Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Shining a green light on pain managementSince the 1980s light therapy has been used to treat seasonal affective disorder and now its application expands to sleep disorders, pain, and depression, among others.In first-of-their-kind studies, Dr Laurent Martin and Dr Mohab M Ibrahim at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, USA show green light can reduce headaches and pain in patients with migraines and fibromyalgia, respectively.Green light therapy seems to work by stimulating the body's natural pain relief systemthe opioid system -while also acting on brain regions in the descending pain pathway.Pending larger studies, it is hoped that such a non-pharmacological option with less side effects may help address the unmet clinical need for effective pain management. Worldwide, chronic pain is common and for many sufferers, current medications are not fully effective.Such medications can have side effects including addictive or tolerance susceptibilities as well as physical effects like gastrointestinal disturbances, among others.Non-pharmacological options with fewer side effects are highly sought after.Addressing this unmet clinical need is Dr Laurent Martin and Professor Mohab Ibrahim, researchers at the University of Arizona College of Medicine.Their work on innovative pain management techniques focuses on photoneuromodulation which is the application of specific wavelengths of light to the visual system to activate neurones.For over seven years, efforts have focused on studying green light emitting diodes (GLED) and has both raised awareness of and strengthened the evidence for using green light to manage chronic pain.
Source: Research Features
Authors: Laurent Martin, Mohab Ibrahim
Language: English
Subfield: Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4401988549