Red light therapy is a popular treatment for skin care, wound healing, muscle recovery, and pain management: but what about internal concerns that appear to be out of reach of light therapy?
In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of red light therapy in women’s health and fertility.
Enhancing Ovarian Function and Egg Quality with Red Light Therapy
Light therapy has beneficial effects at the cellular level, including cells in the reproductive system.
Red and near infrared (NIR) light stimulate the mitochondria within each cell to produce more adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, which is the fuel that cells need to thrive. The ripple effect of boosting ATP production can be significant. As the cells’ metabolism improves, they become better able to perform their functions.
The average cell contains about 2,000 mitochondria. Resource-heavy cells such as neurons (brain cells) contain about 10,000. The human egg is a cell that contains more than 100,000 mitochondria, making it the single most “needy” cell in the body in terms of its energy requirements.
Aging, environmental toxins, and chronic inflammation lead to reduced mitochondrial activity, including the mitochondria in eggs. This can impact an egg’s health, and the rate at which it divides. It makes sense to boost egg health as the first step in resolving infertility.
Red wavelengths only absorb through the skin and the layers of tissue immediately beneath the skin. However, NIR wavelengths can absorb much deeper. When NIR light is applied to the lower abdomen, it absorbs deep into the tissues where it interacts with light-sensitive chromophores in the mitochondria where it sparks a chain reaction of physical benefits.
Regulating the Menstrual Cycle Through Photobiomodulation
Irregular menstrual cycles make conception difficult. Red light therapy (or photobiomodulation) may help balance hormones which can help regulate the menstrual cycle.
The treatment has been shown to regulate reproductive hormones including estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.
You can use red light therapy:
- Before your period to reduce inflammation and potentially prevent PMS symptoms
- During your period to relieve painful cramps
- Anytime during your cycle to support hormonal balance
Supporting your body with a very short daily “feeding” of red/NIR light can help alleviate a variety of PMS symptoms including fatigue, bloating, and mood swings.
Red Light Therapy for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and Hormonal Imbalance
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a reproductive disorder that affects 15-20% of women. In PCOS, fluid-filled sacs develop along the outer edges of the ovarian follicles and interfere with the normal release of eggs. PCOS is characterized by infrequent periods, or periods that last much more than a week.
One potential cause is an excess of androgen, a male hormone that is also naturally produced by the female body. The delicate balance of hormones is controlled by the endocrine system. Red light therapy has been used to modulate endocrine activity, including treatment for hypothyroidism.
Researchers found that red light therapy helps modulate folliculogenesis (the cycle that produces eggs in the ovaries). Any disruption to folliculogenesis, including hormonal imbalances, can lead to disorders like PCOS.
In a 2017 study, researchers compared the effects of NIR light to the drug clomiphene, a common treatment for PCOS. Red light therapy resulted in increases in ovarian activity to produce oocytes (immature eggs), suggesting that it may be useful to patients with PCOS.
Supporting Fertility and IVF Outcomes with Targeted Light Therapy
Reproductive health is tied to a healthy circadian rhythm. Today, artificial light has led to disruptions in our natural sleep-wake cycles, and a corresponding increase in infertility.
One way to help treat circadian rhythm disruptions is to get more sunlight - and red/NIR light in particular.
Red light therapy has the potential to improve fertility through a number of channels:
Improved mitochondrial functioning: at the heart of this treatment is boosting cellular vitality. Healthy, high-functioning mitochondria are essential for both in vitro (IVF) fertilization and pregnancy.
One study observed three women with unexplained age-related infertility, including non-viable embryos in IVF. Each patient was treated with red and NIR light for several weeks leading to natural conception. All three women had full-term pregnancies and gave birth to healthy babies.
Increasing blood flow: Red light therapy promotes angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels) to bring more oxygen and nutrients to the reproductive organs. In men, the treatment has been shown to aid with erectile dysfunction and sperm motility and stimulate ovarian activity in women.
Hormone balancing: Red light therapy has demonstrated the potential to balance reproductive hormones in both men and women.
Improved oocyte quality: Red light therapy increases mitochondrial activity in oocytes.
Enhanced endometrial receptivity: The thicker the endometrium (uterine lining), the better it can successfully host a fertilized egg. Thickening the endometrium with red light therapy can help the egg implant, whether after IVF or intrauterine fertilization.
Reduced stress: Stress negatively affects the body, including causing hormonal imbalances. Spending just a few minutes a day relaxing in the soothing glow of red light could help reduce stress and its negative effects.
Researchers treated severely infertile Japanese women with red/NIR light. Initially, 74 women (average age 39.28 years) with severe infertility were treated with 830nm near infrared light, with 16 of these women becoming pregnant and 11 of those women giving birth.
A similar Danish study treated 239 women for infertility with red light therapy for 1-3 months. 158 were able to conceive. The trial was then expanded to 701 women. 156 became pregnant, with 79 live births.
While red light therapy alone should not be used to treat infertility, it shows promise in treating the underlying conditions that cause infertility.
Managing Menstrual Pain, Endometriosis, and Inflammation Naturally
Menstrual pain affects about 80% of women, many of whom say that the pain is severe enough to disrupt their lives.
In 2017, Korean researchers found that near infrared therapy effectively relieved painful menstrual cramps more than hot packs and even analgesics in women with dysmenorrhea (severe menstrual cramping).
Hormonal imbalances are one cause of endometriosis, a painful chronic condition where tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterine cavity. Endometriosis can lead to infertility.
While red light therapy isn’t currently prescribed as a treatment for endometriosis, it is often prescribed for its pain-relieving properties.
Red light therapy reduces inflammation, which may help this condition since endometriosis is considered an inflammatory as well as hormonal disease.
Postpartum Recovery and Hormonal Rebalancing Using Red Light Therapy
Giving birth, whether vaginally or through C-section, is hard on the body. Red light therapy can accelerate postpartum recovery by supporting the body’s own regenerative mechanisms including reducing chronic inflammation, stimulating ATP synthesis, increasing blood flow, and stimulating the production of collagen, elastin, and other proteins essential to wound healing.
Red light therapy also helps reduce the appearance of scars from surgery and/or stretch marks.
You can also assist your body in rebalancing hormone levels postpartum with red light therapy.
Short, daily full-body red light therapy sessions can reach the glands and organs that are part of the endocrine system, including the thyroid and parathyroid (neck), adrenal glands (just above the kidneys), pancreas (below the stomach) and ovaries (pelvic region).
Red Light Therapy with the BIOMAX Pro Series
Support your reproductive health and fertility using red light therapy by using an LED device that is large enough and powerful enough to treat your whole body.
The BIOMAX Pro LED panel series features a wide array of red and near infrared wavelengths as well as trace amounts of blue and infrared wavelengths. Blue light helps kill bacteria on the skin, which can help with postpartum wound healing. Infrared light absorbs even deeper into the body than NIR light.
The BIOMAX Pro panels treat large areas of the body. This gives you the opportunity to treat multiple conditions at the same time: for example, menstrual cramps and muscle pain after a tough workout.
Consistency is the best approach to using red light therapy for reproductive health. Just a few minutes a day, for example right after you shower, is enough to “feed” your mitochondria with beneficial light.
Be sure your doctor approves the use of red light therapy for ovarian function and egg health!
If you’re curious about how red light therapy can benefit other areas of your health, check out the Learning Center!
