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Complementary and Alternative Therapies For Cancer Patients Light TherapyThis treatment modality is thought to promote wellness and optimize overall health. Light therapy should be used with, not in place of, standard cancer therapy. What does light therapy involve? Light has been used as medicine for centuries by several parts of the world. In the 1980s, a group of physicians in the U.S. realized that people deprived of sunlight sometimes developed symptoms such as depression, lethargy, inability to concentrate and difficulty sleeping. They began to treat patients with light therapy using light boxes to provide bright light for patients suffering from a variety of illnesses. There are several types of light therapy: ·
UV light therapy - uses different wavelengths of UV
light (UV-A, -B, or -C) to treat autoimmune diseases. How is light therapy thought to promote wellness and optimize overall health? Researchers have hypothesized that people deprived of light have a disruption of their circadian rhythms, the internal 24-hour "dark-light cycle clock." Light is thought to influence health because it can affect physiologic functions of the body, such as timing of hormone production, sleep and body temperature. Exposure to sunlight can contribute to a consistent circadian rhythm and combat mild depression, leading to increased wellness and optimized health. What has been proven about the benefit of light therapy? Light has proven use in medicine as a treatment for seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression also known as "winter depression" resulting from a lack of sunlight. Light is also used to treat psoriasis, newborn jaundice and vitamin D deficiency. The use of light therapy to treat cancer is still unproven. What is the potential risk or harm of light therapy? Light therapy is not recommended for patients with eye and skin sensitivity to sunlight. Patients currently taking medications should check with their physicians or pharmacists before beginning light therapy because a wide variety of drugs can increase sensitivity to sunlight. Also, overexposure to UV light contributes to premature aging of the skin and can increase one’s risk of skin cancer. How much does light therapy cost? Most people can take the treatments at home if they purchase the proper equipment, although it is possible to receive therapy in an office or clinic. Costs will vary with the practitioner. For additional information: College of Syntonic
Optometry Society for Light
Treatment and Biological Rhythms |
