Red Light Therapy: The Pros and Cons

Chronic pain is a significant challenge for many seniors, affecting up to 75% of those over 65. This persistent discomfort can lead to a sedentary lifestyle, which in turn may contribute to depression, mood swings, and decreased strength and mobility. As a result, daily activities and cherished hobbies can become difficult to enjoy.  However, research shows that exercise can be an effective self-management strategy for chronic pain. Studies indicate that seniors who engage in at least two hours of weekly exercise may experience up to 25% less joint and muscle pain compared to their inactive peers. This is particularly relevant for those with conditions like osteoporosis or arthritis.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that older adults aim for 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise each week, along with some strength training. This could involve several half-hour walks or a few morning jogs. Resistance training is also beneficial for improving strength, flexibility, and balance, which can help reduce the risk of falls and fractures.For seniors dealing with chronic lower back pain, joint osteoarthritis, or diabetes-related pain, these goals might seem daunting. However, any movement that transitions from sedentary to active can help manage pain. Staying still often worsens chronic pain symptoms, while increased physical activity can significantly reduce ongoing discomfort and help the body adapt to common pain triggers.Regular exercise offers numerous benefits for seniors, including:Maintaining functional joint movementIncreasing mobility and flexibilityImproving cardiovascular health and staminaPreventing the breakdown of bone and cartilage tissueIt's important to remember that physical activity doesn't have to mean intense workouts. For seniors, any form of body movement is beneficial. Here are some tips for staying active:Make exercise social: Invite a friend for a walk, join a community dance class, or incorporate movement into family visits.Keep it fun: Find enjoyable activities that incorporate strength, endurance, balance, and flexibility.Set short-term goals and track progress: This can boost motivation and consistency.Many senior living communities, like those operated by Priority Life Care, offer daily exercise classes and social events to keep residents active. These classes can be modified to accommodate various fitness levels, making them accessible to all. They also provide opportunities to find workout buddies for added motivation.By embracing regular physical activity, seniors can gain confidence in managing their pain and improve their overall well-being. The key is to remain as active as current abilities allow, gradually building strength and endurance over time. With persistence and the right approach, chronic pain doesn't have to be a barrier to an active, fulfilling lifestyle in the golden years.FITNESS AND SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITIESPriority Life Care Senior Living Communities offer daily exercise classes as well as social events that can keep you moving. Classes are easily modified to accommodate any level of fitness. Its a great way to keep active and find a fitness buddy to keep you motivated. If you are looking to do a specific type of exercise that is not offered, let the Life Enrichment Director know! We often find if one person is asking for something specific, there are other like-minded individuals who will also participate. Visit a Priority Life Care community today to see what is available for you.

The human body is amazingly complex. With nearly a dozen systems working in symphony with one another, each is vitally important to a persons overall health. The skeletal system is comprised of 206 bones and performs six major functions in the body: support, movement, protection, production of blood cells, storage of minerals, and endocrine regulation.Osteoporosis is a disease that can impact the skeletal system, causing bones to become weak or brittle, putting people at risk for fractures. Bone is living tissue that is constantly being broken down and replaced. When a person is young, bone is made faster than it is broken down. As people age, this process slows and bone mass is lost faster than its created. Osteoporosis occurs when the creation of new bone is unable to keep up with the loss of old bone.At American, Advocate and Whitsyms In-Home Care, we know that keeping bones healthy is an important part of helping older adults live independently. To better understand the risk factors, as well as osteoporosis prevention strategies, we share the following helpful information.Who Is at Risk for Osteoporosis?Osteoporosis can affect both women and men, and while it can develop at any age, the risk factors increase as a person ages. In women, the disease may begin to develop a year or two prior to menopause. Although most common in non-Hispanic white and Asian women, osteoporosis can develop in men and in African American and Hispanic individuals of both sexes. Additional risk factors include:Body frame size. Women and men who have small body frames are typically at higher risk as they have less bone mass to draw from as they age.Family history. Having a parent or sibling with osteoporosis puts an individual at greater risk.Thyroid issues. Too much thyroid hormone can cause bone loss. This can occur if a persons thyroid is overactive or if too much thyroid hormone medication is taken to treat an underactive thyroid.Sex hormones. Lowered sex hormone levels can be a strong contributing factor for osteoporosis. Decreased estrogen levels following menopause, treatments for prostate cancer that reduce testosterone levels in men, and treatments for breast cancer that reduce estrogen levels in women are likely to accelerate bone loss.Low calcium intake. Long-term lack of calcium in a persons diet plays a role in the development of osteoporosis and can contribute to diminished bone density, early bone loss, and an increased risk of fractures.Steroids and other medications. Long-term use of oral or injected corticosteroid medications, such as prednisone and cortisone, interferes with the bone-rebuilding process. Additionally, medications for gastric reflux, transplant rejection, and seizures can increase bone loss and the risk for osteoporosis.Sedentary lifestyle. People who spend large amounts of time sitting have a higher risk of osteoporosis than individuals who are more active.Tobacco use. While the exact role tobacco plays in osteoporosis is not clear, it has been shown to contribute to weak bones.Chronic heavy drinking. Long-term consumption of more than two alcoholic drinks per day increases the risk of osteoporosis.Osteoporosis PreventionWhile a number of osteoporosis risk factors are out of a persons control, lifestyle changes can help maintain bone health.Calcium.Men and women between the ages of 18 and 50 need 1,000 milligrams of calcium per day. This daily amount increases to 1,200 milligrams when women turn 50 and men turn 70. To increase calcium intake, consider including these foods as part of a well-rounded diet:Calcium-fortified cereals and orange juiceLow-fat dairy productsDark green leafy vegetablesCanned salmon or sardines with bonesSoy products, such as tofuIf it is difficult to reach the recommended daily intake of calcium through diet alone, speak with your physician about including an over-the-counter calcium supplement.Vitamin D.Vitamin D helps improve the body's ability to absorb calcium. People can get vitamin D from sunlight; however, the use of sunscreen reduces the amount of vitamin D absorbed this way. It is recommended that people get at least 600 international units (IU) of vitamin D per day. After a person turns 70 years old, that recommendation increases to 800 IU per day. Vitamin D can be found in:Trout, salmon, tuna and swordfishOrange juice fortified with vitamin DDairy and plant milks fortified with vitamin DEgg yolksFortified cerealsIf you have trouble getting enough vitamin D in your diet, speak with your health care provider to determine the type and amount of vitamin D supplements you should take.Exercise.Exercise helps build strong bones and slow bone loss, and provides benefits no matter when you start. For maximum benefits, combine strength training exercises with weight-bearing and balance exercises.Strength training helps strengthen muscles and bones in the arms and upper spine.Weight-bearing exercises such as walking or jogging strengthen the bones in the legs, hips and lower spine.Balance exercises such as tai chi help to reduce the risk of falling.At American, Advocate and Whitsyms In-Home Care, our referred care providers help older adults make healthy lifestyle choices by encouraging regular, physician-approved exercise, healthy eating habits and much more. These care providers can work with each client to offer a variety of in-home care services that enhance independence and safety, while helping to monitor conditions such as osteoporosis and other chronic health conditions.Contact us today at the location nearest you and let us help find the perfect care provider to meet your needs. American In-Home Care  Serving North, Central, and West Coast of FloridaAdvocate In-Home Care  Serving Southeast and Southwest FloridaWhitsyms In-Home Care  Serving Southeast and Southwest FloridaState of Florida License and Registration Numbers: 30211518, 30211651, 30211295, 30211390, 30210978, 30211293, 30211382, 30211504, 30211733, 30211535, 30211531, 30211710, 30211709, 30211045, 5661

Medically reviewed by Karen Wolters, RN and Joanna Fearnley, LPNIf you are like most active individuals, you probably enjoy engaging in sports, but hate the sore muscles you experience after a good game. So have you ever wondered if there exists an easy way to reduce the time needed for post-game muscle recovery? And is there a safe and effective way to decrease muscle fatigue for better athletic performance? The simple answer to these questions is yes, there is non-invasive, fast-acting, and risk-free Red Light Therapy!The good news for all athletes is that a simple and easy twenty-minute Red Light Therapy session before and/or after any type of sports activity or exercise can make a big difference in muscle performance, muscle fatigue, and recovery time! And not only can Red Light Therapy accelerate the repair of muscle damage, it can even help prevent it!Red Light Therapy Benefits AthletesIn a nutshell, Red Light Therapy is the use of light at different wavelengths and intensities to induce biochemical changes in tissue in a stimulatory or inhibitory manner.1 Red Light Therapy is also known as light emitting diode (LED) therapy; photobiomodulation (PBM), and phototherapy.With each passing decade, science continues to discover more and more therapeutic benefits that Red Light Therapy affords skin, muscles, nerves, cartilage, tendons, and even bones. Red Light Therapys benefits for muscles are especially exciting for athletes:Red Light Therapy can enhance muscle performanceRed Light Therapy can delay and reduce muscle fatigueRed Light Therapy can repair muscle damageRed Light Therapy can prevent muscle damageRed Light Therapy can improve postexercise muscle recoveryAs a 2013 study published in the Journal of Athletic Training confirms, Investigators could conclude that exposing skeletal muscle to single-diode and multidiode laser or multidiode LED therapy positively affects physical performance by delaying the onset of fatigue, reducing the fatigue response, improving postexercise recovery, and protecting cells from exercise-induced damage. This makes Red Light Therapy a very valuable therapeutic tool for all athletes, whatever their performance level. So why does Red Light Therapy affect such beneficial results in skeletal muscle?How Red Light Therapy Supports MusclesRed Light Therapy produces wide-ranging effects at the molecular, cellular, and tissue levels when Red Light Therapy pads are placed on the body. Photons of light emitted from the pads are easily absorbed through the skin, penetrating deeply into several inches of tissue. This light is then converted into signals that induce cascades of therapeutic chemicals to be released in cells that trigger, support, and speed up the bodys innate healing processes.One of the therapeutic chemicals that Red Light Therapy boosts is adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is vital for muscles. Muscles rely heavily on adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is the biological source of energy needed for muscle work, and therefore robust increased ATP levels are the most popular hypothesis to explain the extraordinary effects that PBM appears to exert on muscle tissue. So, by using Red Light Therapy pre-game, athletes can increase their skeletal muscle ATP levels, resulting in better working muscles for better game performance.Red Light Therapy Reduces Recovery TimeScience has discovered that the level of ATP in muscle cells can make a big difference in not only performance but also recovery time. Skeletal muscle adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels are severely depleted during and following prolonged high intensity exercise. Recovery from these lower ATP levels can take days, which can affect performance on subsequent days of exercise. But by using Red Light Therapy post-game, athletes can replenish the ATP levels in their muscles for faster recovery time!When to Use Red Light TherapyIs it better to use Red Light Therapy pre- or post-game? Although most researchers have chosen to study the effects of Red Light Therapy before physical activity, there are studies that have found that Red Light Therapy provides benefits both before and after physical activity. However, evidence has shown positive effects in the application before and after exercise in the ability to prevent injuries related to muscle fatigue and also in the improvement of the recovery process. Another study stated, Both preconditioning (light delivered to muscles before exercise) and PBM applied after exercise can increase sports performance in athletes.It is interesting to note that Red Light Therapy administered before activity can also help improve muscle recovery after exercise or sports. One study found that even though Red Light Therapy was administered as a stand-alone therapy to high-level soccer players before exercise, performance and recovery were also improved, with Red Light Therapy, enhancing athletic performance and improving postexercise recovery. And a 2016 study of twelve male athletes also concluded that Red Light Therapy administered pre-exercise can enhance performance and accelerate recovery of high-level rugby players in field test.Add Red Light Therapy to Your Exercise EquipmentWhether Red Light Therapy is administered pre- or post-game, or both, its therapeutic benefits for muscle endurance and performance during sports and exercise, and muscle recovery after physical activity are undeniable. To summarize, Red Light Therapy, can improve muscle performance, reduce muscle fatigue during exercises, and benefit the muscle repair. So, keep a Red Light Therapy device wherever you train or exercise because, Phototherapy appears to be a viable treatment modality for skeletal muscle. It is safe, easy to administer, and noninvasive and has no known side effects and few reported contraindications.Choose HealthLight for Red Light Therapy PadsJust as all exercise equipment is not created equal, so it is with Red Light Therapy devices. To get the best support for your muscles, purchase your Red Light Therapy device from HealthLight. All HealthLight systems are durable, high quality medical-grade devices for both clinics and consumers that deliver the optimum amount of joules into the body for fast-acting and dependable pain relief, plus the acceleration of your bodys innate healing processes! HealthLight makes the most powerful clinical-strength Red Light Therapy devices available in todays marketplace to provide you the therapeutic benefits of Red Light Therapy in the convenience of your home. HealthLight offers a wide choice of Red Light Therapy pads and controllers to meet the needs and budget of any individual, family, or health practitioner. Your muscles will thank you!