Summary: In a new study, patients who wore green eyeglasses were less likely to have anxiety and had milder fibromyalgia symptoms. Fibromyalgia and anxiety are common. Anxiety causes too much worry. Fibromyalgia causes chronic pain along with mood problems. Both are hard to treat. Daily medicine may help, but it causes many side effects. Studies show that drug-free treatments may help. Light therapy may make these conditions less severe. A new study shows that wearing green glasses may help people living with chronic pain and distress.
Anxiety specialists see anxiety as a common problem that most people feel at some point. But some people have it most of the time. For them, it becomes disabling, because they are always worried. Anxiety often comes from a threat that feels real, not a real problem.
Fibromyalgia is even more complex, and it is still poorly understood. People with fibromyalgia have constant chronic pain, fatigue, and mood problems. Doctors now know fibromyalgia comes from certain changes in the brain.
Drugs that calm the nerves may help with anxiety. People with fibromyalgia may need several drugs to manage different symptoms, including chronic pain and mood problems.
But no treatment can cure these conditions. Drugs can only make the symptoms of anxiety and fibromyalgia less severe. So people with these conditions have to keep taking drugs. And long-term drug use raises the risk of side effects.
So doctors keep looking for drug-free ways to manage anxiety and fibromyalgia. Studies show that many supplements may help. But people with fibromyalgia and anxiety may also benefit from therapies that use no substance at all. One therapy that may ease fibromyalgia and anxiety is light therapy.
It is no secret that colors affect mood. Some colors excite us, and others calm us. Cool colors like blue and green calm the brain. Humans evolved surrounded by these colors.
But modern life has upset these old patterns. For example, people today spend less time in bright sunlight, under the sky, or in the woods. These lifestyle changes add to the risk of mood disorders and even fibromyalgia. Now the new study shows that a simple step of wearing green glasses may help reduce anxiety and fibromyalgia severity.
Early studies have shown that green light helps with anxiety and fibromyalgia. For example, in 2021, researchers from the University of Arizona enrolled 21 people. They exposed them to green light for 1-2 hours a day for 10 weeks. This eased anxiety and other fibromyalgia symptoms.
But spending a couple of hours under green light may not be possible for most people. They lack the time. So researchers tested green-tinted eyeglasses. They found that these glasses may help lower anxiety. They presented their findings at the annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists.
The study enrolled 22 patients. Of them, 10 wore blue sunglasses and 12 wore green eyeglasses. The people wearing green eyeglasses were less likely to have anxiety and had milder fibromyalgia symptoms.
Interestingly, pain scores were not much different between the groups. But those who wore green glasses were less likely to use opioids. Most people in the study said green glasses helped them.
These findings open the door to more studies. Light therapy is good for migraines, depression, and many other conditions with chronic pain. Light therapy may also help manage diabetic neuropathy. Researchers think bigger clinical trials are needed, because light therapy has no side effects and is easy to use.
The Bottom Line
Padda Institute of Pain Management treats fibromyalgia and anxiety. Our specialists focus on the problems underneath to give you full treatment and relief.
Frequently asked questions
Do green glasses help with anxiety?
Yes, in one small study of people with fibromyalgia. The study was presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. Of 22 patients, 12 wore green eyeglasses and 10 wore blue sunglasses. Those wearing green were less likely to have anxiety and had milder fibromyalgia symptoms. Most said they felt a benefit. It was a small study, so researchers are calling for larger trials.
Do green glasses reduce fibromyalgia pain?
Not directly by the numbers. In the eyeglasses study, pain scores were about the same in the green and blue groups. What changed was how people coped with the pain. The patients wearing green glasses were less likely to use opioids. They also reported less anxiety and milder fibromyalgia symptoms overall. That points to green light easing the distress that comes with chronic pain.
What is green light therapy for fibromyalgia?
It is a drug-free treatment that exposes a person to green light. In a 2021 University of Arizona study, 21 people sat under green light for 1-2 hours a day for 10 weeks. Their anxiety and other fibromyalgia symptoms eased. Few people can spare two hours a day. So researchers then tested green-tinted eyeglasses as a simpler way to get the same exposure.
What calms down fibromyalgia?
Medicines can calm the nerves and ease pain and mood symptoms. But none of them cures fibromyalgia. So people often take several drugs long term and face their side effects. That is why doctors keep looking for drug-free options. Some supplements may help. Light therapy, including green light and green-tinted glasses, has eased anxiety and fibromyalgia symptoms in early studies.
Dr. Gurpreet Singh Padda, MD, MBA, MHP
