People have used light to improve their condition since time immemorial. For example, the ancestors of today’s Slavic peoples would undress almost naked and expose themselves to the rising sun when they had a number of illnesses. Professional light therapy has been actively used since the second half of the 19th century. For example, the great popularizers of light therapy were: Danish doctor Niels Finsen, American doctor John Kellogg, Russian doctor Anatoly Minin. By the way, the light device developed by the Russian doctor began to be produced in the USSR and was called the “Minin” reflector. It gave good results for many illnesses, as well as for joint diseases. The healing properties of a conventional incandescent lamp are due to its light characteristics, in particular, the presence of a particular spectrum of light and its intensity. If we delve into the physical characteristics of the light emitted by an incandescent lamp, this light lies in the following range: 380-750 nanometers of the visible spectrum and 750-1500 nanometers of the infrared spectrum. In terms of intensity, about 50% of the lamp’s power emits infrared rays. This explains why an incandescent lamp can be very hot and even burn.
The effects of the light emitted by an incandescent lamp are as follows:
- anti-inflammatory,
- pain-relieving,
- relaxing,
- energizing (in relation to mitochondria),
- antispasmodic (in relation to muscles),
- improving microcirculation (in relation to capillaries).
Practical use of an incandescent lamp at home:
- First, consult your doctor to see if there are any contraindications for light therapy.
2. Purchase an incandescent lamp (preferably about 60 watts), as well as a tripod and a flashlight for this lamp.
3. If there are no contraindications, then illuminate the joint affected by osteoarthritis for no more than 10 minutes per session. Note: install the lamp no closer than 20 cm to the surface of the irradiated joint. No more than 2 sessions can be performed per day. In total, one course of treatment is about 20 days.
4. Before the next course of treatment, take a break of at least 30 days.
For greater convenience, it is better to purchase a “Minin” reflector (in the English-speaking environment it is also called a “blue lamp”). The Minin reflector comes with instructions on how to use it in practice.