Near-Infrared Light Therapy 

Celluma is an FDA-accepted form of LED phototherapy (aka Low Level Light Therapy or “LLLT”) that stimulate the mitochondria of cells with red light. This is significant for reproductive health, because the mitochondria are responsible for producing ATP which is the main supply of energy for the cell. Therefore, the better-functioning the mitochondria, the more energized and healthy the cell! 

The egg cell has nearly 200 times more mitochondria compared to other cells in the body, so it is extremely important that egg cells get high levels of ATP. Unfortunately, as we age, less and less ATP is produced, causing a negative impact on the rate of cellular division and the ability for implantation to occur. 

This is why Celluma specifically targets mitochondria to produce more ATP to counteract this phenomenon. Celluma naturally optimizes cellular  function to improve cellular health – the cornerstone of reproductive health and fertility.

 

What do we mean when we say ATP “energizes” the cell?

We understand that “energize” can seem like a very broad and unspecific term. It may be helpful to think of ATP like the food we eat. If we do not eat anything we feel tired, upset, and less able to function. When we eat nourishing food, however, we feel energized, can think clearer, and feel more vibrant. ATP is similar in that its importance seems to seep into every aspect of how the body functions.

The benefits of enhanced cellular ATP production include:

  • Improved cellular health
  • Increased blood circulation
  • Decreased muscle tension
  • Reduced inflammation
  • Softening of scar tissue
  • Reduced pain
  • Reduce wrinkles and improve skin health

 

Research Supporting the use of Infrared Light Therapy

PhotobioModulation for Infertility Grinsted & Hillegass et al, 2019

For four years a group of eight clinics across Denmark and Norway incorporated phototherapy into their treatments during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle, for a total of six treatments over the span of two weeks.The 239 women total participated in this study, ranging in age from 34-50 years old, had all been trying to conceive but had yet to be successful. After 1-3 months of treatment with LED therapy, however, 158 out of the 239 in the original cohort were able to conceive.

Spitler, R., Ho, H., Norpetlian, F., Kong, X., Jiang, J., Yokomori, K., Andersen, B., Boss, G. R., & Berns, M. W. (2015). Combination of low level light therapy and Nitrosyl-COBINAMIDE accelerates wound healing. Journal of Biomedical Optics, 20(5), 051022. https://doi.org/10.1117/1.jbo.20.5.051022 

In this study low level light therapy and nitrosyl cobinamid (NO-Cbi) were combined with the effort of improving wound healing. While the exact mechanism of their combined success is not fully known, it is apparent that the two in combination are able to further activate the electron-transport chain to produce high levels of ATP. There is also an increased activation rate of ERK1/2, which is a protein vital to wound healing. Therefore, wound healing is rapidly accelerated when patients are treated with these two therapies in tandem by increasing ATP.

Mandel, A., & Hamblin, M. R. (2012). A renaissance in low-level laser (light) therapy – LLLT. Photonics & Lasers in Medicine, 1(4). https://doi.org/10.1515/plm-2012-0044 

Not only can LED light therapy be used to improve reproductive health, it has countless dermatological and cosmetic benefits as well due to its impressive wound-healing improvements. In fact, in patients treated with LED light therapy, researches noticed an increase in collagen, which is the fibrous protein responsible for holding the skin together, which is instrumental in wound healing. In this study a great improvement in the healing of scar tissue was noted, which is an especially useful treatment for reproductive health ailments. 

Still have questions?

Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about this exciting new treatment. Call, email, or reach out to your provider the next time you are in office. We are looking forward to hearing from you!