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The Optimal Intensity is not the Highest Intensity: The Big Dosing Myth

The Optimal Intensity is not the Highest Intensity: The Big Dosing Myth

A long time ago - researchers and doctors would discuss the optimal intensity as being a low intensity that has been proven to deliver consistent results. Many are still talking like this today. In the commercial industry, the "the highest intensity" marketing is often hinged on claims that you (1) get faster treatment times and (2) get better penetration. To the extreme point that it seems people are scorching themselves with reckless levels of intensity for fears they would not get adequate penetration otherwise. Yet the research and experts often contradict these points. Exposure time is often cited as being...

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LED Heat Lamp Therapy Part 2: Temperature Dosing

LED Heat Lamp Therapy Part 2: Temperature Dosing

 A type of Radiant Heat Therapy is called Water Filtered IRA (wIRA). It uses a broad spectrum Near-Infrared halogen incandescent emitter with mostly non-thermal NIR wavelengths (thanks to the water filter). Typical intensities of wIRA are 80-160 mW/cm^2 delivered in a large area with mostly Red and NIR wavelengths. [1] This intensity range should be recognizable, as it is similar to the range we are currently seeing in many "highest intensity" LED red light therapy panels, that we affectionately call more appropriately as LED Heat Lamps. The wIRA therapy attributes the benefits to both thermal and non-thermal mechanisms.[1] However, despite...

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LED Heat Lamp Therapy Part 1: Energy Dosing

LED Heat Lamp Therapy Part 1: Energy Dosing

There is a new form of light therapy that has been recently invented in the past couple of years. It is called LED Heat Lamp Therapy, which uses high-intensity Red & NIR LED panels for therapeutic heating and photonic energy delivery. These are no longer true Red Light Therapy as that follows the non-thermal light therapy sciences of Low Level Light Therapy and Photobiomodulation. As we discuss in great detail in a previous blog. As is the basic definition described in most studies: "Instead of utilizing heat, PBM harnesses the photochemical conversion potential of low-intensity near-infrared (FR/NIR) light within the...

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Optimizing Red Light Therapy for Dark Skin Types

Optimizing Red Light Therapy for Dark Skin Types

Studies including people with darker skin types are often lacking in Photobiomodulation and LLLT literature. The published dosing guidelines by the World Association for Laser Therapy (WALT) are noted to be for Caucasian skin types: "Recommended doses are for white/caucasian skin types based on results from clinical trials or extrapolation of study results with similar pathology and ultrasonographic tissue measurements." https://waltpbm.org/documentation-links/recommendations/ While many studies acknowledge the potential impact of skin color on Photobiomodulation dosing and effects, it has not been thoroughly investigated yet. One review article attempted to investigate the effects of using PBM to treat diabetic foot ulcers based...

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How Big is Full Body Red Light Therapy? Total Joules Dosing.

How Big is Full Body Red Light Therapy? Total Joules Dosing.

How much coverage do you need for full-body red light therapy? The question seems to answer itself. You need to cover 100% of your body for full body red light therapy. What happens if you only cover 90% of your body? Is that no longer Full-Body Red Light Therapy? Have you suddenly forsaken all of the potential benefits that can only be gotten with 100% coverage? What about only 80%, 60%, or 50% of body coverage? Is that too low for "full body" benefits? Do you get more benefits from larger devices? How big is the optimal size of a...

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