Red Light Therapy The Future of Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment Therapy

The University of California San Francisco conducted experiments on rats that were addicted to cocaine, and used laser lights on specific parts of the brain to reduce addictive behavior. To their surprise, there seemed to be clear and effective results from the laser light therapy. They targeted light-emitting diodes in the prelimbic region of the brain and found that after exposure to the laser lights, the rats demonstrated a significant difference in addictive behavior.

Therapy for the Brain

Rats that were addicted to cocaine expressed low patterns of activity in their prefrontal cortex region of the brain – responsible for decision-making and behavioral flexibility. The prefrontal cortex is also known to be the part of the brain to be the most ‘human’ of all of them, being that a lot of conscious thought resides there. Previous studies conducted on humans compulsively addicted to cocaine have found a similar pattern of low activity in this area of the brain as well.

Therapy for Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment?

There are also studies out of the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center that have been using optogenetics in their neuroscience research and have found that light therapy could also treat alcohol addiction as well.

There is compelling evidence that light therapy can be used to help control the brain’s behavior and activity. The mouse the researchers used in the study had specific brain neurons controlled and found that, with optogenetics, its actions and impulses could be altered.

Effective Substance Abuse Rehabilitation and Addiction Treatment Models

Both centers found that there are effective methods of alternative treatment for addiction rather than the widely accepted 12-step model. Among them, Mindfulness-Based Addiction Recovery is one of the strongest contenders, owing to the fact that most patients who receive Mindfulness-based Addiction Recovery report improved mental health along with sobriety. Combining science-backed therapies such as red light therapy with Mindfulness-based Addiction Recovery could boost its efficacy even more.

Our Drug Rehabs in Atlanta, Roswell and Marietta Offer Red Light Therapy

Centered Recovery programs is proud to provide Red Light Therapy as an adjunct therapy for its clients. If you’re interested in Red Light Therapy or the completely unique Mindfulness-based Addiction Recovery program they offer, feel free to call us today at 800-556-2966. You can check out our drug and alcohol addiction treatment centers frequently asked questions page here.