 2019). This stands as further evidence that the future is looking very bright for LED light therapy’s role in treating osteoporosis and other bone-related diseases and conditions.

As a pain management therapy for osteoporosis, red light and near-infrared (NIR) light therapy especially have proven effective. By reducing inflammation and improving blood flow, regular light therapy treatment can also provide improved flexibility and range of motion, leading to an overall boost to quality of life.

The Visum Light for Bone-Related Ailments
The ability to adapt as new research is revealed was the inspiration behind the development of the patent-pending Visum Light.

Unlike most other handheld light therapy devices, the Visum Light provides a vast array of color options — which means a wider variety of treatments beyond osteoporosis for health practitioners and even home users.
With preprogrammed patterns and the ability to control dosages, duration and Nogier Frequencies via the user-friendly interface, the Visum Light is one of the most customizable light therapy devices available, ensuring its place in your treatment toolbox for years to come.

And with a 45-day No-Worries Guarantee, you can test your new Visum Light and see the amazing results for yourself, risk free.

Interested in learning more about light therapy? Look no further than this comprehensive database compiled by Vladimir Heiskanen of Helsinki, Finland.

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References

Chang, B., Qiu, H., Zhao, H., Yang, X., Wang, Y., Ji, T., Zhang, Y., Quan, Q., Li, Y., Zeng, J., Meng,H., & Gu, Y. (2019). The Effects of Photobiomodulation on MC3T3-E1 Cells via 630nm and 810 nm Light-Emitting Diode. Medical Science Monitor: International Medical Journal of Experimental and Clinical Research,25, 8744–8752.https://doi.org/10.12659/MSM.920396

Lim, H.-J., Bang, M.-S., Jung, H.-M., Shin, J.-I., Chun, G.-S., & Oh, C.-H. (2014). A 635-nm light-emitting diode (LED) therapy inhibits bone resorptive osteoclast formation by regulating the actin cytoskeleton. Lasers in Medical Science,29(2), 659–670.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-013-1363-9