Definitions
Laser – A device that emits a beam of light which is both monochromatic and coherent.
Monochromatic – Literally means “one color”. Sunlight emits over a broad spectrum as can be evidenced by the prismatic effect in a rainbow where the individual frequency components are spread out into a palette of colors. With light sources such as lasers and LED’s it refers to their very narrow or single frequency emission spectrum.
Monochromaticity can therefore be thought of as referring to the “purity” of the color of a light source.
Coherence– Refers to the phase relationships of the individual photon emissions of a light source. An incoherent light source (such as an incandescent light bulb) emits light in many directions at once with the individual photon emissions occurring totally at random. A coherent light source (such as a laser) generally emits light in a narrow beam with the individual photon emissions occurring synchronously (i.e. in phase).
Laser Diode – A type of semiconductor diode whose design creates a resonant cavity inside its crystalline structure which causes the emitted light to be both monochromatic and coherent.
LED – “Light Emitting Diode” A type of semiconductor diode whose design causes the emission of monochromatic but not coherent light. Does not contain a resonant cavity.
Lux – Unit of measure for light intensity. 1 lux = 1 candlepower (“brightness of a candle”)
Light Therapy
Light impulses entering the eye fall on photoreceptors in the eye (the rods and cones) and are transformed into nerve impulses which are then sent to the brain. Some travel to the visual cortex and construct images while others travel to the hypothalamus where they influence both the autonomic nervous system and the endocrine system. These influences on the ANS and endocrine system are strongly related to our biological rhythms. For example, the rhythms of day and night act on our system to encourage us to be more active during the day and rest at night. Seasonal changes in the number of hours of daylight affect our sex hormones to encourage procreation during the summer months so that we give birth the next spring — where chances of survival for the infant are the best. In short, we have evolved to adapt to the daily and seasonal changes in sunlight to enhance the survival of our species.
In modern times we find ourselves less exposed to natural sunlight than our ancestors (working indoors instead of outdoors for example) and more exposed to artificial light sources such as incandescent & fluorescent lamps. Since these artificial light sources have different spectral characteristics than natural sunlight, we are no longer exposed to the same frequencies and intensities of light that we evolved under. Thus, biological mechanisms which had evolved to respond to natural sunlight are thrown off to some degree. Alternatively, once we understand these response mechanisms, they can also be used therapeutically.
German researchers have discovered that when cells die, they emit photons1. The adjacent cells are then stimulated to divide to replace the cell that died. So, light therapy is also used to stimulate healing. Again, red light sources are often used because they are cheap and penetrates deep in the tissues. Although GaAlAs and GaAs lasers penetrate the deepest, mostly due to their higher power.
In addition, any chemical reaction can be sped up by putting energy into the system (think of heat as one example). Heat is just one part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Light is just another part of the spectrum at a higher frequency (or shorter wavelength). Even genetic expression of a cell can be influenced by a change in temperature. And, just as we talked about resonances earlier, some structures can be sensitive to certain wavelengths of light as well as the frequency it is turned on and off. For example, lasers are used in cancer therapy by getting a substance that will vibrate (thus generating heat) into the cancer cells. Then radiating the cells with the proper frequency of light will heat up the cells and can selectively kill them. When using light to treat the body, it is best used to stimulate healing. Red light is usually used because red leds are cheap and widely available. And it penetrates the skin pretty well. Light stimulation ca help in two ways. First, it can stimulate cell division. Second, it will speed up cellular processes by speeding up chemical reactions. Research has demonstrated that ATP activity is stimulated1. In addition, many of the machines on the market use many LEDs to cover a larger area and provide brighter stimulation. Although LED’s are very efficient, they still produce some heat. Not nearly as much as an incandescent bulb, but it can be felt if the LEDs are close to the skin. Even the device I built produces a little heat (see Figure below). So, we must assume that this kind of treatment can possibly improve circulation by heating the tissues. I myself have treated myself with a device I built that uses a red 50 milliwatt red LED. I had a cyst on my cheek. After draining it as best as I could, I irradiated it 2x a day for about 5 minutes each time and it definitely speeded up the healing from what it was doing before I treated it with the LED. The remaining pus and blood disappeared, and the remaining dent started filling in with tissue. Also, the discoloration mostly went away. The results were noticeable after only two days. So, it really does work and I know why. Now you do too. 1) “Electromagnetic Bio-Information” by Fritz-Albert Popp and others, Urban & Schwarzenberg, Munich, Germany, Copyright 1989.
