If you’re a headache sufferer, light may be one of the many things that causes or intensifies your headaches. But what if we told you that light may now be the thing that relieves them?
Though that might be oversimplifying the process just a bit, low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has been shown to significantly decrease the number, and severity, of headaches a patient experiences.
What is Low-Level Laser Therapy?
Also known as Photobiomodulation Therapy, LLLT is the application of infra-red light to injuries or lesions in the body. Essentially, the handheld device emits a type of light that’s absorbed by your body (the mitochondria, to be exact) and then used to aid in healing damaged muscles or tissue.
The Goal of Low-Level Laser Therapy
Contrary to popular belief, headaches affect much more than just your head. From TMJ (pain in the hinge of your jawbone and skull) to neck and back pain, a headache can affect many different muscles throughout your body.
By increasing a person’s serotonin levels, releasing endogenous opioids (the body’s way of relieving pain), and altering cholinesterase levels (enzymes needed for proper functioning of the nervous system), LLLT helps patients feel better by repairing their damaged muscles and tissue.
Why You Should Choose LLLT
- Non-invasive: To reap the benefits of LLLT, the light emitting “wand” simply needs to be placed near your head, neck, and/or jaw. Though the light appears to touch only the surface of your skin, it’s able to penetrate far past that and into your muscles.
- Medication-free: Like all of our other treatment options, LLLT is not an oral medication.
- Few to no risks: When applied at the right dosage levels, LLLT is very well-tolerated among a wide array of people.
There’s no one right treatment for an injury, there are just different options for different people. At Valencia Headache and Sleep Treatment Center, we’re proud to offer alternative options to people who suffer from headaches and migraines, and who have found little relief in the past through traditional methods.