Research suggests there may be an “easy, safe and economical” way to relieve pain. Green light. And new animal studies are revealing the biological underpinnings of how it works.
Scientists have studied the analgesic effects of green light. at least six monthsrevealing occasional clues as to how it happens.
Led by neuroscientist Yu-Long Tang of Fudan University in Shanghai, this new mouse study reveals eye cells and brain pathways that underpin occasional pain relief after exposure to low-intensity green light.
In a series of experiments, the researchers found that cones and rods (light-sensitive eye cells) contribute to the analgesic effects of green light in healthy mice and mice with inflamed joints. I found
As scientists often do, researchers inactivated certain cells to see how it affected pain sensations in animals. Deactivating rods in some mice showed only partial relief in green light, whereas mice lacking cones showed signs of pain relief in green light exposure. did not show at all.
“We found that retinal cone photoreceptors are essential for green light analgesia, whereas rods play a secondary role.” explanation Tang and colleagues in a published paper.
From there, they traced the path of electrical signals from the eye to the brain.
Cones and rods exposed to green light stimulated groups of brain cells. ventrolateral geniculate nucleus,this is previously linked In general to the analgesic effect of bright light.
In this part of the brain, these neurons express hormones involved in pain signaling. These cells relay messages to different parts of the brain. dorsal raphe nucleus It regulates pain and effectively dials down the sensation of intense pain.
Identified in various animal studies Other mechanisms It is intertwined with the analgesic effects of green light, such as pain receptors in the spinal cord. This is not surprising given how complex the experience of pain can be. This includes the sensory, physical, and psychological experience of stimuli and signals bouncing between the brain, spinal cord, and pain receptors.
Although pain relief in rodents is far from human, this study successfully identified the pain circuitry in the mammalian brain that responds to visual input, providing a safe and easy way to quell visual input. I am deepening my understanding of
“It is unclear whether color perception is comparable between humans and rodents, but exposure to green light reduces pain sensitivity in both humans and rodents, a finding shared between the two species. It suggests the involvement of a mechanism for writenote that other brain regions are likely involved.
Exposing people to eight hours a day of light therapy, as the researchers did with mice in this study, is neither practical nor feasible. for how long.
In that regard, there are some promising results from other studies.Animal studies in rats suggest that green light reduces pain may last longerpersisting for 4 days after treatment.
Recently clinical trial They also report doing green light therapy for several hours each day. reduction in pain intensity in a small group of fibromyalgia patients headache days with migraines. chronic back pain Another target.Green light can bring benefits post-surgery patientreduce dependence on pain relievers.
It may not work for everyone, but if these studies can be repeated in more patients, it may pave the way for green light therapy to become an alternative option for complete pain relief. Hmm.
A persistent challenge is that chronic pain is a difficult beast to tame and not all pain is the same. It is not yet known how the high, green light compares.
Chronic pain aside, findings add some color to our understanding of why It feels so good to spend time in natureThe dark green forest cocoon may calm the nervous system in multiple ways.
This research Science Translational Medicine.
