Combining Acupuncture with a Heat Lamp

Acupuncture is a treatment derived from ancient Chinese medicine that can be used to treat a wide range of health conditions.

According to the National Center for Complimentary and Integrative Health (NCCIG), acupuncture is recommended as a treatment option for chronic long-term pain, chronic tension-type headaches and migraines.

Modern medical acupuncture involves stimulating sensory nerves under the skin and in the muscles, causing the body to release pain-relieving endorphins. These natural body substances are responsible for the beneficial effects experienced with acupuncture.

In the past decade, a new treatment form of this popular medicine has become popular for its greater benefits. The combination of acupuncture with a heat lamp is used to increase blood flow in affected areas in order to increase the efficiency of traditional acupuncture.

If you’re considering combining acupuncture with light therapy, then this quick guide is for you. In this article, we will take an in-depth look at how this treatment works and its benefits. We will also use our extensive lighting knowledge to answer some of the most common questions related to this topic.

So, let’s get straight to it!

What is acupuncture with light therapy?

Acupuncture with light therapy is a medical treatment that combines the use of acupuncture with red light therapy to provide effective pain relief. 

The release of pain-relieving endorphins induced by acupuncture combined with the relaxing properties of heat lamp’s infrared lighting result in a wide range of benefits, including reduced swelling, greater pain relief, increased blood flow and relaxation of the body and mind. 

The combination of acupuncture with light therapy can be used to treat several chronic medical conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic neck and back pain. Patients with bursitis, tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome and various types of injuries will usually also respond well to this form of treatment.

But, what is red light therapy?

Red light therapy (RLT) is a medical treatment that uses infrared light to treat certain skin and muscle conditions.

This treatment exposes your skin to low levels of red or near-infrared light, a type of energy that your eyes can’t see, but your body can feel as heat. Red light has a similar effect as infrared, but you can see it.

Though many people believe that LED lights emit infrared, this is not the case as LED bulbs do not emit ultraviolet (UV) or infrared light. If you’re looking to do red light therapy at home, you should opt for incandescent lights, also known as heat lamps. 

These lamps produce infrared light above 600 nm and peak between 850 and 1000, enough energy to have a significant impact as a health treatment. You should always consult your healthcare provider before starting a new red light treatment. 

How does red light therapy work?

Red light therapy works by exposing your skin to a lighting device that emits red or near-infrared light. When you expose your skin to light that emits these frequencies, a part of your cells called ‘mitochondria’ soak it up and produce more energy. This process helps cells repair themselves and become healthier, leading to healing in skin, muscle and bone tissue.

Though it can vary from person to person, most people get good results with a 15 minute session 3-5 times per week. It is recommended that you do red light therapy for at least 6 months to start seeing results. This will however depend on the condition that you’re treating. Less severe muscle and skin conditions can usually improve within a few weeks.

To plan the most optimal red light therapy treatment plan for you, you should consult your doctor. Your doctor will discuss with you how this treatment can benefit your health conditions and how often you should do this therapy to get the most out of it.

What is a heat lamp?

A heat lamp is a type of incandescent light that is designed to generate as much heat as possible through infrared radiation in order to provide effective pain relief, or skin and muscle healing.

Heat lamps can be used for at-home red light therapy treatments as a more affordable option than clinical treatments. You should however ensure you use a medically certified device and that you carefully follow the instructions for your chosen device. You need to be particularly careful about how long you’re exposed to the heat lamp to avoid redness or even burns.  

In general, there are many lights that you can use as heat lamps as long as they’re medically approved and use incandescent bulbs. You should always consult your doctor before buying a heat lamp for health treatments.

What are the benefits of infrared light therapy?

One of the most common questions from our readers is whether infrared light truly contributes to improved health. 

The truth is that red light therapy has many roles in the human body.  Below, you can find the most common benefits of doing red light therapy: 

• Pain Relief
• Reduction of Muscle Tension
• Relaxation
• Cell Regeneration
• Increased Blood Flow
• Prevents Dementia
• Dental Pain Relief
• Improves Hair Loss
• Improves Wrinkles
• Improves Acne Scars
• Treats Skin Burns
• Helps with Osteoarthritis
• Helps with Tendinitis

Are there any side effects of Red Light Therapy?

With any health treatment, there are always possible side effects. Though Red Light Therapy is considered safe, there have been reports of burns and blistering from using Red Light Therapy devices. Some people have developed burns from falling asleep with the devices turned on all night. In other instances, people developed burns and blistering due to device corrosion, broken wires or low-quality heat lamps.

There’s also a potential risk to the eye if your device emits infrared light. If that’s the case, you should wear eye protection while undergoing red light therapy. If your device only emits up to near-infrared light, then it will usually be safe to expose your eyes to this treatment for small periods.

Finally, red light therapy is a painless treatment, meaning that you won’t usually feel any pain or itching while undergoing therapy. 

Learn more about Infrared Lights

Though red light therapy is a relatively new health treatment, it has shown very promising results in treating skin conditions, chronic pain, hair loss and other health conditions. However, more research is needed to understand the full potential of infrared lights. 

If this blog post has answered your question or if you would like to learn more about all things related to heat lamps and infrared lights, please visit our lighting blog.