Light therapy has been used for centuries to promote diverse health benefits such as mood disorders, jaundice or fatigue. Think how better do you feel after staying a few minutes under the sun. Recent studies have shown that direct exposure to light was able to promote normal functioning of your circadian rhythm, also known as our internal clock, which results in improvement in mood, sleep pattern, and energy levels.
Further studies showed that light also had the capability to stimulate our mitochondria (the power cells of our body) for better fueling of our cells and speeding up healing process whether after a sport injuries, inflammation caused by overuse, or tissue damages.
The key is the frequency of the light emitted. Light spreads in waves, and depending on which length those wave are spreading will have different effects on different tissues in the body. In out clinic we use frequencies that are in the infrared and near-infrared domain, which is extremely beneficial to optimize our metabolism. Because it is used at a low level intensity, this treatment is totally safe, yet very effective. When applied to the head, light therapy can indeed go through the skull and affect the brain, which speed up recovery after a post-concussive syndrome, stroke, or simply to stimulate underactive areas of the brain.
To learn more: http://www.dr-tanaka.com/blog/low-level-light-therapy-myths-and-benefits