Low - Intensity Infrared Laser Therapy To Fight Anxiety and Depression

When low-level lasers or light-emitting diodes producing infrared or near-infrared radiation are combined for therapeutic purposes, they are termed low-level laser light therapy. The therapy is known to do wonders by a mechanism of photobiomodulation. The latest therapeutic treatment with lasers has worked out well for various neurological conditions, and so it works well for anxiety and depression as well. 

Is There A Difference Between Anxiety And Depression? 

Anxiety and depression are different, but they can overlap highly. 50% of people facing depression also have anxiety at the same time. As far as depression is concerned, depressed people suffer from low mood, slowness, despondency, suicidal and hopeless thoughts. It’s generally a slowdown in the body, mind, and emotions.

Anxiety is a bit different and a keyed-up state. There’s fear, tension, and restlessness with a tremendous, overwhelming panic. Both can come up together. Also, they share a few symptoms like they disturb the sleep pattern and concentration span and upsetting the overall body functioning. 

3 Reasons To Why Anxiety And Depression Overlap In 50% of Cases

Firstly, they are connected to the same brain area, and when some problems arise, one can expect depression and anxiety to come together. 

Secondly, they can both result from similar devastating effects in life. For say, someone sufferers from physical abuse, so that person might suffer from anxiety and depression simultaneously, getting connected to the particular life event. 

Thirdly, anxiety can draw one to depression in the longer run. 

Tracing The Etiology For The Anxiety And Depression 

Anxiety disorders hit 40 million adults in the US, and it’s one of the major mental illnesses found in the region in 18+. While when considering extreme, it is estimated that 5% of adults suffer from depression globally. There are a lot of etiological factors, but majorly adverse life events are the root cause. 

Change In Lifestyle is Leading To Major Blues 

There is a greater dysregulation of many of our relationships with the light. We are usually blasting our eyes with a blue wavelength in the dark by constant screen exposure. The artificial light from the phone is rich with a blue wavelength, which brings us to major blues. 

As blue wavelength goes in our eyes, it travels all the way through the optic nerve to the hypothalamus gland, and then it goes to the super charismatic nucleus. This nucleus has the time clock of the body, and it tells our brain whether it's day or night. When that clock is off, it throws off the circadian rhythm, which suppresses melatonin production and gives a boost to cortisol production. 

However, for good sleep, our body requires a substantial rise in melatonin levels for good sleep. Intranasal light therapy helps settle the circadian rhythm when used with blue light-blocking glasses. It hence improves overall mental health, which helps one cope up with anxiety and a more severe form called depression. 

Can Red Light Therapy Help Treat Depression? 

Depression and anxiety are multifaceted conditions that, when treated with red light therapy or low-level laser therapy, introduce vitality at an incredible pace. There can be a triggering factor ranging from chemical imbalances to external stress factors.

Low-level light therapy in near-infrared or infrared range causes photobiomodulation. It means that light applied to the body alters the biology, so one may feel good with the detox protocols. The intranasal light therapy shoots a beam of usually between 630-1100 nm wavelength of light in the infrared and near-infrared spectrum to fasten up the internal body regulations.

A Pilot Study of 10 patients with Major Depression and Anxiety

A pilot study was carried out on ten patients, five males, and five females. NIr therapy has been provided to them hemispheric emotional valence (HEV) for right and left cerebral cortices have been recorded. A 4-minute treatment has been provided to these patients for two weeks. The results have been phenomenal, with significant reduction in significant reductions in both  Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), a Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) scores. 

How Does Low-Level Laser Light Therapy Works in Actual? 

The nostril-based application of low-level infrared and rear infrared therapy improves blood rheology and cerebral blood flow. The results produced with the intranasal application are similar to transcranial and peripheral intravenous laser irradiation procedures. 

These light rays stimulate cortical mitochondria and also increases cerebral blood flow. It shows excellent anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidative responses. It may also provide pain relief which is often a key contributor to the presence of persistent anxiety and depressive states.

Several studies have shown that depression is associated with abnormal activities in the frontal region, and it is highly associated with the reduced cerebral flow.

Intranasal or transcranial laser therapy enhances cerebral oxygenation and cognitive function, among other positive attributes, including metabolic and hemodynamic alterations in the brain; it appears photobiomodulation applications can activate key neuroprotective mechanisms. 

05 Reasons To Why Photobiomodulation Therapy Is A Great Help In Anxiety And Depression 

Photobiomodulation has all the listed therapeutic effects in patients suffering from anxiety and depression: 

1. Relieves pain: Pain on an ongoing basis adversely affects the quality of life. To combat it, PBMT reduces inflammation and promotes relaxation in the long run. 

2. Help Fight Insomnia: Pooer sleeping patterns and insomnia have domino effects on one’s life. PBMT help improves sleeping pattern by maintaiong ther natural circadian rhythm. 

3. Improve Cognition: Intranasal PBMT stimulates the ventral area of the brain, which isn't accessible through the transcranial approach. It maximizes cognitive performance overall. 

4. Bid Farewell to Lethargic Feels: PBMT helps increase ATP levels in the mitochondria. It overcomes the slow state of depression and pulls one up with immense energy. Because when the mind burns, the body runs. 

5. Relieve Stress: Regular PBMT sessions are known to reduce stress levels at an incredible pace. It better helps sufferers to kick off their feelings of impending doom feels. 

Wrapping Up 

Depression and anxiety are growing mental health problems all over the world. Healthcare providers usually come up with several treatment modalities, from behavioral modification to pharmacological management to low-level laser light therapy. With negligible side effects, laser therapy has turned out to be a simple, effective, affordable option in the fast-paced revolutionary medicine world.