Red Light Therapy At Home For Hypothyroidism

Red light therapy (RLT) has been proven to be a promising potential treatment for various autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and Fibromyalgia.

However, can these red light therapy benefits extend to helping treat thyroid-related conditions?

In this article, we’ll discuss what is hypothyroidism, how it happens, and how red light therapy at home can help improve one’s quality of life while afflicted with this condition.

What is Hypothyroidism?

Hypothyroidism is a medical condition in which the thyroid gland produces low amounts of thyroid hormones, such as triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). Symptoms manifest in the form of irregular heart rate, low body temperature, feelings of anxiety and irritability, dry skin, thinning hair, weight gain, fatigue, and infertility among others.

This condition may develop due to high polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) intake interfering with how your thyroid gland works, treating hyperthyroidism, but is usually due to iodine deficiency.

Iodine is a mineral we need to produce more thyroid and is found in most foods such as iodised salt, fish, and dairy products. However, it’s important to note that too much iodine can also lead to both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism.

Improving Hypothyroidism with Red Light Therapy

Since red light therapy uses red and near-infrared wavelengths to stimulate the cell’s mitochondria, it is largely theorised that it can influence and optimise the body’s cellular energy production.

With this in mind, red light therapy, specifically wavelengths around 630nm-1000nm, can be safe and beneficial in improving low thyroid levels. Additionally, red light therapy can also potentially cut down on time spent taking thyroid medications.

In a 2013 study, researchers explored the effects of red light therapy (referred to as low-level laser therapy or LLLTs) on chronic autoimmune thyroiditis. Findings showed that the treatment group resulted in a 30% decrease in required medications to treat the condition.

For further context, CAT, or Hashimoto’s Disease, is a hypothyroidism-causing autoimmune condition that still develops even with sufficient iodine intake. This is the most common cause of acquired hypothyroidism, and requires lifelong treatment through levothyroxine medications.

This can be considered a benefit, as allowing the body to reduce one's normal dosages of a lifelong medication may help improve quality of life and lower medication expenses.

In an older study from 2012, researchers discovered that red light therapy (also shown as LLLTs) helped around half of participants with CAT to completely stop taking their medications.

Furthermore, the research also supports the idea that LLLTs can potentially improve thyroid function thanks to their anti-inflammatory effects. This may also potentially extend to protecting the body against itself– specifically, from autoimmune diseases.

While we still do not have a definitive cause for why autoimmune diseases behave this way, theories suggest that hormonal changes may significantly influence their development or progression.

These imbalances force our thyroid gland to overproduce hormones as a response, which may cause either hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism depending on the situation. Hormonal imbalances may also contribute to autoimmune diseases and may cause lymphocytes to attack the body, which RLTs help prevent from happening.

Start The Path To Better Health With Rojo Light Therapy

Based on emerging studies, near-infrared light wavelengths ranging from 600nm-950nm may have a safe and beneficial effect on individuals with hypothyroidism. However, benefits may vary as diet and lifestyle may significantly affect results.

Additionally, only red light therapy devices with the proper power output/intensity may be ideal for use as a supplement to hypothyroidism treatment.

This is because other infrared light-emitting devices such as heat lamps and infrared saunas have wide angles, which emit inefficient heat and may not reach the thyroid gland.

We recommend taking a look at Rojo’s Refine series for proper devices for red light therapy at home. 

Whether you're looking to deliver powerful red light to localised areas or after a full body treatment, our industry-leading models help you achieve these beneficial effects while protecting you from the invisible, but harmful effects of EMF/ELF and Flickering.

Contact us today to get started.