Red

light

therapy

and

MS

Sun and MS

MS is an abbreviation for multiple sclerosis, which is a disease of the central nervous system, i.e., the brain and spinal cord. The first symptoms often include deteriorating vision or changes in sensation in an arm or a leg. The disease is autoimmune in nature, which means it is caused by the body's own immune system, which simply attacks the myelin sheaths that electrically insulate nerve pathways. This means the disease can progress for quite a long time before symptoms appear. Since the disease is autoimmune, it is quite easy to imagine how a better and more specific immune system is important, and one of the strongest effects of sunlight is precisely that. It is therefore not so surprising that the risk of developing MS increases with distance from the equator. At the equator, the Earth has the greatest solar radiation, and those who live there thus receive the highest sun exposure. This means that the risk of getting MS in countries around the equator is very low or even non-existent, while countries like Sweden, where sun exposure is much lower, have a relatively high prevalence (1).

The occurrence of some diseases is related to latitude (sun exposure)

Does red light therapy help with MS?

The answer to that question is most likely yes. I would never dare to raise hopes among those affected if I did not also have research behind my answer. There is a very good review article about red light therapy and MS (2). In it, the authors go through the current state of research and come to a number of conclusions. They mention, among other things, that light therapy calms the immune system so that the disease does not progress as quickly. At the same time, the regeneration of neurons is also accelerated, which in practice gives hope that the damage caused by the disease can even be repaired. RLT has also been shown to alleviate the consequences of the disease, such as motor problems, pain, and deterioration of speech and vision. The collected research shows that inflammation in the patient decreases, which in itself makes the disease less aggressive, and therefore their physical condition improves. In animal studies, RLT has been shown to delay the onset of the disease, and the authors of the article conclude that RLT may be an effective complementary treatment to the drugs and disease-modifying therapies available today. Studies on mice have also shown that the buildup of myelin sheaths in the brain could increase with RLT, and perhaps that is why it is smart to also administer RLT treatment directly into the brain (3)? If I were affected myself, I would definitely see RLT as an aid, and together with other treatments such as exclusion of foods that cause type 3 allergies, exercise, disease-modifying drugs, stress management, etc., it will likely be positive. One can also imagine that a better general condition with increased energy levels and exercise capacity will make a big difference. We know that exercise can help those affected, and a combination of strength training and cardiovascular training at a reasonable intensity is preferable. Higher energy levels will also make the outlook on life more positive, and that will also affect disease progression. Low mood and depression are often a consequence of the diagnosis, and that will also likely worsen the disease.

1. Steve Simpson Jr 1 2, Wendy Wang 3 4, Peter Otahal 2, Leigh Blizzard 2, Ingrid A F van der Mei 2, Bruce V Taylor 2. Latitude continues to be significantly associated with the prevalence of multiple sclerosis: an updated meta-analysis. 2019 Nov;90(11):1193-1200. doi: 10.1136/jnnp-2018-320189. Epub 2019 Jun 19. Meta-Analysis J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry.
2. Nikoo Hossein-Khannazer 1, Mandana Kazem Arki 2, Aliasghar Keramatinia 3 4, Mostafa Rezaei-Tavirani 5. The Role of Low-Level Laser Therapy in the Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis: A Review Study. J Lasers Med Sci. 2021 Dec 28;12:e88. doi: 10.34172/jlms.2021.88
3. Katherine Chuere Nunes Duarte 1, Thaís Torres Soares 1, Angela Maria Paiva Magri 1, Lívia Assis Garcia 1, Luciana Le Sueur-Maluf 1, Ana Cláudia Muniz Renno 2, Gláucia Monteiro de Castro 3. Low-level laser therapy modulates demyelination in mice. J Photochem Photobiol B. 2018 Dec;189:55-65. doi: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2018.09.024. Epub 2018 Oct 3.

Author: Fredrik Paulún

The studies and research presented here are conducted by independent researchers and institutes. Nutrilight does not fund these studies and has no connection to their execution. These studies generally concern photobiomodulation and are not specifically related to Nutrilight's products.