Mechanisms and Pathways of Pain Photobiomodulation: A Narrative Review

Cheng, Kevin; Martin, Laurent; Slepian, Marvin J.; Patwardhan, Amol; Ibrahim, Mohab

doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2021.02.005

Cited by 67 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 104 publications

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“…Protanomaly is characterized by the presence of S-, M-, and L-cones (blue, green, red, respectively) but with impaired functioning such that there is a shift in the spectral sensitivity of L-cones toward the M-cones peak sensitivity. 21 Previous studies have shown that activation of M-cones (green) and L-cones (red) elicit different effects—green light exposure decreases pain, 4 - 6 , 22 while red light exposure increases pain. 3 , 23 One possible hypothesis of GLED-induced analgesia is that it is dependent on M-cone photoreception.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Case Report: Green Light Exposure Relieves Chronic Headache Pain in a Colorblind Patient

Cheng

Martin

Calligaro

et al. 2022

Clin Med Insights Case Rep

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Patients with chronic headaches sometimes prefer non-pharmacological methods for pain management. We have shown previously that green light exposure (GLED, Green Light Emitting Diode) reversed thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia in a rat model of neuropathic pain. This effect is mediated through the visual system. Moreover, we recently showed that GLED was effective in decreasing the severity of headache pain and the number of headache-days per month in migraine patients. The visual system is comprised of image-forming and non-image-forming pathways; however, the contribution of different photosensitive cells to the effect of GLED is not yet known. Here, we report a 66-year-old man with headaches attributed to other disorders of homeostasis and color blindness who was recruited in the GLED study. The subject, diagnosed with protanomaly, cannot differentiate green, yellow, orange, and red colors. After completing the GLED exposure protocol, the subject noted significant decreases in headache pain intensity without reduction in the number of headache-days per month. The subject also reported improvement in the quality of his sleep. These findings suggest that green light therapy mediates the decrease of the headache pain intensity through non-image-forming intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells. However, the subject did not report a change in the frequency of his headaches, suggesting the involvement of cones in reduction of headache frequency by GLED. This is the first case reported of a colorblind man with chronic headache using GLED to manage his headache pain and may increase our understanding of the contribution of different photosensitive cells in mediating the pain-relieving effects of GLED.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Case Report: Green Light Exposure Relieves Chronic Headache Pain in a Colorblind Patient

Cheng

Martin

Calligaro

et al. 2022

Clin Med Insights Case Rep

Self Cite

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“…These findings suggest that the antinociceptive effects of even short-term exposure to a green color are at least in part attributable to production of endogenous opioids. Taking our results together, the effects of green color exposure could be associated with the connection between the visual system and the pain modulation system [ 33 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Second, we did not investigate the mechanism of the effects of green color exposure. More research may uncover an association between green color exposure and production of endogenous opioids or gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) [ 15 , 33 ]. Third, the investigators were not blinded to group allocation, which may have introduced some degree of bias leading to incorrect recording of results or an expectation about the treatment received.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Green Color Exposure on Stress, Anxiety, and Pain during Peripheral Intravenous Cannulation in Dental Patients Requiring Sedation

Takemura

Kido

Kawana

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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Intravenous cannulation is an invasive procedure that causes stress, anxiety, and pain for many patients. A recent animal study found that exposure to green light induced antinociceptive and anxiolytic effects. This study examined whether green color exposure reduced stress, anxiety, and pain during peripheral intravenous cannulation (PIC) for sedation in dental patients. In this controlled clinical trial, 24 patients (mean age 40.9 years) were randomized to wear clear glasses or green-colored glasses for 15 min before PIC on two separate days in a cross-over manner. The primary outcome measures were salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) activity and stress-related hemodynamic changes, and the secondary outcome measures were the visual analog scale anxiety (VAS-A) and pain (VAS-P) scores during PIC. The sAA level in the clear group significantly increased during PIC compared with baseline, but did not increase in the green group. Median VAS-P scores during PIC were lower in the green group than in the clear group (VAS-P, 17.0 vs. 50.0). Green color exposure with glasses significantly reduced stress and pain during PIC without any adverse effects. This simple, safe, and effective method may be useful during painful medical procedures.

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“…Another example of expanding the applications of interior features is to use lighting systems for light therapy purposes. Light therapy has been recognized as treatment for depression or fatigue [ 123 , 143 , 144 ], while recent studies suggest that specific LED light conditions can provide clinical benefits for people living with migraines, fibromyalgia and chronic pain ([ 145 ] and references in Table 1 and Table 2 ). Specific in-home lighting conditions were used for the treatment of fatigue in people with traumatic brain injury [ 146 , 147 ].…”

Section: Expanding Interior Design Elements For Therapeutic Purposesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Healthy Dwelling: Design of Biophilic Interior Environments Fostering Self-Care Practices for People Living with Migraines, Chronic Pain, and Depression

Huntsman¹,

Bułaj

2022

IJERPH

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The benefits of biophilic interior design have been recognized by healthcare facilities, but residential environments receive relatively less attention with respect to improving the health of people living with chronic diseases. Recent “stay-at-home” restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic further emphasized the importance of creating interior spaces that directly and indirectly support physical and mental health. In this viewpoint article, we discuss opportunities for combining biophilic interventions with interior design, fostering disease-specific self-care. We provide examples of designing residential spaces integrating biophilic interventions, light therapy, relaxation opportunities, mindfulness meditation, listening to music, physical activities, aromatherapy, and quality sleep. These modalities can provide the clinical benefits of reducing migraine headaches and chronic pain, as well as improving depressive symptoms. The disease-specific interior environment can be incorporated into residential homes, workplaces, assisted-living residences, hospitals and hospital at home programs. This work aims to promote a cross-disciplinary dialogue towards combining biophilic design and advances in lifestyle medicine to create therapeutic interior environments and to improve healthcare outcomes.

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Mechanisms and Pathways of Pain Photobiomodulation: A Narrative Review

Cited by 67 publications

References 104 publications

Case Report: Green Light Exposure Relieves Chronic Headache Pain in a Colorblind Patient

Case Report: Green Light Exposure Relieves Chronic Headache Pain in a Colorblind Patient

Effects of Green Color Exposure on Stress, Anxiety, and Pain during Peripheral Intravenous Cannulation in Dental Patients Requiring Sedation

Healthy Dwelling: Design of Biophilic Interior Environments Fostering Self-Care Practices for People Living with Migraines, Chronic Pain, and Depression

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