Red Light Therapy

At Urban Massage and Wellness, we offer PBM red light therapy using a medical-grade LightCareRx machine. Our red light therapy in St. Albert uses low levels of red light to treat common health concerns including:

• Muscle tension
• Joint pain
• Stress and anxiety
• Inflammation
• Skin care and signs of aging

This treatment is also referred to as low-level laser therapy, low-power laser therapy, and photobiomodulation (PBM). This highly advanced technology exposes areas of the body to red and near-infrared light through a hyper plasma arc lamp.

Sounds intimidating? It’s not!

The treatment is relaxing and leaves you feeling rejuvenated. It’s a completely non-invasive and non-toxic method that can be used to support treatment for a wide variety of conditions.

The Benefits of Red Light Therapy

Managing Joint Pain and Relieving Muscle Tension

There are many ways we can use red light therapy to complement massage therapy techniques. Exposing areas of concern with red and near-infrared light may help reduce pain and discomfort in clients experiencing joint stiffness and muscle tension. Research shows that PBM red light therapy has proven effective in easing chronic lower back pain as well as using red light therapy for knee joint pain.

Every client is unique and responds to wellness treatments differently. Whether you are experiencing athletic-induced muscle tension, stiffness from sitting at a desk every day, or recovering from an accidental injury, we recommend asking your massage therapist about how red light therapy can support your treatment plan.

Lymphatic Drainage and Reducing Inflammation

LightCareRx red light therapy has ten distinct wavelengths that can be used to create different cellular responses depending on a client’s health and wellness concerns. At Urban Massage and Wellness, we can expose areas of inflammation to low-level light energy to stimulate mitochondria to increase ATP production, which is essentially a cellular energy carrier. This ATP boost helps smooth out muscle cells, effectively decreasing inflammation after the desired number of sessions determined by your practitioner. (12 x 20 Minute sessions gives the best results)

If you are struggling with chronic inflammation and would like to try an innovative treatment method in addition to manual lymphatic drainage at Urban Massage and Wellness, ask your registered massage therapist about booking a few sessions of red light therapy at our St. Albert massage clinic.

Reducing Stress and Improving Sleep Habits

When clients visit us with hopes of reducing their stress levels and improving their sleeping habits, the first thing our Urban Massage and Wellness team members will do is try to determine the root cause of the stress or anxiety that is affecting their sleep patterns. Symptoms of stress and anxiety can manifest in the body, which is why massage and other health-focused therapies can be beneficial both physically and mentally.

Combining massage therapy and red light therapy to reduce stress and anxiety may benefit clients experiencing these conditions. Both treatment methods activate the body’s natural healing processes by stimulating skin and muscle tissues at a cellular level. Red light therapy penetrates deep into the skin to reach the mitochondria, which then releases a circulation regulator called nitric oxide to smooth muscle cells. This smoothing effect may help clients relax, reducing high-stress levels and improving sleeping habits over time.

Improving Skin Concerns & Reducing Signs of Aging

Red light therapy works at a cellular level to stimulate the production of collagen, which gives skin increased elasticity and structure. This can have a multitude of positive effects, including the reduction of fine lines, acne, sun damage, age spots, and scars. The red light also decreases inflammation and increased blood circulation, which stimulates healing and cell production.
Many clients also seek out red light therapy for specific skin conditions. Some of the conditions that can be improved with PBM red light therapy include psoriasis, rosacea, and eczema. People with hair loss or androgenic alopecia may also benefit from the production of collagen, stimulation of blood circulation, and anti-inflammatory effects.

What is Red Light Therapy?

How Red Light Therapy Works

PBM red light therapy can be explained as a four-step process that aims to help the body heal itself by stimulating cellular responses with low-level light energy. At Urban Massage & Wellness, we use the LightCareRx series to offer PBM red light therapy for St. Albert and area clients. Here is how it works:

• Treatment areas are exposed to low levels of red and near-infrared light at low energy densities for 10-20 minutes.
• Once the light reaches the mitochondria (approximately three inches under the skin), its wavelengths stimulate ATP production. Think of ATP as a shuttle that carries energy to different places within the cell.
• Increased energy in the cells stimulates the release of nitric oxide, a circulation regulator that relaxes the inner muscles of the blood vessels to reduce inflammation.
• Once the muscle tissues are relaxed, blood flow increases and blood pressure lowers to boost the body’s healing processes at a cellular level.

Our massage therapists may recommend red light therapy to complement other massage therapies. The red and near-infrared light can penetrate deeper into the skin than manual massage techniques, improving health and wellness within the blood vessels and muscle tissues.

About Our Hyper Plasma Arc Light Therapy System

The LightCareRX machine at Urban Massage and Wellness uses a proprietary hyper plasma arc lamp as its light source as opposed to an LED light. This hyper plasma light has been proven more efficient than traditional LED lights for red light therapy due to its innovative filter system. This filter is able to pass the desired levels of red and near-infrared light for a safer application that does not irritate or burn the skin.

During the Appointment

Red light therapy is relaxing, non-invasive, and painless. During your appointment, you will be positioned under the LightCareRX machine to administer hyper plasma light to the desired treatment area. You should not experience any irritation or discomfort during your appointment.

Each session is 10 to 20 minutes, depending on your treatment plan. You’ll get to lay back and relax quietly while the light is directed at the portion of your body that is being treated.

What You Should Know Before You Book an Appointment

Red Light Therapy Expectations

It is important to remember that red light therapy affects everyone differently. It may be a fantastic addition to your regular massage therapy treatments, or it could offer you an opportunity to relax and unwind. We recommend consulting with your massage therapist to find out if red light therapy is right for you.

Red Light Therapy FAQs

Does red light therapy hurt?

No. Red light therapy at Urban Massage and Wellness is painless and relaxing. Our LightCareRx machine uses hyper plasma, which is light administered at ten wavelengths for maximum cell exposure and no risk of irritation. The safe, non-invasive wavelengths can penetrate up to 3 inches into your skin, allowing it to act on a cellular level.

When you arrive for your appointment, you’ll simply lay back on a comfortable surface and have the light positioned over the part of your body that requires treatment. You may experience some gentle warming of the skin in the area being treated.

Can I show up to my red light therapy appointment with makeup and jewelry on?

We recommend removing makeup before your appointment to achieve optimal results if you will be having red light therapy done on your face. All jewelry must be removed before your appointment.

How often should I book red light therapy?

We recommend coming in for 6 to 12 sessions at least to see a noticeable difference. The frequency of treatments ranges from 1 to 3 days per week, depending on your goals and our recommendations.

How does this red light therapy differ from a light I can buy online?

There has been a lot of buzz around at-home LED red light therapy devices that claim to improve your health, wellness, and skincare. The difference between hyper plasma red light therapy machines and at-home versions is in the quality of the lights used. There are affordable LED red light machines available online, but only LightCareRX medical-grade machines contain the level of quality hyper plasma light that will penetrate deep into the skin for lasting results.

Did you know that you can purchase a LightCareRX light from Urban Massage and Wellness? Email hello@urban-massage.ca to learn more about buying one of these high-quality red light devices.

Book Red Light Therapy in St. Albert

We are thrilled to offer red light therapy at Urban Massage and Wellness for our clients in and surrounding St. Albert. Conveniently book your red light therapy appointment online today. You can also add a quick 20-minute red light therapy treatment to any of our other services (Must be schedule post-massage)—a great way to boost your treatment plan and go home feeling relaxed, rejuvenated, and ready to enjoy the day!