The Benefits of Light Therapy for Pelvic Pain and Dysfunction

Disorders and dysfunction related to female pelvic health, including pelvic pain, incontinence, prolapse, pain with intercourse, and vaginal infections are incredibly common, affecting up to 50% of the population at some point in their lives.

Light Therapy

Light therapy is the application of light with specific wavelengths to the body for the purposes of influencing biology. The most common form of light therapy uses red light and near infrared light. Blue light is also used in many light therapy products, mainly for its antimicrobial effects.

Light therapy delivers light at a measurable level of intensity, which can be generally classified as low, moderate, and high. The intensity of sunlight is between 20 and 40mW/cm2, which is described as the “sweet spot” between higher intensities, which can have harmful effects, and lower intensities, which will have no effect at all. This range is optimal for healing while minimizing adverse effects.

Light therapy may be helpful for female pelvic health by encouraging tissue rejuvenation, reducing inflammation and pain, increasing blood flow and positively impacting microorganisms.

Tissue Rejuvenation

Loss of muscle and supportive connective tissue, such as collagen and elastin, in the female pelvis is commonly experienced by women as they age.  It can also occur following tissue trauma from childbirth and infections. Light therapy may increase cellular energy production and increase connective tissue production. Light therapy may also modulate the production of reactive oxygen species, causing a shift towards tissue rejuvenation rather than breakdown, and may support muscle strengthening.

Muscle strengthening is very helpful for conditions such as prolapse, urinary leakage and painful intercourse. 

Reduced Inflammation & Pain

Chronic pain is commonly associated with inflammation and disorders of the pelvic floor. Studies have found that light therapy may affect levels of many molecules involved in inflammation, including reactive oxygen species, reactive nitrogen species, and prostaglandins. 

Reduced pain and inflammation is very helpful for women suffering from endometriosis, menstrual-related pain, recovery from surgeries or tearing/episiotomies following giving birth, as well as interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome. 

Increased Blood Flow

As we age, there is a decrease in blood flow to vaginal tissues. This reduced blood flow negatively affects tissues by reducing the supply of oxygen and nutrients and contributes to age-associated changes such as vaginal atrophy and tissue dryness. Light therapy may increase blood flow in two ways. First, it may increase levels of nitric oxide through its effects on the mitochondria, which causes vasodilation. The dilation of blood vessels allows more blood (oxygen and nutrients) to our tissues. Second, it may increase angiogenesis, which is the synthesis of new blood vessels. A greater density of blood vessels may increase the delivery of blood to tissues.

Increasing blood flow to the vaginal tissues is integral to tissue health, reducing vaginal dryness, which may help reduce painful intercourse as well as healing from giving birth and building strength to reduce prolapse and urinary leakage. 

Positive Impact on Microorganisms

Infections with pathogenic microorganisms in the female pelvis are quite common, and include bacteria (such as chlamydia), fungi (such as candida), and viruses (such as HPV). The vagina also naturally hosts the vaginal microbiome, which has a balance of microorganisms. When imbalanced, susceptibility to infections and bacterial vaginosis is increased. Light may have effects on microorganisms, both pathogenic and non-pathogenic. Blue light may have powerful effects on pathogenic microbes that can infect the vagina, such as candida, while red light may have positive effects on the microbes that comprise the microbiome, including the vaginal microbiome.

Tissue Rejuvenation

Vibration therapy may be beneficial to tissue rejuvenation and strengthening.  Collagen in particular may respond to vibration therapy, especially at low magnitudes, and both collagen and muscle formation respond well to low magnitude vibration at between 8 and 10Hz.  Conditions where muscle strength is of utmost importance include prolapse and incontinence.

Increased Blood Flow

Vibration therapy may increase blood flow, after as little as 10 minutes of therapy. Increasing blood flow helps bring necessary oxygen and nutrients to tissues which helps increase secretion and lubrication, improve function and speed healing.  This is particularly important for recovery following birth or surgery as well as vaginal dryness and painful intercourse. 

Regulation of Muscle Tension and Tone

While proper functioning of the pelvic floor muscles is integral to bowel, bladder, and sexual health, in many women these muscles have either too much or too little tone.  Both conditions are suboptimal resulting in dysfunction, pain and/or weakness. Vibration therapy may regulate muscle tone in two ways. First, it may decrease spasticity in muscles that are overactive. Second, it may improve the potential to voluntarily contract muscles, such as those of the pelvic floor, which are poorly controlled in between 30 and 50% of women, and in this way activate and strengthen the muscle.  Conditions where muscle tone may be the root of the problem include prolapse, incontinence, painful intercourse, vaginismus and vulvodynia.

Decreased Pain

Vibration therapy may reduce many different pain types, including neuropathic pain, low back pain, and muscle pain. This may happen via several mechanisms, such as regulating muscle tone and increasing blood flow.  Reducing pain is important when someone is suffering from painful intercourse, vaginismus and vulvodynia.