More people are looking for ways to alleviate their aches and pain without the use of medication.
For some, meditation or a healthy diet might do the trick, but a handful of people in Collin County say they've discovered a "lighter" way to ease the pain.
At least four days a week, you'll see the Gabrillo Family in the waiting room at Xscape Pain in Frisco.
"When you first hear about it, you're like, uh, is this a miracle cure?" said customer Edward Gabrillo, who visited for the first time on the suggestion of his parents.
His mother, Erlinda Gabrillo, says when her friend first introduced her to photobiomodulation, she was skeptical too.
Photobiomodulation is a whole body light therapy device that uses red and near-infrared light to repair damaged cells beneath the skin to treat injuries, reduce pain, relax muscles/joints, and increase blood circulation.
Also known as Low Level Laser Therapy, photobiomodulation has been around for decades and, according to the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, utilizes the light energy (photons) to penetrate tissue where it interacts with chromophores located in cells, resulting in photophysical and photochemical changes that lead to alterations at the molecular, cellular and tissue levels of the body.
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Mechelle Wagner, manager at Xscape Pain, says simply put, the therapy repairs damaged cells to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in the body.
"When I would get in the bed for 15 minutes, I noticed that I was sitting longer, standing longer and just going about my life and I hadn't had any pain pills in a week," said Wagner.
Similar to a tanning bed, users lay down in the NovoTHOR light bed wearing little or no clothing, for 15-20 minutes. No heat is radiated from the lasers, therefore, body temperatures don't rise, though some sweating may occur.
Customers claim they feel better in as little as one treatment, but many "regulars" visit three to four times a week.
The FDA has cleared low-level laser devices for whole body pain and now, several store fronts have opened in North Texas, making it more accessible to the public.
CryoX in Grapevine is now advertising its new Prism Light Pod.
"Thousands of light beams penetrate the skin, carrying this cold-laser treatment into every cell in your body, speeding up healing 4-10 times the normal rate," stated the CryoX website.
The most commonly reported risk associated with red light therapy is potential damage to the eyes. Proper eye protection should always be used during therapy.
The cost may also be prohibitive. Single light bed treatments at Xscape Pain are $55.
The Gabrillos purchased a monthly $249 membership and feel the cost is worth the pain-free life.
"Especially when I'm at the restaurant with friends! You sit for a long time and, oh, when you get up, it's excrutiating pain! Now I get up, no pain!" said Erlinda.
