Differences in Light Bulb Therapy

Light Bulb Therapy--more properly known as phototherapy--is a common treatment for a number of ailments. These range from mood disorders to sterilization of the skin or tissue to inducing vitamin D production. Before doing phototherapy, talk to your doctor about what is and is not appropriate for your condition. Most of the differences in types of light bulb therapy are driven by the kind of light given.

Visible Light for Mood Disorders

• The most common medically prescribed light bulb therapy is used for treatment of mood disorders. The human body produces melatonin, a brain chemical, in response to bright light, particularly light that matches the color and spectrum of natural daylight. Many people treat mild depression and seasonal affective disorder by sitting next to a light box. Those boxes produce a very bright light source that matches many of the parts of solar spectrum and focuses heavily on blue wavelengths believed to be the most effective for this.

Infrared for Muscle Tension and Healing

• Most people are familiar with infrared rays more commonly from heat lamps. The human skin is somewhat transparent to infrared rays, and infrared light bulb therapy is used to soothe muscle aches and is thought by some to help promote the healing of muscle tissue. It's also believed to improve circulation and is known to reduce certain types of muscle and tendon pain.

Ultra-violet Light for Cancer Treatment & Other Therapies

• While the most common therapeutic use of ultra-violet light bulbs is the tanning bed, ultra-violet light sources are also used in doctors' offices for blood work and in conjunction with ozone for photo-oxidation treatments. These treatments are used to adjust the metabolism of a patient to help clear waste products and boost the immune system. Certain types of skin penetrating ultra-violet lights are also used to attack cancer cells close to the skin. Ultra-violet light therapies are performed in a doctor's office.