FAQ’s About Red Light Therapy

Red Light Therapy is new to our clinic locations at Desert Hand & PT. But what is it all about? We’re breaking down frequently asked questions about this new modality!

What is Red Light Therapy?

Red light therapy operates from a machine that emits a low, safe level of radiant waves on the skin to trigger a healing response that helps restore, heal and repair soft tissue, joint pain, wounds and pains.

How does it work?

With your skin under the red-light machine, red light wavelengths deeply penetrate the cell, reaching the mitochondria. Stimulating the mitochondria using red light produces more energy. This boosts the ATP production the cell, creating more energy. Increased ATP provides more energy for cellular repair, regeneration and overall function. More energy in the cell means faster healing response!

What are the benefits?

Red Light Therapy Can:

• Reduce inflammation
• Relieve joint pain
• Speed up muscle recovery, joint & wound healing
• increase muscle performance and strength
• Improve sleep
• improve elasticity & wrinkle reduction

When paired with PT, this modality can accelerate your plan of care and get you back to your activities faster!

Is Red Light Therapy painful?

No, it is not painful. It is often described as warm & soothing. Our FDA-approved commercial red-light units do NOT emit any UV Light, therefore is safe for skin contact.

How many sessions of Red Light Therapy should I complete and how often?

This suggestion varies based on injury and supervising clinician. However, multiple sessions is recommended to feel and see results. Our DHPT team recommends 2-5x per week per body part, however, there is not a limit to how many sessions! Per research, timing can range from 5-30 minutes per session.

What body parts can I use this on?

At Desert Hand & PT, we use red light therapy on a wide range of body parts including upper extremity, lower extremity, back, face and even hair! To learn more about the benefits of light therapy for the skin on the face and neck, check out this article by our friends at the Mayo Clinic.

What is the Desert Hand & PT difference?

Our Red Light Therapy units at Desert Hand & PT are FDA-approved delivering an 830nm wavelength (near-infrared energy). These units provide a higher infrared wavelength than many red light units on the market and available to the average consumer. While being supervised by a physical therapist at Desert Hand & PT, your red light therapy sessions will be tracked for progress.