A bit about Light Therapy

Today’s post is about light therapy.

In the past couple of years, red light therapy including infrared saunas and LED light masks have been in the media. These different light treatments are meant to help us with everything from wrinkles to back pain.

We decided to research these different light treatments and see if they are worth the hype.

For ideal health, we humans require regular exposure to light! A great example is Vitamin D which comes from sunlight. The sun’s rays include the more commonly known ultraviolet light (UV), but more than half of its output is infrared. When it comes to visible light, violet coloured light produces the most energy and red coloured light provides the least.

So, what is red light therapy

Red light therapy involves having low-power red light wavelengths emitted directly through the skin, although this process cannot be felt and isn’t painful because it doesn’t produce any heat. Red light can be absorbed into the skin to a depth of about eight to 10 millimetres, at which point it has positive effects on cellular energy and multiple nervous system and metabolic processes.

Through emitting red, low-light wavelengths through the skin, red light therapy may naturally jump-start the process of tissue recovery and other forms of rejuvenation. It’s believed to work in such ways as increasing blood flow and stimulating collagen production.

Clinical studies show that red light therapies have certain healing capabilities and medical applications, due to the way they positively affect the human endocrine and immune systems.

There are many different types of red-light therapy devices, some of which can be used at home. But home devices are usually less powerful than those used in clinics and may be less effective or take longer to work.

What about an infrared (IR)sauna?

This type of sauna uses a different kind of red light.

Infrared light is invisible and is effective for use on the surface of the skin as well as penetration of about 1.5 inches into the body. The wavelength infrared puts out is longer than the wavelength of red light, which allows it to penetrate more deeply into the body.

The longer the wavelength, the deeper the penetration. Consequently, IR light provides some similar, but some completely different benefits than red light.

An infrared sauna is a type of sauna that uses light to make heat. A regular sauna uses heat to warm the air, which in turn warms your body. An infrared sauna heats your body directly without warming the air around you. It is safe because all humans produce IR and it is easily absorbed by our tissues.

When IR enters the body, it breaks up fats and toxins that are trapped in water molecules, it makes us sweat to let them out.

And LED light masks

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) lights have been around since the 1960s but have only recently been used as a skin treatment.

Using the LED technology to create light weight masks enables people to use light therapy  in the home. However, these are not medical-grade products. They aren’t as strong, so while there is some benefit, there won’t be the same result as a professional treatment.

‌The masks use different wavelengths of the visible light spectrum to penetrate the skin to different depths. Depending on how deeply they penetrate, will determine which of the skin’s natural healing processes are triggered.

Red and blue lights are typically used in LED skin treatments. Experts believe that red LED light acts on cells in the skin known as fibroblasts, which play a role in production of collagen. Blue LED light is most often used to treat acne.

According to research, LED light therapy has an excellent safety profile. It does not contain UV rays, which can be harmful to the skin.

Unlike chemical peels or laser therapy, LED light therapy does not cause burns. Therefore, LED therapy is considered suitable for regular use. Which is important, as usually several treatments are necessary to see results.

However, more research is needed to confirm that these lights are truly effective and that they produce lasting results.

Hopefully you have found this information interesting.

Till the next post,

Live clean n prosper

Sources – National Library of MedicineHarvard Health Publishing – Mayo ClinicWeb MD

The Frontline Mental Health Conference.

Today’s post is about the 2024 National Frontline Mental Health Conference.

On Monday 4th and Tuesday 5th of March, I was privileged to attend this mental health conference. This annual conference is hosted by the Australian and New Zealand Mental Health Association.

About –

Frontline workers are heroes of our community with specific and special requirements when it comes to psychological safety, seeking help when it’s needed and challenging systemic stigma, harassment and bullying.

This conference was all about sharing research, innovations and treatment techniques from mental health experts. It was an opportunity to meet with fellow sector workers and hear from sector leaders about improving the mental health care and wellbeing of people on the frontline, the first responders – during training, whilst serving and in post-service.

Personal highlights –

There were many great speakers sharing the latest research, case studies and industry policies. For me, the two standout presenters were Dr Nikki Jamieson and Derrick McManus.

Listening to Dr Nikki was heart breaking. She told us about her son, who was in the military, took his own life out of frustration over his poor treatment in the Army. This experience led her to become a suicidologist for the Australian Defence Force. A suicidologist is someone who studies suicide, suicidal and life-threatening behaviours, as well as suicide prevention.

Dr Nikki spoke about her passion, which is “moral trauma/ injury”. This is when a person is forced, due to circumstances, to do something that breaches their internal moral code. These kinds of injuries happen every day, but for some, there are injuries that are longer lasting than others.

Moral injury is thought to be closely related to burnout and may even be the same condition. Neither of these conditions are yet recognised in this country. However, Nikki is very hopeful one or both will be added to the next versions of the ICD (international classification of diseases) and the DSM (diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders). This will mean that organisations will have to recognise that these mental injuries are real and begin taking steps to reduce their incidence, as they do with any other W.H & S process.

Derrick McManus’s story was from the other side of the spectrum. He was a counter terrorist operator in the South Australian Special Tasks and Rescue Group. In 1994, he was shot 14 times in less than 10 seconds by an offender using an automatic rifle. An ambulance finally got to him after 3 hours and the bullets were still flying around. The paramedic thought he was dead, only stopping to check him just in case. Amazingly he survived against all odds and is now sharing his mental well-being methodology with others. He spoke very strongly about post traumatic growth and how his planning for the worst before it happened, helped him get through when the worst happened.

Derrick has since founded the Australian Center for Human Durability – The Ability to go Beyond Resilience to Sustainable Optimal Performance.  He works with police, the Army and the RAAF, including fighter pilots, with great success. His methodologies apply equally to the general public too.

 Overall, I found this conference to be inspirational. It was great to speak with like-minded people who are so invested in the mental well being of our society’s frontline, first responders.

Till the next post,

 Live clean n Prosper

A bit about a muscle called Psoas.

Today’s post is about the Psoas muscle.

The reason I have chosen to write about this particular muscle is because of the challenges it has presented to many people, including myself.

So what is the Psoas?

This muscle group (pronounced So-as) may be one of the most important muscle groups in the body. They are the primary connections between the spine and the legs. Just the simple movement of getting out of bed would not be possible without them.

Commonly referred to as ‘hip flexor’ muscles, they affect your posture and help to stabilize your spine. They also help to move your legs forward when you walk or run. These same muscles flex your body forward when you bend over to pick up something from the floor. They also support the internal organs.

The diaphragm and the psoas muscles are also connected to the other hip muscles and the diaphragm. These connections between the psoas muscle and the diaphragm literally connect your ability to walk and breathe. Also how you respond to fear and excitement.
When startled or under any type of stress, your psoas contracts. This means that the psoas has a direct influence on the fight-or-flight response!

How does the Psoas become a challenge?

During prolonged periods of stress, your psoas is constantly contracted. The same contraction occurs when you sit for long periods of time, engage in excessive running or walking, sleep in the foetal position, or do a lot of sit-ups. All of these activities compress the front of your hip and shorten your psoas muscle.

Many people, from office workers to professional athletes, suffer from chronic tightness in their psoas. This can be a result of overuse (like athletic training) or limited movement (like sitting down all day), even physical and emotional trauma have been linked to psoas tension.

A tight (or short) psoas muscle can cause pain in the lower back or hips, especially when lifting your legs. Usually stretching the muscles and releasing the tension is the best way to prevent it. However, while most people with psoas issues have tight muscles, there are some people whose issues may be caused by overstretching. In this case, if you try stretching an already overstretched muscle, you can cause more problems. It takes time and daily attention to keep these muscles relaxed, stretched, and strong.

There are several symptoms that may indicate a psoas imbalance. These include knee and/or lower back pain, postural problems, sciatica and leg length discrepancy.

The key is find out what condition your psoas is in to determine the treatment. If the muscle is short and tight and needs stretching. If the muscle is weak or overstretched it may need strengthening.

This is where a health care professional is required to rule out other conditions and injuries. You may need a physical exam of your back and hip and diagnostic tests. Consider a practitioner who is experienced in biomechanics and who can address any potential pelvic distortion, joint restrictions, foot pronation, and hip and knee imbalances.
Some chiropractors and massage therapists also have experience in treating psoas conditions.

My own challenge has been dealing with tight psoas muscles. Personally I found that a physiotherapist was able to assist in correcting the issue, along with stretches and exercises that I work through often to ease tension.

I hope that you found this information interesting.

Till the next post,

Live Clean n Prosper
(Sources – www.drnorthrup.comPubMed, WikipediaThe Psoas Book by Liz K