The Science and Clinical Application of Red Light Therapy in Sports Medicine

Description

The use of Red Light and Near Infrared light as a treatment and recovery tool has exploded recently, leaving many clinicians to play catch up on the mechanisms and science behind how and why it works. Specific wavelengths of light can be absorbed through the skin and into our visual field to trigger physiological changes in our body to effectively stimulate healing and repair. Red Light Therapy is a safe, effective, evidence-based treatment option for treating a wide range of medical conditions. This course will review mechanisms for RLT for its most evidence-based indications - reducing pain and inflammation, improving circulation, aiding recovery and performance, improved brain health and cognition, neurological condition treatments, improving sleep quality, managing mental health conditions, and improving collagen production and skin health. Contraindications and precautions with Red Light Therapy will also be reviewed.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Describe the historical uses of light therapy for health and healing
• Understand how photobiomodulation works and its potential uses for clinical/sports medicine settings
• Prescribe photobiomodulation parameters for injured patients to assist with their healing

Course Procedure

Instructor Bio:

Mitch Hauschildt, MA, ATC, CSCS serves as the Prevention, Rehab, and Physical Performance Coordinator at Missouri State University making him the leading expert on staff in the areas of injury prevention and rehabilitation.

At MSU, he utilizes his knowledge of performance enhancement and sports medicine to coordinate the rehab and injury prevention programs for all 21 varsity sports. Currently in his 18th year at MSU, he has also served as strength and conditioning coach for Men’s Basketball, Women’s Basketball, and Volleyball, as well as the athletic trainer for the highly competitive baseball team, track and field and softball.

Mitch is founder and president of Maximum Training Solutions, LLC, a full-service Sports Medicine and Sports Performance consultancy that he created to help coaches, trainers, therapists, and other health professionals and athletes to reach their full potential in their athletic related endeavors.

Over the years, Mitch has consulted with a variety of clients including universities, private physical therapy clinics, large market health systems, personal training studios, and high schools. Mitch has personally worked with thousands of athletes throughout his career. His clients have won world series rings, played in the NFL, NBA and MLS, and competed in the Olympics, but most importantly, they have achieved great personal success in local competitive events and leagues. Mitch is a noted speaker on both a regional and national level,and has been published multiple times in professional journals and coaching websites.