The Healing Power of Green

The first clinical trial for green light therapy showed real benefits for people with migraine.

Winter 2020
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Mohab Ibrahim

Thanks to research at the University of Arizona, new help is available for those who experience migraine headaches. The research found that green light therapy reduced the frequency and intensity of migraines and improved quality of life for migraine patients.

“This is really exciting. Now I have another tool in my toolbox to treat one of the most difficult neurological conditions — migraine,” says lead study author Mohab Ibrahim (pictured), an associate professor in the UArizona College of Medicine – Tucson’s anesthesiology, pharmacology and neurosurgery departments and director of the Chronic Pain Management Clinic.

Ibrahim and co-author Amol Patwardhan have been studying the effects of green light exposure for several years.

Study participants tracked the number of headaches they experienced and the intensity of those headaches as well as quality of life measurements such as the ability to sleep or to perform work. Overall, green light exposure reduced the number of monthly headache days by an average of about 60%. None of the study participants reported any side effects of green light exposure.

 

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