Ankle injury while running is common, whether you are a pro athlete or an occasional runner. Here, we will discuss how red light therapy can help recover ankle injuries.
Red light wavelengths can reach the muscles and joints, penetrating the upper layer of the skin. These wavelengths then influence the cells in the injured area to recover quickly. Thus, you can reduce ankle injury periods by applying natural red light therapy.
Let’s discuss them in detail.
Red Light Therapy Hasten the Healing Process
Red light and near-infrared light wavelengths are used to heal the affected areas in red light therapy. These light wavelengths possess the highest wavelength among other visible lights and several therapeutic benefits.
As a result of bigger wavelengths, these lights can reach deeper into the skin and get muscles, bones, and joints. When light falls on the body, mitochondria reside in body cells, start absorbing energy and raising metabolism.
Higher metabolism helps the damaged cells to repair the damage and replicate healthy growth. As a result, the damage can be fixed quickly, and the injured area gets rejuvenated.
Therefore, the overall healing process gets hastened.
Red Light Therapy Reduces Pain
Pain is one of the brutal consequences of injuries. Red light therapy can effectively help the user get rid of the pain.
As mentioned earlier, the overall metabolic activities are elevated when red light therapy is administered. As a result, the blood flow and body temperature increase.
Increased blood flow helps transport necessary nutrients to the injured areas. Therefore, damaged cells find essential components easily and get healed. As the healing process becomes rapid, you will soon find comfort and feel less pain in the area.
Also, the increased body temperature helps reduce pain from the injured area. Also, the damaged area gets disinfected and is preserved from infections.
Red Light Therapy has Anti-Inflammatory Benefits.
Multiple researches have proven that specific red light and near-infrared light wavelengths reduce the growth of inflammatory cells. 660 nm red light wavelengths and 850 nm near-infrared light wavelengths contain this benefit. This is why light therapy is one of the best running recovery tools.
Research conducted on the effects of red light therapy on pleurisy has proved this phenomenon of red light wavelength. As the inflammation is kept under control, the ankle injury can heal quickly.
Red Light Therapy Improves Muscle and Bone Healing
When you get an ankle injury while running, your muscle and bone joints hurt. Red light wavelengths encourage the formation and resorption of muscle and bone cells where recovery is needed without changing the structure.
Multiple researchers have agreed with this property of red light therapy. Thus, many doctors and fitness trainers are now using red light therapy devices to help their patients.
Swelling Followed by Injury Can be Stopped.
As red light therapy can reduce inflammation, the swelling can be reduced or even stopped with red light therapy. Inflammatory cells are responsible for swelling the injured area and can cause pain for you. When you get red light therapy on your ankle injury, you will see an almost instant reduction of your swelling.
660 nm red light wavelengths consist of this benefit. Therefore, when getting your red light therapy device, ensure that it contains all the helpful light wavelengths you need.
Reduce Your Training Fatigue with Red Light Therapy
Once you start running, your skeletal muscle gets fatigued. And when your muscles are tired, your chance of getting injured increases.
When you administer 660 nm red light wavelengths with 830 nm near-infrared wavelengths, you will experience a substantial delay in fatigue in your muscles. Thus, your skeletal muscles will perform better than before getting red light therapy and reduce the chance of getting injured.
Endorphin Hormone Production Gets a Boost.
The endorphin hormone is also known as the happiness hormone, and this hormone promotes the wellness feeling in your body.
When exposed to 830 nm near-infrared light, your body starts producing more endorphin hormones and releases them into your bloodstream. Therefore, your whole body will feel happier and can heal rapidly from injuries.
Heals Wounds and Keeps the Skin Wrinkle-Free
Red light therapy has proven to help treat wounds and several skin conditions. When getting red light therapy, your body starts making more collagen and elastin protein.
Collagen is the primary protein to keep the skin looking younger and flawless. Also, elastin protein helps the skin gain its natural elasticity to reduce skin wrinkling.
So, when you are getting red light therapy for your wounded ankle, you will recover faster, but after healing, you will not have to deal with sagging skin or scars.
Ensure Your Faster Return to Race Track
Whether you are an amateur or professional runner, returning soon after the injury is always a concern. Otherwise, you can lose your motivation and fitness, negatively affecting your performance.
Many athletes have endorsed red light therapy which helped them get back to their fitness routines earlier after injuries. 830 nm near-infrared light has proven effective in reducing wait time after injury recovery.
How to Choose Your Red Light Therapy Device
Choosing the suitable light therapy device for you can be confusing as more and more companies are now manufacturing red light therapy devices. Therefore, you should consider the following things while buying a red light therapy device:
- The treatment area of the therapy device
- Light spectrum provided by the device
- Configuration and ease of control of the device
- FDA approval and the medical class of the device
- Trial period and warranty
You can either choose from a portable or full-body therapy device. You may not be able to move the full-body therapy devices frequently. However, they will give you the best therapy experience.
Another important thing is that your therapy device should contain all the necessary light wavelengths to help you with your therapy. This way, you can get multiple health benefits at once conveniently.
You will want to have a device that can be controlled and configured to meet your needs and comfort. Otherwise, you may not want to stay in the therapy light for the optimum therapy period and miss out on therapeutic benefits.
Additionally, your red light therapy device needs to be FDA regulated and emit a medical-grade light spectrum to give you the therapeutic benefits.
Last but not least, check out the trial period and warranty of the device before purchasing. The trial period allows you to decide if you want to commit to the therapy device you are getting. If you don’t like the device during the trial period, you can get a full refund for your product.
The warranty ensures you get a free replacement for problematic parts of your therapy device. Thus, you can use your device correctly.
Bottom Line
Red light therapy has not been developed too long ago, yet it offers multiple health benefits at once. If you are a health-conscious person, you should consider getting a therapy device for your regular use.
Red light therapy is safe, natural, and has no adverse side effects. Therefore, you can incorporate red light therapy easily into your daily routine.
However, you can experience temporary redness and burns from red light therapy in some rare instances. Consult a doctor or a professional therapist if you see any side effects.
