Red and Near-Infrared Light – Page 2 – Red lights on the brain

Exercise and Light

Exercise and photobiomodulation are both neuroprotective.

Yesterday I had a really long conversation with a physiotherapist who specialises in treating people with Parkinson’s disease. It was one of those enormously cheering conversations. Listening to someone who is extremely experienced, supremely competent and concerned for and about each patient is a delight. On top of that, to have the drive and energy to keep up with the medical literature and identify other ways to help patients is awe-inspiring.

One of the topics we discussed is the role of exercise in Parkinson’s disease. It seems that there are some who think that exercise has a minimal role in management of Parkinson’s. This is astonishing, given all the research that consistently shows that structured exercise makes a big difference.

Knee arthritis

For arthritis, photobiomodulation needs to be used daily.

If you’ve ever read how this blog came about, you’ll know that osteoarthritis is a subject dear to my heart and right knee.

I described in agonising detail life before and after months of 850nm near-infrared light on my knee every day. Every day. Not just once a week, or twice a week, but every day.

Even then I knew enough about the effect of red and near infrared light on mitochondria to have worked out that mitochondria are like batteries and need a very regular recharge.

Mitochondria work best if they get daily boosts of energy courtesy of the response of their clever proteins that are able to absorb near infrared light and transform it into metabolic energy.

Mitochondria in your blood

Mitochondria get a lot of airplay in this blog. (Here’s an early post.)

The mitochondrial experts of the world have been blown away by new research. It seems that our blood not only contains the various sorts of red and white cells, but it also contains nomadic mitochondria.

This is amazing! Here’s why.

Apathy is an early symptom

As you can see, I’m anything but apathetic about apathy. See earlier posts about apathy: here, here, and here.

I had a really interesting email from a chap who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease about a year ago. He had read my recent posts on apathy and he then considered the years leading up to his diagnosis. He had first noticed losing his usual motivation levels some twenty five years earlier. He recalls frustrating discussions with his doctor about it. He couldn’t understand why he was unable to get excited about things any more. He definitely didn’t like it. Life with waning excitement was not what he had intended.

Three days

Al has Parkinson’s and he started using a two-wavelength Duo Coronet in July last year, once daily in the morning.

I had an email from Al the other day, and I have his permission to quote his very interesting comments.

‘If I miss a day session, there is a gradual change in me. Bad dreams come back, my tolerance level goes way down and my lethargy goes way up.’