Review (5/5): So Far, So Good
I bought LightStim for Pain to help with arthritis that developed in my knees after an accident. The right knee healed fairly well, no pain, just a little stiffness, and I can easily live with that. The left knee, however, has severe pain in one area. Cortisone injections help, but that help doesn't last long, and it sometimes weakens the muscles until it wears off, and I believe the muscle weakness is worse than the pain. It's certainly more debilitating. I was tired of taking so much Tylenol, even though I always kept my dose way below what is toxic to the liver.
One morning, I woke very early, and even though I'd taken Tylenol the night before, my left knee was really hurting. I cleansed it, then used my LightStim on the affected area, 15 minutes on two areas. To my shock and surprise, the pain was gone. Now, I know the pain will return. One has to treat an injury for some length of time before the healing is permanent. But I do know LightStim is going to speed up the healing, and I'm doing other things to heal my knee as well, such as taking collagen, using BioSil in my morning orange juice to encourage my body to produce more of its own collagen, etc. But when I have to go out, to the hairdresser, to synagogue, to see friends, etc., I know I can do it with greatly reduced pain if I use the LightStim before I go. And, I try to walk at least 60 minutes a day. LightStim treatments help me walk a lot more easily than if I hadn't used it.
I really don't notice my skin getting warm when I use this device, but I do have to say that after a 30-minute treatment, the bulbs are warm, so I do think it's working. I just hold my device against my knee very gently. Don't press. That could hinder progress rather than help it.
I like the fact that LightStim uses a cord and that the bulbs are meant to last 100,000 hours. I also like the fact that we can use this device as often as desired. It does have an automatic 30-minute shut-off, and I don't use it right away again. I wait at least until the bulbs have cooled. No use tempting fate. I also like the fact that we don't need to apply any gel, etc. Just cleanse the area to be treated, plug in the light, and use it. (Make sure you cleanse the area to be treated. If you don't, any oil will simply reflect the light rather than allowing it to be absorbed.)
I do wish the light were a little bigger, though, so I could treat a larger area at one time, but this is a minor complaint. Also, the goggles that come with the device are mostly junk. Mine arrived broken, but I don't use goggles with red light anyway. Red light is an approved treatment for the eyes, although this device is not approved for eye treatments, and I've never worn goggles with my red light panel when I treat my hair. Don't look directly at the light, however. Not without your doctor's okay. That just wouldn't be a good idea. If you really want to wear googles, just invest in a really good pair, and make sure they block out all light. (If you can still see light with your eyes closed or with goggles on, you know the light is hitting your retinas.)
All-in-all, I really love my LightStim, and I'll be using it daily on my injured knee. It's allowed me to reduce the number of Tylenol I take, and, along with the other treatments I'm using, I hope some day soon, my healing will be permanent. (Still think I'd use the LightStim daily, just for good measure.)
Highly recommended.