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What is red light therapy?

Red light therapy is used to send energy-dense red light photons to our cells to produce more cellular energy. This is because red and near-infrared light (wavelength of 660nm - 850nm) stimulates the production of Adenosin Triphosphat (ATP) in our bodies, which the mitochondria in our cells use to produce cellular energy.


In a nutshell, red light therapy makes our cells work better. This means damaged cells are able to heal faster, and new cells can be formed quicker.


A medical-grade light therapy device like the Cura ProWave Deep Healing Pad™ uses medical LEDs to deliver these red light photons to our cells.

Infographic showing the two key mechanisms of red light therapy

What does red light therapy do?

The additional energy from red light therapy allow our cells to do the following tasks more effectively:

  • Repair of damaged tissue

  • Growth of new cells

  • Increased collagen production

  • Enhanced oxygenation of skin cells

  • Enhanced circulation

There have been more than 5,000+ scientific studies and clinical trials that prove these benefits, which is why red light therapy is approved and regulated by the FDA.

What is red light therapy good for?

Infographic showing what red light therapy can help with

As we have just discovered, red light therapy essentially enables our cells to work more effectively by providing cellular energy. By doing so, our bodies experience the following benefits from red light therapy:

However, red light therapy is not a magic bullet that unlocks these benefits instantly. Consistency is key, and pain relief is usually experienced somewhere between 1 - 4 weeks of daily red light therapy treatment.


This is because the mitochondria's capacity to store energy is very small. A one-time increase in ATP is depleted equally fast and thus will have no lasting effects. Most patients experience results within 1-3 weeks, but it can also take up to 4 weeks in some cases.

How does red light therapy work?

In it's basic form, light is energy and crucial for life on Earth.


We all know the importance of light. If plants don't get enough sunlight, they will die. If humans don't get enough sunlight, we will experience a Vitamin D deficiency leading to weak bones, decreased immune function, mood disorders & more.


By deconstructing light into different wavelengths, scientists have identified the different effects various wavelengths of light have on our body. For example:

  • UVB light (wavelength 290nm - 315nm) is the main source for producing vitamin D in our skin and body. However, this light is also responsible for sunburn and cancer.

  • Light between 400nm - 700nm wavelengths is the light that our eyes pick up to create vision.

  • Red and near-infrared light (wavelength 660nm - 850nm) stimulates the production of Adenosin Triphosphat (ATP), which the mitochondria in our cells use to produce cellular energy.

In summary, red light therapy works in 4 simple steps:


1. Medical red light therapy devices use the most bioactive wavelengths to send red light photons to our body

2. These red light photons stimulate the production of ATP

3. The mitochondria can use more ATP to produce more cellular energy

4. With more energy, our cells can perform their natural healing processes more effectively.

How to choose the right red light therapy device?

There are 3 main criteria you need to look at when choosing a red light therapy device for use at home:


1. FDA Approval: Make sure the red light therapy device is FDA approved. This ensures a safe therapy treatment with medical LEDs. There are 2 main issues with devices that do not have FDA approval:

  • They do not use medical grade LEDs which can lead to burns and/or electrical shocks.

  • They most often do not deliver the most bioactive wavelengths to unlock all benefits. Devices need both the 660nm red light and 850nm near-infrared light to reach deeper tissues in your body, where most of the damaged cells will live. Not many devices have received FDA approval yet, which is why red light therapy is still a fairly unknown therapy.

2. Pad / Wrap Devices: The medical LEDs emitting the red light need to be as close to your skin as possible. The further your skin from the light diode, the lower the red light photons can reach into your body and the lower the healing benefits will be. Red light wall panels are popular devices, but have little effect on pain relief or reducing inflammation because the cells are too far from the light diode.


3. Hygiene: Red light therapy devices can last for 50,000 hours or more. However, because the LED diodes are sewn into the cloth, you can not wash these devices. Since the light diodes need to have direct exposure to the skin, most devices get nasty after a while due to sweat.


The Cura ProWave Deep Healing Pad is currently the only device with a Hygiene+ detachable flexible pad that you can wash. It ticks all the boxes and you can currently get it for 50% off during our limited relaunch sale!

The All New Cura ProWave Deep Healing Pad™ Is Now Available!

We've made our bestseller even better. Enjoy ground-breaking features for the most effective home therapy yet.

CuraLights Multi-Wavelength Technology Icon

Multi-Wavelength Technology

Feel your pain melt away with our new multi-wavelength technology incorporating the 2x most bioactive wavelengths for photobiomodulation: 660nm and 850nm.

CuraLights Pulsing+ Technology

Pulsing+ Technology

Recover faster, boost performance, and treat specific symptoms with Pulsing+ Mode.

Woman holding Cura ProWave Deep Healing Pad
CuraLights Triple Chip Medical LED Diode

Triple Chip Medical LED Diode

Supercharge your cellular energy with an extra large treatment area, 120 LEDs and 360 light chips with an irradiance over 120 mW/cm2.

CuraLights Hygiene+ Technology

Hygiene+

Enjoy a soothing experience, optimal results, and superior hygiene with a detachable, flexible pad that isolates sweat and oil on the skin.


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