The wound-healing properties of different light wavelengths have been studied for years. Recent research has shown that low-level light therapy can help to heal injuries in both the brain and spinal cord. Patients who had suffered moderate traumatic brain injury received light therapy through a helmet that emits near-infrared light. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) was used to measure the effects of the light therapy. They found that low-level light therapy created a significant change in the connectivity of seven regions in the brain. This effective therapy is safe and easy to administer, as it does not require surgery or any medications. The portability of the helmet also means it can be delivered in settings outside of a hospital. The head of the research feels that this may have applications in treating many other neurological conditions. “There are lots of disorders involving brain connectivity, mostly in psychiatry, where this intervention may have a role. PTSD, depression and autism are all promising areas for light therapy.”

Another new technology could heal injuries to spinal cord nerve connections by bringing infrared light directly to the source of damage. It is a novel therapeutic approach that brings healing to the injury through an implant. Light therapy, called photobiomodulation (PBM), has already proven its ability to heal when it can be delivered with direct precision. This new treatment is using it on the spinal cord with an implant that can shine infrared light on the injured area. The normal procedure after a spinal cord injury is to perform surgery that stabilizes the bones which have been damaged by the trauma. Now surgeons will have the opportunity, during the same operation, to implant a PBM light device that can act directly on the spinal cord itself. Early tests have shown that this method can deliver significant improvements, including restoration of sensation and movement, plus regeneration of damaged nerve cells. More testing is needed before this can be universally adopted, but it holds the promise of taking spinal cord healing to a completely new level.