The number of Americans living with chronic pain exceeds 50 million, or about 20% of the adult population. Despite the prevalence of arthritis, cancer, musculoskeletal diseases, migraines, fibromyalgia, and other conditions, there are few solutions.
Drug addiction affects at least three million Americans. A prescription opioid may provide short-term relief, but at a price. Sometimes, physical therapy, massage, and acupuncture can help.
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Research is now exploring green light exposure as a safe, affordable, and relatively side-effect-free alternative to antibiotics. It’s still early in the field of science, and research is by no means conclusive. Still, recent studies have shown that green-tinted glasses worn or sitting in a dark room illuminated by green LED light strips can reduce migraines, fibromyalgia, and chronic musculoskeletal pain sufferers’ severity and frequency of episodes. Chronic pain can also relieve anxiety and fear.
Reversing The Cycle
Jennifer Dinardo, 64, a Tucson retiree who previously worked in hospitality, says her problem began when she was 18 and went skateboarding after drinking more wine than was in her spaghetti sauce that evening. As a result of the fall, she broke her nose and fractured her neck. During treatment, the doctor prescribed pills promptly to ease the pain.
She recalls, “He said, ‘Here, Take these. These will make you feel better.'”
Dinardo spent two hours a day reading and listening to music in a room lit only by green LEDs for 70 days. She began to feel better after 30 days. Several months after starting treatment, she stopped taking all painkillers, and she’s been medication-free since then.
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Does Green Light Relieve Pain?
Some scientists believe green light may have some role in helping painful conditions like fibromyalgia and headaches. Gulur says the answer lies in the green light. Melanopsin regulates pupil contraction and dilation in the eye by responding to green light. Moreover, melanopsin interacts with periaqueductal gray matter in the brainstem, which processes pain.
The theory is just a hypothesis for the time being. As part of the current study, Gulur is employing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study the brain activity of pain patients wearing green glasses to see if there is an inhibitory pathway.
Green light treatment is already gaining popularity in the commercial sector. Several manufacturers sell green LED lighting systems online. It is unclear whether the wavelength of green used in the products is effective for pain relief.