PBM (Photobiomodulation) is used to treat many mental health disorders, especially for those exhibiting depression symptoms, including SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). When you feel alone, sad, and down, it can be hard to focus on what matters most, like your family, career, and socializing, and hobbies you enjoy. PBM for depression can help alleviate symptoms and get you back to what matters most.
What is PBM for Depression?
PBM for depression is a form of light therapy to help stimulate the brain and offset depression symptoms. It is a drug-free, non-invasive form of therapy that can be beneficial when other forms of depression treatments are not working. PBM is also a beneficial alternative for those who are experiencing side effects from traditional medication treatment options that they wish to avoid. Additionally, PBM for depression does not have any major side effects.
How Does PBM for Depression Symptoms Work?
#1. By being exposed to light waves, PBM for depression helps increase melatonin production.
Melatonin is a hormone that increases and decreases based on the amount of light a person is exposed to. In the evenings, the release of melatonin increases and helps put you in a state of calmness to help promote more restful sleep cycles. However, too much light can depress the production of melatonin, which can result in a disruption in natural sleep cycles.
Insufficient sleep or a lack of restful sleep affects your mental health and general well-being. For example, stress and anxiety can affect you much faster when you do not get sufficient sleep. In addition, your immune responses are also lowered, increasing the risks of chronic health conditions — a contributing factor for the onset of certain mental health disorders.
#2. PBM treatments help increase the production of antioxidants in the body.
Antioxidants help protect the body against disease, which in turn help prevent the onset of certain mental health disorders, including depression and SAD. This is because antioxidants help remove free radicals – which are cells in the body produced by digestion, smoking, and radiation exposure.
Free radicals can cause oxidative stress throughout the body, lower immune responses, affect mental health and brain health, and cause premature aging. Free radicals also destroy various cells in the brain, which can affect our moods, memory, and ability to think and learn.
#3. PBM for depression treatments stimulates serotonin production and increases serotonin release in the brain.
Serotonin levels help regulate moods. When levels are low, you can feel sad and depressed. When levels are high, you can feel happy and elated. By increasing the release of serotonin through PBM treatments, those with depression symptoms will notice their moods begin to stabilize as their symptoms decrease and start to disappear.
In addition, increased serotonin levels work alongside the increase in melatonin to produce healthier sleeping patterns. When you can experience prolonged periods of healthy sleeping patterns, your mood improves too, and depression symptoms decline.
How Is PBM for Depression Symptoms Beneficial?
Many people who experience depression symptoms are often prescribed some form of prescription medication to alleviate their symptoms. However, these medications can take weeks or months before a person notices any changes in their symptoms. Plus, there can be unwanted side effects from using the medications. Furthermore, prescription drugs are not always effective. So, someone would have to take medication for a few months to see if it helped. While waiting, the depression symptoms are still present. Even with various counseling therapies, people can still feel like they are not making any progress.
Fortunately, with PBM for depression symptoms, you do not have to wait to see if your medication will help or not. The light energy your body absorbs during the treatment stimulates the brain almost immediately to relieve depression symptoms. Many first-time patients report a noticeable improvement in their symptoms after their first PBM treatment session. They also notice they feel more energetic.
Other first-time patients have reported they feel a sense of calmness and relaxation come over them, causing them to feel sleepy. Yet, they, too, notice their depression symptoms have decreased. The treatment is non-invasive, drug-free, and has no major side effects.
How Long Are PBM for Depression Symptoms Treatments?
The first step to starting PBM treatments is to complete an initial consultation. The purpose of this consultation is to meet with a physiatrist to review your depressive symptoms, provide you with more information about PBM, and answer any questions or concerns you may have.
If you decide to try PBM, a typical treatment session is about 20 minutes, five times a week for the first two weeks of treatment. After that, your psychiatrist reviews your progress to customize your PBM treatment plan to fit your specific needs and objectives. After the initial two-week period, the frequency of your treatment sessions depends on the extent of your depression symptoms, level of improvement, and other factors. At established intervals, your treatment plan is reviewed, and adjustments are made when necessary.
PMB for Depression Symptoms in Southern California
To find out whether PBM for your depression symptoms could benefit you, start with our no-obligation consultation at Neuro Wellness Spa in Southern California, we will:
- Answer your questions and concerns about PMB.
- Explain the treatment process in greater detail.
- Make recommendations for other treatments you can combine with PBM.
Please feel free to contact us at 1-877-847-3984 for further information or to schedule your consultation appointment today!
