Red Light Therapy for Headaches and Migraines: Relief for Relentless Pain

Headache disorders are common and vary greatly in terms of symptoms, duration, and triggers. Understanding the different types of headaches is crucial for managing them effectively and finding appropriate treatment. Here’s an overview of some of the most prevalent headache disorders:

• Migraine – Migraines are often recurring, and for many, they can last a lifetime. The pain is usually moderate to severe, and attacks can last anywhere from a few hours to several days. Typically, migraines affect only one side of the head and are often accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and heightened sensitivity to light, sound, or smells. These headaches may also cause visual disturbances, such as seeing flashing lights or blind spots. While the exact cause is still being studied, triggers like stress, hormonal changes, certain foods, or environmental factors are often linked to migraines. Medications, lifestyle changes, and identifying triggers can help manage and reduce the frequency of attacks.
• Cluster Headaches – Cluster headaches are a type of primary headache disorder that occurs in cyclical patterns or "clusters." These short but intensely painful attacks often happen multiple times a day and are typically centered around one eye. The pain can be excruciating and is sometimes accompanied by symptoms like watery eyes, drooping eyelids, and a runny or blocked nose on the affected side of the face. Cluster headaches can last anywhere from 15 minutes to three hours, but they can reoccur in a series over weeks or months. The cause of cluster headaches is not fully understood, but they are often linked to abnormalities in the hypothalamus. While there is no permanent cure, treatments such as oxygen therapy, medications, and lifestyle adjustments can help manage the symptoms and frequency of these attacks.
• Tension-Type Headaches – Tension-type headaches are the most common type of headache and are often triggered by stress, poor posture, or musculoskeletal strain, especially in the neck or back. These headaches are usually characterized by a dull, tight, or pressure-like pain around the head, often described as feeling like a tight band or weight pressing on the forehead. While tension-type headaches can occur occasionally, chronic tension-type headaches (occurring more than 15 days per month) can significantly impact quality of life and lead to disability. The causes are often multifactorial, with physical, emotional, and environmental factors playing a role. Managing stress, maintaining good posture, practicing relaxation techniques, and using over-the-counter pain relief can help alleviate the discomfort associated with tension headaches.
• Medication-Overuse Headache – Also known as rebound headaches, medication-overuse headaches occur when acute pain medications are used too frequently. While these medications may initially relieve headache pain, overuse can lead to a cycle where the headache returns, prompting the individual to take more medication, which in turn triggers another headache. This cycle can perpetuate the problem, making the headache more frequent and intense. The symptoms of medication-overuse headaches often subside once the overused medication is discontinued, although this can lead to withdrawal symptoms or the return of the original headache that the medication was initially used to treat. Reducing the reliance on pain medications and seeking alternative treatments for chronic headaches can be key in breaking this cycle.

Each type of headache has its own set of triggers, symptoms, and treatment options, and it's important to work with a healthcare professional to develop a tailored treatment plan. Identifying your specific headache disorder and understanding its causes is the first step toward finding relief and improving your quality of life. Regular physical activity, good hydration, adequate sleep, and stress management are also essential in reducing the frequency and intensity of headaches.

Red light therapy is increasingly being recognized as a safe and effective treatment for a variety of conditions, as well as a natural way to boost cell functioning and, in turn, overall health and wellbeing. That sounds like a tall order, we know, but there’s an abundance of science to back it up—and the body of literature is growing by the day. You can read more about the basics of red light therapy here and here. And if you’d like more information on how it can treat all sorts of pain, check out this blog post.

Let’s get straight to it: what kind of research has been done on red light therapy for headaches, and what were the findings? To the archives!

• In 2011, researchers evaluated the effectiveness of red light therapy on 23 patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (a condition that causes facial pain and pressure similar to headache). Both treatments were found to significantly decrease symptoms, and effects were sustained for a minimum of 2 months.
• A similar study was conducted in 2013. Here, 10 patients received treatment 3 times a week for a total of 10 sessions. Symptoms improved by 39% after 2 weeks and 46% after 4 weeks. Effects were sustained for an average of 5 months.
• A 2018 study looked at the effects of red light therapy compared to botulinum toxin A (BT-A) on chronic migraines. Researchers specifically set out to measure pain days, pain intensity, intake of drugs or self-medication, anxiety, and sleep disturbance. They found both treatments to be effective in reducing pain days and pain intensity as well as intake of acute medication. While BT-A was found to reduce anxiety, red light therapy reduced sleep disturbance.
• A 2019 study also evaluated the effectiveness of red light therapy on chronic migraines, this time following 3 patients. Each patient evaluated their pain at 8 out of 10. The first patient, a 42-year-old male suffering from migraines twice a week for 10 years, received 3 treatments over 4 weeks. He had no migraines for 2 weeks following his treatment protocol. The second patient was a 53-year-old female suffering from migraines 2–3 times a week for 30 years. Her treatment protocol consisted of 10 treatments spread out over 7 weeks. She had zero migraines during the course of her treatment and for the 90 days following. The last patient was a 72-year-old female suffering from migraines 3–5 times a week for 59 years. She received treatment twice a week for 4 weeks and then once a week for 4 weeks. The patient had zero migraines during her treatment protocol.

• Finally, in a 2016 study, 10 women suffering from chronic headaches associated with temporomandibular disorders were administered a single red light therapy treatment. A near-infrared laser (830nm) was applied to masseter and mandibular muscle tender points for 34 seconds. Researchers measured blood flow velocity as well as serotonin and cholinesterase levels before treatment, immediately after, and 3 days post-treatment. They found a significant decrease in blood flow velocity and a significant increase in serotonin levels 3 days after treatment. They also noted a 64% reduction in pain after treatment. They concluded that red light therapy may help modulate blood flow and serotonin levels in women with tension-type headaches.

While researchers are just scratching the surface in terms of understanding the underlying mechanisms that enable red light therapy to effectively treat headaches and migraines, it’s becoming increasingly clear the there is indeed a positive effect—one that stands to change the lives of those who’ve been suffering for months, years, even lifetimes (imagine relief from 59 years of chronic migraines!)

As the body of research continues to grow, the overwhelming consensus amongst those studying red light therapy is that it’s completely safe to use and has no major risks or side effects.

As we seek to break free from the grip of relentless pain, let us embrace the radiant potential of red light therapy, illuminating a path towards a life lived with greater comfort and well-being.

So, if you’re looking for a new, safe avenue for treating persistent pain, red light therapy might be a viable—and effective—option. Did you know that Rouge red light therapy devices are among the most powerful, durable, and affordable on the market today? We have a whole family of high-quality, multipurpose panels and devices to meet your specific needs, from your head to your toes and back again. Talk to your doctor about red light therapy today!