Struggling with PTSD symptoms like anxiety & insomnia? Learn how red light therapy can complement treatments like EMDR to improve sleep & support healing
While many people have never experienced war, civilians and veterans can develop PTSD after conflict. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition that may arise after witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event.
Service members who face armed combat often encounter scenes that can haunt them after they return home. After exposure to life-or-death situations, readjusting to civilian life can be extremely difficult. PTSD can affect anyone; roughly 3.5 percent of U.S. adults experience it each year.
Common symptoms of PTSD include:
Veterans are offered several evidence-based therapies—group therapy, prolonged exposure, cognitive processing, and stress-inoculation training. Eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is an alternative that some studies suggest can meaningfully ease PTSD symptoms.
EMDR proceeds through defined stages while the patient recalls the trauma and follows the therapist’s finger with their eyes. This bilateral stimulation is thought to help the brain reprocess the traumatic memory.
Some clinicians pair EMDR with red-light therapy. Early work indicates that red-light exposure may lessen certain PTSD complaints, especially insomnia. The treatment delivers low-level red wavelengths that can boost cellular energy (ATP), possibly aiding tissue repair and circadian regulation.
A small 2014 study on cognitive function and traumatic brain injury reported that participants had fewer PTSD episodes and better sleep after red-light sessions. By supporting melatonin balance and the sleep-wake cycle, red-light therapy might also ease co-existing depression or anxiety, although larger trials are needed.
This information is educational and not a substitute for professional medical advice.
VA: EMDR for PTSD |PubMed search |Mayo Clinic resources
While EMDR treatment may help process traumatic memories, red light therapy can support the body in regaining internal balance and might ease PTSD symptoms. Addressing PTSD often benefits from a whole-body approach that aligns body, mind, and emotions. With red light therapy, veterans living with PTSD may find it easier to regain a sense of control and foster healing from within.
Led Mask supplies MDSAP-certified red-light devices designed for at-home use or clinical settings. We offer options for personal care as well as private-label partnerships; contact our team to learn more.
This information is educational and not a substitute for professional medical advice.
