Acupuncturists, did you know that adding Red Light and Infrared Therapy to your treatment menu can bring a whole new dimension to your practice, opening the door to greater benefits for your patients that result in better patient outcomes? That’s because the ancient traditional healing art of acupuncture and the modern day healing modality of Red Light/Infrared Therapy pair perfectly. And used together, they become a dynamic, winning treatment team that can be relied upon to deliver consistently outstanding results and bring a new flow of energy into your practice! Here are the reasons why.
Needles and Light Waves Produce Similar Results
While acupuncture utilizes fine needles to penetrate the body in order to trigger specific meridians to relieve both acute and chronic pain and stimulate healing, Red Light and Infrared Light Therapy achieves the same beneficial results by employing light waves that are absorbed by the body. This is because applying light “to tissues and organisms can elicit both stimulatory and inhibitory responses, depending upon the light parameters used.”[1]
And, like the benefits produced by acupuncture, science has discovered that Red Light/Infrared Therapy “…results in beneficial therapeutic outcomes including but not limited to the alleviation of pain or inflammation, immunomodulation, and promotion of wound healing and tissue regeneration.”[2] Red Light and Near Infrared Therapy uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in specific wavelengths in the visible and infrared spectrum that penetrate the skin and are absorbed by tissues, nerves, tendons, ligaments, organs, and even bones, to achieve fast acting pain relief and healing support.
More Similarities
Red Light/Infrared Therapy, like acupuncture, not only relieves pain and discomfort, but increases blood flow and circulation, boosts tissue oxygenation, relaxes muscles and the nervous system, and stimulates and accelerates the body’s own innate healing processes through the release of nitric oxide (NO), ATP, NADH, RNA, and other highly beneficial chemicals.
And like acupuncture, Red Light and Near Infrared Light Therapy can be used on every part of the body, helping the body regain and maintain health and wellness. Red Light/Infrared Therapy also matches acupuncture in being an all-natural, highly dependable, and cost-effective alternative to the potential risks, negative side effects, and sky-rocketing costs of pharmaceutical drugs and surgery.
Red Light/Infrared Therapy Adds Value
Red Light Therapy can add value to your treatment sessions for the simple reason that one Red Light Therapy pad can enhance circulation and relieve pain and stiffness over a large area of the body. Also, Infrared Light Therapy may possibly enhance and augment the benefits of your needling work. Red Light/Infrared Therapy has been described by patients as being gentle, soothing, and comforting, and can help your patients to reach a deeper level of relaxation during their acupuncture treatments.
Non-Invasive, Safe, and Risk-Free
Since Red Light and Infrared Therapy is non-invasive, it generates additional value by being a treatment option for patients who are afraid of needles. Also, since the skin is never penetrated, there is no risk of bleeding, bruising, or infection. And, most importantly, Red Light/Infrared Therapy is completely safe and risk-free, as clinical studies have found that Red Light and Infrared Light Therapy “has a wide range of benefits on various patient populations, different medical indications and conditions without any serious risk of adverse effects.”[3]
How to Administer
No matter your style of acupuncture, Red Light/Infrared Therapy is extremely easy to incorporate into your treatment sessions in several ways:
- Pre-Needling: Light Therapy pads may be used on areas requiring greater chi and circulation for at least ten minutes before needling. The pads will increase blood flow and relieve pain quickly. The warmth of the therapy pads will cause the patient’s body to relax, and then insertion and manipulation of the needles may actually be easier.
- During Needling: Most acupuncturists utilize Light Therapy pads at the same time as needling, usually as soon as treatment begins. Wherever the pads are placed, chi and blood circulation will increase in that local area. Light Therapy pads soothe tissues and ease the buildup of muscle tension, deepening the patient’s relaxation and enhancing stress reduction. Light Therapy pads can then be moved around the body, working on different problem areas as the session progresses. Most Light Therapy pads are flexible enough to be versatile, allowing the same pad to be used on different areas to treat a range of conditions.
- Post-Needling: Give your patient a complete twenty-minute Light Therapy session immediately after needling. Light Therapy pads can be placed where the needling was administered, or on other acupoints throughout the body where support is needed. Red Light/Infrared Therapy will enhance relaxation, and trigger cellular processes that accelerate the body’s own innate healing ability.
- Stand-Alone Treatment: Red Light/Infrared Therapy can be administered by itself as a standalone treatment option, which may appeal to patients who have a fear of needles. During this time, the patient may be left unattended, allowing you to treat other patients.
Red Light/Infrared Therapy Can Boost Your Revenue:
Adding Red Light/Infrared Therapy to your treatment menu can boost the revenue of your acupuncture practice in four distinct ways:
- As an add-on to needling for an extra fee.
- As a stand-alone treatment option for patients afraid of needles, or for those who discover that they enjoy and benefit from Red Light/Infrared Therapy.
- Through the sales of Red Light/Infrared Therapy systems to patients for their home use.
- By broadening your treatment menu and making your practice more unique, helping it to stand far above the ever-growing competition — potentially increasing your client base.
The Bottom Line
Used together, acupuncture and Red Light/Infrared Therapy make a great treatment team! By adding Light Therapy to your treatment menu, you can energize your practice, boost your revenue, and bring greater benefits to your patients that result in better patient outcomes and increased patient satisfaction. Red Light and Infrared Light Therapy is easy to integrate and easy to administer. Plus, Red Light/Infrared Therapy systems offer a fast ROI and are surprisingly affordable, with a wide range of systems available to meet the needs of any acupuncture practice. For more information, contact Energia Medical at 833-429-4040 or via email at info@energiamedical.com.
[1] Anders JJ, Lanzafame RJ, Arany PR. Low-level light/laser therapy versus photobiomodulation therapy. Photomed Laser Surg. 2015 Apr;33(4):183-4. doi: 10.1089/pho.2015.9848. PMID: 25844681; PMCID: PMC4390214, p. 183.
[2] Ibid., p. 184.
[3] Tsai SR, Hamblin MR. Biological effects and medical applications of infrared radiation. J Photochem Photobiol B. 2017 May;170:197-207. doi: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2017.04.014. Epub 2017 Apr 13. PMID: 28441605; PMCID: PMC5505738, p. 3.
Image Credit: <ahref=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/closeup-shirtless-man-receiving-dry-needling-therapy-from-doctor-clinic_27998904.htm#query=acupuncture&position=10&from_view=search&track=sph”>Image by tonodiaz</a> on Freepik
