We are now offering the Celluma, an FDA accepted form phototherapy or low level light therapy (LLLT), to increase the efficacy of our acupuncture treatments. The benefits of LLLT include: increased blood circulation, improved ATP production, pain reduction, reduction in inflammation, softening of scar tissue, decreased muscle tension, and improved skin tone.
How LLLT works….
- Using low level light therapy over soft tissue releases nitric oxide. Nitric oxide dilates blood vessels, increasing blood flow.
- Low level light therapy optimizes cellular health by improving cellular function. It boosts the production of the cellular energy powerhouse, ATP. ATP fuels cellular metabolism and regeneration, leading to a wide range of therapeutic benefits.
- LLT can also double the diameter of lymphatic vessels. Improved lymph flow can combat chronic inflammation and stimulate the immune system.
Why we recommend the Celluma for Fertility…..
Our eggs have two hundred times the number of mitochondria than found in other cells. It is our mitochondria that manufacture ATP. The process of follicular development within the ovary as well as the processes required for early embryo cellular division and implantation require a lot of energy. ATP is the molecule that powers the cellular processes. As we age, the mitochondria in our follicles decrease and many of our eggs fail to develop normally. By exposing our cells to infrared or near infrared light, we can combat some of these changes by increasing ATP.
The increased blood circulation resulting from LLT can increase the functional capacity of endometrial cells, optimizing the receptivity of the uterine lining. Increased lymphatic circulation can improve chronic inflammatory and immune dysfunction that can be correlated with infertility.
A good candidate for low level light therapy is…
- Women with low AMH
- Women with high FSH
- A “poor responder”
- Women over 35
- Women with PCOS or other ovulatory disorders
- Women with endometriosis or painful periods
- Women with a history of abdominal surgery
- Women going through retrieval or transfer IVF
- Women with “thin lining” during IVF cycles
Contraindications….
- Pregnant or Breastfeeding
- Suffer from seizures or epilepsy
- Anyone taking cortisone or steroid injections
- Anyone on photosensitive drugs
- Anyone with a known metastatic cancer
- Anyone who has used a cosmetic filler over the area where Celluma is to be applied
For maximum effect, we recommend using LLLT at least twice a week. It can be used with acupuncture or in between acupuncture sessions.
Cost: $25 add on to acupuncture treatment: $70 as stand alone
Research Supporting the use of Low Level Light Therapy:
PhotobioModulation for Infertility Grinsted & Hillegass et al, 2019For 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.
