Migraines
How low-level laser therapy (LLLT) can help with migraine headaches
Usually felt on one side of the head, a migraine is a throbbing headache that often includes feeling sick and sensitive to light. While it’s not clear what causes migraines, they can be triggered by stress, hormonal changes, fatigue, as well as certain foods and drinks. A healthy diet, sufficient sleep, and regular exercise may help prevent them, and over-the-counter painkillers and lying down in a dark room can in some cases relieve symptoms.
A 2018 study on botox and LLLT for migraines found that laser therapy treatment could reduce the number of symptomatic days, decrease pain intensity and lower the number of additional medications/treatments needed in people suffering from migraines. LLLT was especially beneficial in reducing sleep disturbance caused by migraines.
In addition, researchers uncovered that laser therapy increases blood flow and serotonin in patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) which are disorders of the jaw muscles and related to chronic facial pain. Study participants had an average decrease in pain score from 9.1 (out of 10) to 3.3, as well as an increase in serotonin levels that lasted for three days. Overall, the studies suggest that LLLT is effective in reducing pain in TMDs and propose cold laser treatment to be beneficial as a non-invasive, complementary therapy to treating TMD which is encouraging to migraine patients as well.
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