Laser for fertility in Portland, Oregon
Laser for fertility
If you don’t like needles but want the benefits of acupuncture to boost fertility, you may consider laser for fertility. Photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy, in the form of infrared and red laser therapy or LED light therapy, can offer safe, gentle, and effective benefits to support fertility and reduce pain. According to the World Association for Photobiomodulation Therapy, PBM uses light to generate specific therapeutic effects like needle acupuncture. But without the needle!
Dr. Lee offers laser for fertility and LED light therapy at Rosefinch Health in Portland, Oregon. She can also help you find the right LED light panel at home. Infertility laser and LED light treatment are drug-free treatments that patients find painless, relaxing, and comforting.
The benefits of PBM
Dr. Lee uses PBM to support people trying to conceive at home or alongside assisted reproductive treatments like in vitro fertilization, egg freezing, embryo freezing, and frozen embryo transfer.
She also uses it for people with pelvic pain, scars and adhesions, and digestive issues. Research has found red and infrared laser to be a valuable therapy for chronic pain, fibromyalgia, and wound healing as well.
Laser and LED therapy for fertility
How Laser and LED therapy for fertility might work
The North American Association for Photobiomodulation Therapy (NAALT) defines PBM as “a form of light therapy that utilizes non-ionizing forms of light sources, including lasers, LEDs, and broadband light, in the visible and infrared spectrum. It is a nonthermal process involving endogenous chromophores (cells responsive to light) eliciting photophysical (i.e., linear and nonlinear) and photochemical events at various biological scales. This process results in beneficial therapeutic outcomes including but not limited to alleviating pain, inflammation, immunomodulation, and promoting wound healing and tissue regeneration.”
Laser is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Laser is also known as low-level light therapy, low-level laser therapy (LLLT), or cold laser and is a powerful type of PBM. She uses an Avant LZ-130Z Class 3B laser with visible red and infrared light. The laser uses a collimated beam of coherent red or infrared light, which provides focused, concentrated power and the deepest penetration of light. In her practice, she also uses red, blue, and yellow LED light panels. LED light panels can use one or several light colors and emit noncoherent light, providing more profuse and superficial light stimulation of a larger surface area.
To support fertility, the laser may:
-boost mitochondrial function by increasing ATP synthesis, oxygen consumption, and electron transport via cytochrome c oxidase of the mitochondrial respiratory chain.
-increase blood circulation by inducing the release of nitric oxide.
-reduce inflammation by triggering the release of reactive oxygen species and enhance the transport of immune cells and oxygen through the tissues.
-promote cellular repair by activating transcription factors, which signal genes to turn on and off for cell growth, repair, etc.
-induces wound healing and reduces scars/adhesions
-resolves pain via neural blockade in the peripheral and sympathetic nerves.
Safety and Risks
There are very few risks with PBM. Laser and LED therapy are painless. However, we skip PBM therapies like laser and LEDs when you are pregnant, have a DVT, have a confirmed tumor or cancer, or are undergoing cancer treatments. Corticosteroids and some photosensitive drugs can also reduce PBM’s effectiveness.
Side effects of laser and LED therapy can be relaxation, pain reduction, and, for some, fatigue.
Research
A few studies have looked at PBM or laser to improve fertility. One randomized controlled trial found laser acupuncture around embryo transfer improved the chances of implantation rates by 38% (https://doi.org/10.1089/acu.2017.1218). Other observational studies suggest an association of benefits with laser on fertility outcomes.