We’ve all had those days after exercise where we’ve felt sore, it’s often call DOM’s (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) but what your body is also experiencing, which is normal, is inflammation especially if you’ve perhaps strained or injured a muscle.

Acute inflammation is a natural part of the body’s recovery and healing process. But if your body is out of balance and you don’t fully recover from previous injuries and workouts, you can develop chronic inflammation which makes it more painful to work out, and more difficult to recover.

Red light therapy supports healthier training and recovery. We have 2 Joove lights at home, one larger one in our ensuite and a portable one and this article is only one of its amazing things that red light therapy can achieve.

Inflammation 101  
If you train or play sports, you’ve probably experienced inflammation after a strenuous workout, or from an injury.

With exercise and athletics, inflammation is a response to muscle damage which may sound bad but this is how muscle tissue grows: microtears from exercise are repaired in order for muscle tissues to get stronger. It is a normal process of growth and repair. If you don’t recover properly after workouts, or don’t fully heal from an injury or strain, that acute inflammation could become chronic over time and limit your performance.

Red Light therapy can be a part of a healthy lifestyle and can help support body balance (homeostasis) & enhanced cellular function. Like exercise, diet, and restful sleep, healthy light intake can have a big impact on managing inflammation and injuries.

What is Red Light Therapy? 
Red light therapy, also known as photobiomodulation (PBM) or low level laser therapy (LLLT), is a simple, non-invasive treatment that uses LEDs to deliver wavelengths of red and near infrared (NIR) light directly to the skin and cells. Red light therapy allows a person to supplement the sunlight they get from their environment with concentrated wavelengths of red and NIR light. This helps supply the mitochondria in your cells with the light needed to boost ATP energy synthesis and power your body.

Red Light Therapy’s Effects on Inflammation 
Red and near infrared light act as a very mild form of stress that activates protective mechanisms in the cells. When these light wavelengths hit the skin and penetrate into the cells, the mitochondria makes energy more efficiently. This boosts the production of pro-and anti-inflammatories, and disease-fighting antioxidants that accelerate the healing process for more efficient healing. It can also reduce inflammation by improving blood flow to damaged tissues.

If you’d like to know more then click here for more on red light therapy.