Here in our Light Therapy practice, we are often asked why there are so many devices and choices, and how is a consumer to know what constitutes a “good” device, and/or if it will be effective for their needs.
We actually love the questions, as it’s another opportunity to talk about how great Light Therapy is, and why not all devices are alike!
There’s a reason the famous disclaimer of “Individual Results May Vary” shows up on just about every suggestion of products available for consumers today.
For the purposes of this blog, we felt it might be helpful to go over the basics of why usage and dosing are important aspects of getting the best results from Light Therapy devices. Keep in mind that this blog is regarding LED devices only; not lasers. The average consumer doesn’t usually have access to purchasing lasers, nor can lasers be obtained easily with out specific medical licensing (Physician, Veterinarian, Chiropractic, Aesthetician) or specific designations for training and the use of lasers.
As whole, the body is an amazing, efficient, and complex system, and yet each one of us is unique in how the individual mechanisms of our body functions, based on many factors.
This is one reason some of us may experience the same, or similar results on some applications for better health, and others require a different course of action to get the benefit or result that someone else has achieved.
The successes from using Light Therapy are most often due to the combination of knowing the output of a device, how long to apply it, and the best placement on the body to achieve the most effective results for relief, comfort, or correction of the health condition that is desired.
There are many devices on the market, produced by many manufacturers. The devices of higher quality will be able to tell you the key information using terms like, Irradiance, Joules, Milliwatts, Watts, Power Density, etc.
All of a sudden, the simplicity of ordering a device on Amazon etc., raises a few questions in the minds of the consumer, yet how to find out answers to questions (that they may not even know what to ask!) is difficult in most instances. Being consumers ourselves, we feel it is important to educate people on Light Therapy, and how to get the most from a device and not just have it sit in a drawer or get thrown away because it didn’t work!
The ranges and strengths of light yield different results, and rather than go into the deep complicated mathematical formula for all of it, a generalization or “practical information” is what will be provided here.
If we look at the “Effective Dose” as a “Therapeutic Window,” most references and studies regard an effective dose in a single Light Therapy session to be between 3 and 100 Joules/cm2.
The ranges, length of time for application, and output of delivery in devices varies due to the type of device being used.
For instance, here at Photonic Therapy NW, we use several different types of devices. We use Panel systems, Torch devices for Photopuncture (Acupuncture using light instead of needles) to engage the meridians of the body, and Pad based systems with energy frequencies for those with chronic, long term pain, skin conditions, and for conditions like SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).
We select a device, or combination of devices, based on client circumstances, and what they are hoping to achieve as an end result for their type of health goal or condition.
Each of these devices have different output and ranges, which emphasizes the importance of working with a professional that has gone through training and certification, and knows the intricacies of all of the incidences stated above—as well a knowing about the devices themselves.
We pride ourselves in our continual pursuit of all things Light Therapy, with the goal and objective to demonstrate the ways Light Therapy can help Renew, Restore, and Replenish your health!
Our promise is to guide you, and make sense of this phenomenal alternative health modality in the most simple way possible, and answer any questions that you may have, so that you can experience the difference for yourself!
Call for an appointment right now, while you are thinking of it, are still curious, and excited to see what Light Therapy can do for you, your pets, and loved ones!
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