Laser Therapy for Cognitive Support and Mental Health
“Before, if he walked in a room with six other people, he would hide. He’s a totally different person now, and I can’t explain it except for the light and laser therapy.” Before Ronnie started laser therapy he had brain fog and mood swings due to a stroke. Laser therapy changed his life. To hear his wife tell it, “I like him again!”
Photobiomodulation laser therapy is gaining ground in the medical field as an effective, non-invasive treatment option for many brain disorders and injuries. Dr. Michael Hamblin, the foremost researcher in the field, explains it this way: “The brain suffers from many different disorders that can be classified into three broad groupings: traumatic events (stroke, traumatic brain injury, and global ischemia), degenerative diseases (dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s), and psychiatric disorders (depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder). There is evidence that all these seemingly diverse conditions can be beneficially affected by applying light to the head.”
How Does Laser Therapy Work?
Laser therapy is the use of Light Emitting Diode (LED) laser technology to stimulate increased ATP production on a cellular level. Researchers have found that laser therapy treatments improve brain injury outcomes by reducing brain swelling, protecting against apoptosis (programmed cell death), increasing antioxidants, decreasing inflammation, modulating microglial activity, and stimulating lymphatic drainage. Laser therapy has also been shown to stimulate the growth of new neurons by stimulating stem cell proliferation in the brain. Laser therapy is like miracle grow for your neurons!
Phototherapy and Mental Health
Laser therapy relieves oxidative stress in the brain. When oxidative stress is relieved, a chain reaction of metabolic effects leads to an increase in blood flow and a reduction in inflammatory cytokines. According to a 2006 Trends in Immunology article “Cytokines Sing the Blues”, pro-inflammatory cytokines contribute to the physiological state in the brain which fuels depression. In fact, when pro-inflammatory cytokines were administered to healthy patients, 50% developed symptoms of depression. It makes sense, therefore, that a treatment that increases blood flow and reduces inflammatory cytokines in the brain would also reduce depression.
Cognitive Enhancement
Laser therapy can improve a healthy brain too! In 2013, neuroscience researchers at the University of Texas at Austin administered transcranial infrared laser phototherapy to healthy subjects to see if it would improve their cognitive function. In this randomized, placebo-controlled study, researchers found that phototherapy improved reaction time, memory, and emotional functions in their test subjects.
A Healthy Brain
By addressing biological changes or injuries to your brain with laser therapy you can regain your mental clarity, reduce stress, eliminate pain and react more rationally to the stresses of aging and life in general. Finally there is an effective, non-invasive, safe solution to even the most severe brain conditions. From pain relief to depression, anxiety, panic attacks, brain injuries and more, laser therapy can be used to reverse your symptoms!