Yes. A new study shows that exposing migraine patients to green light for a couple of hours a day significantly cuts the number of headache days and improves quality of life. It works on top of the long drug therapy often needed for migraine headache relief. Migraine is the most common type of headache, and it affects one in five adults in the US. Migraines can be quite severe and often cause real disability. People with the condition also have migraine attacks. These attacks may last a few hours or even several days. The pain also varies in strength. Migraine has many causes. For example, it might come from changes in blood vessels, irritated peripheral nerves, and more. Migraine is also complex because, in most cases, there are some changes in the brain. Studies suggest that about 75% of people with migraine do not have an aura, and another 25% have an aura, such as seeing flashing lights. Since migraine is a complex neurological disorder, most attacks build slowly, and people can often feel one coming. Migraine cannot be cured, but you can prevent migraine headaches and treat the pain. Some people may also gain a lot from drugs. Drugs may cut the number of attacks and make them less severe. Still, every migraine patient is different. What worked for one may not work for another. Likewise what can prevent migraine1 headaches in one person may not stop them in others. Many cluster headache specialists say there are dozens of known migraine triggers, like stress, hormone changes, food, weather changes, neck pain, smoking, and many more.
Migraine headaches are very common and hard to treat because the condition has so many causes. The causes and triggers differ from patient to patient. Still, studies show that stress, weather changes, and hormone problems are among the leading causes of migraine.
Does green light help with migraines?
Because the condition takes so many forms, doctors struggle to find the right treatment. Even when doctors find the right drug, a patient often must take it for a long time or for life. Taking painkillers for a long time has many problems. Most drugs used to prevent migraine are quite toxic and may cause many side effects over time. And the long-term safety of every treatment is unclear. Even taking supplements like magnesium for a long time may cause side effects. Still, some treatments are very safe, like massage therapy and mindfulness. Since stress is a leading trigger, many drug-free methods prove to be the best migraine relief in preventing headaches1. Light therapy could be one such safe and effective way to prevent migraine attacks. It is no secret that more exposure to certain kinds of light may lower stress and even lift mood. So in the study, researchers enrolled 29 adults with migraine. Seven of them had episodic headaches, and 22 had chronic migraine. Researchers used white and green LED lights. They first exposed the patients to white light for 1-2 hours a day for 10 weeks and studied the results. Then there was a 2-week break. Then the same patients sat in green light for 1-2 hours a day for another 10 weeks. Both kinds of light helped. But green light helped significantly more. White light also cut the number of headache days, but the gain from green light was huge. Green light cut headache days by more than half. People in green light also felt much better. They reported a better quality of life, less anxiety, and less stress. So researchers concluded that green light cannot replace drug therapy, but it can help cut the use of drugs. The light treatment was also fully safe and caused no side effects. Light therapy is also fine for long-term use. But, of course, its long-term impact remains to be seen. The Bottom Line Padda Institute Of Pain Management has some of the well-known cluster headache specialists. We build unique plans to give you the best migraine headache relief.
Frequently asked questions
What color light is most effective for migraines?
In this study, green. Researchers exposed 29 adults with migraine to white light for 10 weeks and took a 2-week break. Then they exposed the same patients to green light for another 10 weeks. White light cut headache days, but green light cut them by more than half. It also eased anxiety and stress.
How long should you use green light for migraines?
Patients in the study sat in green light for 1 to 2 hours a day for 10 weeks. The light came from light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The benefit built over weeks of daily use. So think of it as a prevention routine that lowers the number of headache days, not a quick fix for a single attack.
Does green light therapy have side effects?
None were reported. The light treatment in the study was safe, caused no side effects and is fine for long-term use. That compares well with many migraine prevention drugs, which can cause many side effects over time. The open question is the long-term impact, which has not been studied yet.
Can green light therapy replace migraine medication?
No. The researchers concluded that green light cannot replace drug therapy. But it can help cut how much medicine a patient uses. That matters, because many migraine drugs must be taken for a long time or for life. Green light belongs alongside other safe, drug-free options such as massage and mindfulness.
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Dr. Gurpreet Singh Padda, MD, MBA, MHP
