Polarized Light Therapy
Historical Background
Starting from the shortest ultraviolet wavelength through the visible spectrum to the longest infrared light all kinds of wavelengths are present in the electromagnetic spectrum of the Sun, and varying biological effects can be attributed to each wavelength. The healing quality of light is an ancient experience: as early as in the ancient Egypt the treatment using direct sunlight, heliotherapy was extensively used, and Europe inherited from ancient Greece the knowledges of effects of different wavelengths on the body and health.
Low-intensity Linearly Polarized Light emitted in a broad spectrum has recently brought another breakthrough in healing.
The real breakthrough in Europe came at the end of the 19th century when sunlight-therapy was used in the treatment of skin tuberculosis. For the success achieved in sunlight-therapy Niels Ryberg Finsen, physician, was awarded Nobel Prize in 1903. Later on countless scientific studies proved the beneficial effect of various wavelengths on the metabolism, on the nervous and immune systems.
The discovery of the healing effect, the invention
During the late 1970’s wounds and ulcers were successfully treated with low-power laser light by Professor Endre Mester. Márta Fenyő with her coinventors discovered that from among the characteristic attributes of the laser light, the Polarization was responsible for the biostimulation, consequently for the healing of refractory wounds and ulcers.
That is how her invention and Patent “A method and equipment for healing wounds and injuries on the body surface”, in other words: the Polarized Light Therapy was born.
Márta Fenyő and her research team discovered the stimulative effect of polarized light on all living biological systems, including the significant vigoration of the self-healing abilities of the human body, when used in human therapy. This is explained mainly by the effects of polarized light on the regeneration, revitalization and harmonization of the cell functions.
Polarized Light Therapy brought results also in the treatment of chronic diseases such as ulcers, acne and other chronic skin diseases and sports injuries.
Prompt and spectacular results have been achieved in the Polarized Light therapy of operation scars, burns, headache, rheumatic and arthritic problems.
In most cases the duration of treatments of restricted areas on the skin surface is in the 2 – 30 minutes range. In cases when extensive areas need to be treated, the entire area is scanned by the light beam, which obviously requires a longer time.
The new invention
„light emitting surfaces of any size as well as of any shape”
In the year 2004 Marta Fenyő invented and made protected the technology of the Polarized Light emitting light source built of LED-s, which enabled to construct medical equipments having light emitting surfaces of any size as well as of any shape. This technology made it possible to build medical devices being able to treat very small surfaces (e.g. one cm2), as well as large surfaces, being suitable to treat the entire body surface with the biostimulating and healing agent: the Polarized Light.
The effect mechanism of the Polarized Light Therapy
Polarized light significantly enhances the activity of the immune-competent cells , stabilizes the cell membrane of the red blood cells and enhances their ability to bind, retain, and deliver extra amount of oxygen.
The treatment using polarized light significantly stimulates the activity of T-lymphocytes
T-lymphocytes being responsible for recognizing and defeating millions of faulty cells produced minute by minute in the human body that subsequently become responsible for serious illnesses and malignant deformations.
Thereby this treatment can prevent more or less serious illnesses as well as it can facilitate and accelerate the recovery from protracted illnesses.
Enhanced ability of the red blood cells to bind, retain and deliver extra amount of oxygen.
Through the enhanced ability of the red blood cells to bind, retain and deliver extra amount of oxygen , so more vital oxygen becomes available for the cells as it was proven in a research work accomplished at the beginning of the 1980’s by Márta Fenyő and Professor Imre Lengyel, Head physician of the Laboratory at the National Institute for Vascular Surgery.
Penetration depths of the different visible and
near IR wavelenghts into the skin
The electromagnetic spectrum involves a broad scale of different wavelenghts, starting with the very short Ultraviolet (UV) till the longer, near Infrared (IR) wavelengths.
The Polarized Light Therapy (PLT) utilizes the visible and near IR wavelengths in course of the treatment.
The penetration depth into the skin depends on the given wavelength, so it is different in the case of each wavelength.
How does polarized light stimulate the
function of the immune system?
Earlier research projects proved that wounds and chronic ulcers treated with polarized light started to heal. Polarized light stimulates the self-defence mechanisms of the body. It was found that the cellular defence was significantly intensified following the light therapy.
More active white blood cells phagolized most of the bacteria.
After the treatment using polarized light the white blood cells (neutrophil granulocytes) became more active: they phagolized most of the bacteria being in the intercellular space.
Beforehand the intercellular bacteria hindered highly the wound healing process.
Proven increase of the immune protection.
The microscopic image made in the course of the investigations proved that following the polarized light treatment the number of white blood cells – differing from the neutrophyl granulocytes, and being representatives of a higher degree of the immune protection such as lymphocytes, monocytes and eosinophil cells – significantly increased in the smear which was microscopically examined.
Immuno-electrophoresis proved the pozitive effect of polarized light.
Apart from the cellular defence also the humoral defence was stimulated . The immuno-electrophoresis of the sample of the wound exudate taken after one single treatment unquestionably proved the significant increase of the absolute amount of eight sorts of vital immunoglobulines. Polarized light raised the protection of the human organism to a higher level – explains Márta Fenyő about her research.
Laboratory tests proved the stimulating effect of the polarized light.
Owing to the results of the later research works the stimulating effect of the polarized light on the immune system was repeatedly proven in laboratory tests in vitro and in vivo as well: it was shown that polarized light stimulates the activity of the T-lymphocytes in the blood.
The biophysical background of the Polarized Light Therapy
What is the Polarized Light? How to Produce it?
The beam emitted from a light source contains light waves oscillating in all directions of the space. The polarizing filter placed directly into the light beam permits the passing through only for those components of the light beam which oscillate in a single privileged direction of the space.
The Effect of Polarized Light onto the Lipid Bilayer
The waves of polarized light travel in a preferred plane of the space. According to the biophysical model developed by the inventor, Marta Fenyő and her research team the electromagnetic field oscillating in this determined plane slightly reorganizes the polar heads of the lipid bilayer of the cell membrane. By reaching a higher energy level, the cell membrane becomes better ordered.
This minor structural change results in significant biological effects due to the amplifier role of the cell membrane; it can affect the fluidity and permeability of the membrane, the movements of proteins tightly bound to the membrane, the metabolic and transport processes of the cell.
There is a tight link between the lipid bilayer building up the cell membrane and the proteins bound to it. The membrane has the ability to transmit energy from the realignment of polar heads induced by polarized light towards the proteins that influence virtually all processes associated with the cell activities, like energy production of the cells, immune processes, enzyme reactions, including also the active and passive transport processes.
The cell membrane plays a prominent biochemical role, therefore the conformation change induced by the polarized light can influence significant biochemical processes, including recognition processes (anti-bodies, hormones), energy transfer and transformation (such as oxidative phosphorylation), and information transfer (neurotransmitter).
Furthermore, polarized light enhances the ability of red blood cells to bind, retain and deliver more oxygen, stabilizes the membrane of the erythrocytes and thereby it enhances the stability of red blood cells in anoxic environment.
It enhances blood circulation; therefore the increased amount of oxygen reaches cells, organs and systems faster. Investigations carried out on various biological model systems have proved that polarized light promotes the self-defence ability.
Polarized light stimulates the immune system, promotes the regenerative processes in the entire organism thereby assists also the wound healing.
Our practical experiences gathered so far show that Polarized Light has a direct beneficial effect on nerve endings, energy paths and nerve tissues, it eases or terminates pain.
Based on the knowledge basis – referred to above -, the conclusion can be drawn: Polarized Light Treatment normalizes and harmonizes the off-balance biological processes .