Red light therapy is a new method of potentially providing your body with health benefits and overall wellness. It has considerably increased in popularity, especially with athletes battling muscle soreness and fatigue, as well as helping with skin care and anti-aging.
However, could there be potential benefits of red light therapy while pregnant too? The answer might not be that simple; thus, such red laser therapy might deliver several positive health advantages.
Although those benefits might positively impact during pregnancy, there are still safety concerns. We’ll look at how safe the process is and how the benefits impact pregnant women.
So, if you are interested, continue reading.
About Red Light Therapy
Photobiomodulation is another name for red light treatment, a form of low-level light therapy. This therapy uses light with specific wavelengths that fall under the infrared part of the light spectrum. These wavelengths of light might improve the healing process in tissue cells.
Many studies have shown that different wavelengths might affect the body in different ways. The wavelengths with the most effective red light wavelengths are about 630-670 nanometers and 810-880 nanometers.
The wavelengths of red light create a biochemical effect in your cells that might increase mitochondrial function. This process might improve the body’s production of ATP (Adenosine triphosphate).
That is very important since ATP is the main energy source for every cell in the body. You can’t function without it, and with small amounts of it, you don’t perform well.
Red light therapy is usually used to possibly treat the surface of the skin. It can usually penetrate about 8-10 millimeters into the epidermis. Depending on what area of the body is treated with red light, it might easily affect multiple skin layers, blood vessels, lymph pathways, nerves, and hair roots.
Benefits of Red Light Therapy While Pregnant
The use of red light treatment when pregnant might have various benefits. It might help soon-to-be mothers combat many symptoms and side effects of pregnancy.
Red light therapy might be effective for pain relief, including joint and muscle pain, fatigue, anxiety, and overall inflammation. If you want to see some results and help yourself, you can buy some RLT panels and see their magic.
When using a red light sauna, the light penetrates the skin’s surface and might raise the body’s temperature. Unlike a usual sauna, red light saunas don’t increase the heat of the air around you. They warm the body directly, and that heat, in turn, might activate tissue and skin and promote healing.
The heat also causes a deep and relaxing sweat, which might help to clear out many of the body’s unwanted toxins.
Below, we’ll be taking a more in-depth look at the benefits of red light therapy while pregnant.
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Might reduce inflammation
Pregnancies usually spark mild systemic inflammation in the body. It is a normal part of the process that happens to every woman. However, it is entirely different from the inflammation generated by illness. Still, too much inflammation during pregnancy could make things more difficult.
Red light therapy penetrates deep into the body’s soft tissue. This is where inflammation is usually felt the most. By treating this region with red light therapy, the circulation of oxygenated blood might be increased. This might help bring the inflammation down to more healthy levels.
Might contribute to better circulation
While pregnant, your body is focused on growing the baby and combined with drastic hormonal changes. It could lead to poor circulation within the body. This can lead to swelling of the feet and hands, which happens commonly during pregnancy. Red light therapy is known that might increase blood flow and help with circulation.
So, by applying red light therapy during or post-pregnancy, you might boost your circulation and counteract the issues caused by poor circulation. Moreover, by improving your circulation, you might help the body fight off many diseases and illnesses.
It might even lead to better sleep and make you feel more rested, which is ideal because of the intense fatigue and bodily strain from early motherhood.
Additionally, better circulation might help combat clogged ducts and mastitis. Even if a clogged duct doesn’t become infected, it can still be a harrowing experience. Using infrared light therapy might be just the thing you need to prevent and treat clogged ducts.
Might help with breastfeeding
Every mother’s experience with breastfeeding is entirely different. It is very common for new mothers to struggle with breastfeeding regarding lactating. So, it’s been proven that red light therapy might increase lactation for postpartum mothers.
Though keep in mind that milk supply and similar elements that influence lactation are unique for every mother and baby.
However, no studies support red light therapy that might immediately impact lactation, and the information concerning it comes mostly from claims of users online.
Might help with anxiety and depression
Using red light therapy might cause a release of endorphins and other positive hormones in your brain, which might help combat depression and anxiety.
One study found that patients suffering from depression reacted positively to treatments with red light. After two weeks of this therapy, six out of the 10 patients had complete remission, and seven out of the 10 claimed they felt improvements in their mental states.
Given the rise of anxiety and depression during pregnancy and postpartum, red light therapy might assist new mothers as a preventative measure.
Is Red Light Therapy Safe During Pregnancy?
During pregnancy, it is recommended to be doubly careful about anything and everything you come in contact with and put in your body.
Naturally, everything that happens to the mother is inextricably connected to the health of the unborn baby and the developing fetus, which is the most fragile state of a human being.
Simply put, what’s safe for the mother may not always be safe for the baby. For example, spas are often beneficial to people’s physical health and well-being.
However, saunas and hot tubs are not recommended during pregnancy as potential hypothermia could affect the fetus’s development. Even harmless things like changing a cat’s litter box can risk the fetus’s health.
So, what’s the general opinion on red light therapy during pregnancy? There isn’t one, not because it is unsafe to use, but because there isn’t enough research on the topic.
A recent study gathered all the past research on the topic to settle the matter, and we will be looking at that study here.
A research study
The study, titled Utilization of laser therapy during pregnancy: A systemic review of the material and fetal effects reported from 1960 to 2017, analyzed 22 articles written between 1960 and 2017.
The articles focused on using laser therapy at different wavelengths for different ailments. The evidence that was found through this study supports the safety of laser therapy when applied to pregnant women.
Red light therapy was proven safe for both mothers and fetuses. All in all, 380 pregnant women in all trimesters were included; out of all of them, a single one suffered a premature rupture of membranes (usually occurs before the onset of labor). However, researchers couldn’t be sure that it was the result of the laser treatment.
Healthcare professionals usually advise against any laser treatment while pregnant. However, it is not because there’s evidence but because it might be dangerous. There’s a huge lack of evidence that supports that claim.
Doctors err on caution, and that’s fine; you can never be too safe regarding pregnancy.
Consulting a doctor
So, what’s the conclusion regarding the dangers of red light therapy? We recommend you consult with an OB/GYN before going into red light therapy. They will probably be agreeable with the idea; if they are not, it is fine; why? It is due to the following two reasons.
First of all, pregnancy is not a permanent state; you can easily put your red light therapy on pause while you are pregnant. There are no adverse effects. The positive effects will stay with you for a long time because of how red light therapy works.
Second, if you resume treatment right after pregnancy could have some very positive effects on your body.
Red light therapy might help with many postpartum problems:
| Red light therapy and postpartum problems |
| Nipple pain when breastfeeding |
| Pain from a cesarean |
| Faster healing episiotomy wounds |
| Hair loss postpartum |
| RLT for stretch marks |
| Fat loss |
| Issues with milk production |
Conclusion
Before understanding the benefits of red light therapy while pregnant, it is important to establish that the process may be completely safe.
There is a lot of proof that it is safe for both soon-to-be mothers and new ones. However, you should always consult with your doctor before using such therapy due to the possible adverse effects.
If safety is established and you want to begin using it, then the benefits of red light therapy while pregnant can’t be understated. The benefits of this treatment, in general, might be very impactful on the overall health of the human body.
However, most of these general benefits might help soothe many issues that occur while a woman is pregnant. If you’ve been apprehensive about the treatment until now, you can be sure that it carries many benefits that might increase your health.
Hello! I’m Nicky Rodgers.
Almost a decade ago, I got excited about the idea of employing alternative methods like red light therapy to create a healthier life.
To learn more about it, I did my Certified Light Therapist course from Photonic Therapy Institute and started looking into the intricacies of how light therapy influences several bodily processes. Before I knew it, my interest had become an obsession which resulted in this extensive blog.
Here, I offer countless well-researched articles to help you understand the benefits and uses of light therapy. I hope this information gives you a head start in your wellness journey.