The Role of Light Therapy In Improving Egg Quality

Is it possible to improve egg quality?  If so, then how? These are the questions that when last I checked, 1 in 8 couples are asking themselves. That is a lot of couples.  Whether you are 33 years young and have been TTC for years or 44 years young and just getting started, what can you do right now to improve your overall outcomes? In order to get the best answer to this question, the question prior to that one has to be what could be causing damage to your cells and how exactly can you improve cellular damage?

Here’s the short answer: there are many factors and elements which cause a decline in the quality of your cells/eggs and yes, you can make lasting changes on a cellular level. How? With Light.  Of course it makes the most sense that life begins with the spark of light (ever been in the transfer room)? What do you see on the monitor as soon as the embryo is placed in the uterus? LIGHT!! This is the bioelectrical moment when life begins.

First, you must remove that which is causing cellular damage (heavy metals, toxins and other damaged cells) and then begin supporting healthy cells to replicate. For those of you that love studies and research, please look up *Michael Hamblin. PBM, photobiomodulation aka LED Light Therapy is one of the most researched and studied areas in medicine.

There are over 500 clinical studies that have been published by Michael Hamblin which all direct us to the scientific fact that we can use light to increase energy production in the cell.

Light therapy triggers a complex chain of physiological reactions that includes photobiomodulation, which restores cellular function, resulting in higher energy production and improved egg quality.  Mitochondria are the energy-creating structures within our cells. Healthy egg development, embryo division, and successful implantation require an immense amount of energy. However, mitochondria wear down over time, producing less energy and making it increasingly difficult for healthy eggs to mature and implant.

Light therapy is a treatment that uses focused light in the form of low-level lasers or phototherapy patches to stimulate a process known as photobiomodulation (PBM). During PBM, photons are emitted that rejuvenate cells and enable them to produce more energy.

Now the question is what kind of Light are you going to use? There are many options available to you depending on your situation.

• You can purchase your own and use it 3-4x/day indefinitely
• You can rent an inLight Therapy device to use for a week, month or more
• You can find a practitioner and receive 30 minute sessions 1-2x/week
• You can opt-in for the Optimize Your Egg Quality with Phototherapy program using the AcuPatching LifeWave patches daily for 10, 30 or 100 days.

AcuPatching combines the science of phototherapy patches with the benefits of acupuncture point stimulation to address symptoms at the root level. These are not transdermal patches, but rather phototherapy patches that create biochemical changes in your body. You are the battery that charges them. Throughout this program, you will be using specific patches over acupoints chosen to support your follicle development, ovaries, and uterine health. This protocol repairs damaged cells affecting egg quality and provides the energy necessary for follicle development.

Our bodies emit heat in the form of infrared light. Using a patented, proprietary form of phototherapy, LifeWave patches utilize your body’s heat and reflect different wavelengths of light depending on the patch. This process stimulates the nerves on the surface of the skin, which causes biochemical and physiological changes that produce specific health benefits and support the body’s natural ability to heal itself.

Note: You have been prescribed specific patch types based on the results of the “What’s My Perfect Patch?” questionnaire. If you have any questions about the recommended patches or regimen, please reach out to me directly. 

*Michael R. Hamblin, Ph.D., is a principal investigator at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, an associate professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School, and a member of the affiliated faculty of the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Science and Technology. His research interests lie in the areas of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for infections, cancer, and stimulation of the immune system and in low-level light therapy or photobiomodulation for wound healing, traumatic brain injuries, neurodegenerative diseases, and psychiatric disorders. He directs a laboratory of around a dozen postdoctoral fellows, visiting scientists, and graduate students. His research program is supported by the NIH, CDMRP, USAFOSR, and CIMIT, among other funding agencies. He has published more than 340 peer-reviewed articles and more than 150 conference proceedings, book chapters, and international abstracts and holds 8 patents. He is an associate editor and editorial board member on numerous journals and serves on NIH study sections. For the past several years, Dr. Hamblin has chaired the annual conference at SPIE Photonics West entitled “Mechanisms for photobiomodulation therapy” and has edited proceedings, volumes, and major textbooks on PDT and photomedicine. In 2011 Dr. Hamblin was honored by election as a fellow of SPIE.