Fibromyalgia Light Treatment

Fibromyalgia, a life-changing, often debilitating illness remains a medical mystery. This illness fails to provide any diagnostic markers and is recognized only by its symptoms of chronic muscle and tendon pain accompanied by fatigue and lethargy. According to Mayo Clinic this condition is much more common among females than males. New treatments and therapies for fibromyalgia emerge frequently; light therapy is currently being studied as a possible treatment.

Causes

The actual cause of fibromyalgia is unknown but two dominant theories link it to depression, exacerbated by sleep disorders, or nerve hypersensitivity similar to diabetic neuropathy. Since light therapy has been used for depression, and tested on neuropathic pain, it follows that the same treatment may be effective for fibromyalgia.

Light Therapy & Depression

Light therapy has been tested and used for certain types of depression since 1980 when Alfred Lewy et al identified and named Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Dr. Lewy and his researchers found that bright light therapy significantly diminished SAD symptoms. Since then, light therapy has been used for various manifestations of depression. (see reference 1)

Light Therapy & Pain

More recently, studies have been conducted testing the effect of pulsing infrared light on diabetic neuropathic pain. These studies found a significant reduction in pain during the eight week trial. It should be noted, however, that this was in-house research sponsored by The Healthlight System, distributors of light therapy products. (see reference 2)

Opposing Research

S.J. Pearl et al, of the University of Toronto conducted a 1996 study using fibromyalgia patients who also suffered symptoms of SAD. After a four week, controlled, light therapy study, in which some patients received treatment and others received a placebo effect, these researchers found no improvement in either pain or mood for the patients reporting fibromyalgia symptoms along with SAD symptoms. (see reference 3)

Warning

Fibromyalgia can cause constant severe pain which can lead to a desperate search for relief. While many therapies exist and some patients seem to benefit from one or another, each individual needs to carefully research and evaluate his or her best treatment options. Currently, there is no strong evidence for the use of light therapy for fibromyalgia. Keep in mind that well-established research centers such as Mayo Clinic do not recognize or suggest many proposed treatments for this condition, including light therapy. New research is always under way and your health care provider is your best source for treatment advice.