Whether you're training for your next big race, lifting weights at the gym, or simply staying active with daily movement, one thing is clear: recovery is where real progress happens. The faster and more efficiently your body can recover, the sooner you can return to doing what you love stronger and more resilient than before.
That’s where Celluma Light Therapy steps in. Designed using red and near-infrared wavelengths, Celluma’s Pain Mode is a non-invasive, FDA-cleared solution that supports your body’s natural recovery mechanisms both before and after workouts. Trusted by athletes, trainers, chiropractors, and wellness professionals around the world, Celluma is quickly becoming an essential recovery tool in any fitness or wellness routine.
What Is Celluma Pain Mode?
Celluma’s Pain Mode is specifically engineered to target discomfort, reduce inflammation, and accelerate healing at the cellular level. The mode is red (640nm) and near-infrared (880nm) dominate but also contains a small amount of blue light. This combination of light penetrates deep into muscles and joints to support healing and regeneration without drugs, downtime, or invasive procedures.
Let’s explore how it works and why it’s a game-changer for pre- and post-workout recovery.
How LED Light Therapy Works to Treat Pain
To understand why Celluma works so well, it helps to know a bit about the science behind LED light therapy, also known as low-level light therapy (LLLT) or photobiomodulation. When red and near-infrared light penetrates the skin, it stimulates the mitochondria, the “powerhouses” of your cells, to produce more adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy your cells use to repair and function.
Red (600–700nm) and near-infrared (700–1000nm) light penetrate deep into tissue and are absorbed by cytochrome c oxidase (CCO), a key enzyme in the mitochondrial respiratory chain responsible for producing ATP (cellular energy).
What happens to cells under stress or injury?
- Nitric oxide binds to cytochrome c oxidase, inhibiting its function.
- This reduces ATP production and increases oxidative stress.
What happens when red & NIR light photos stimulate CCO:
- Red/NIR light displaces the bound nitric oxide from cytochrome c oxidase.²
- This frees up the enzyme, allowing normal ATP production to resume.
- Nitric oxide is released into the surrounding tissues.² ³
Released nitric oxide performs several pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory actions:
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✅ Vasodilation - Nitric oxide relaxes blood vessel walls, improving circulation and oxygen delivery. Better blood flow helps remove metabolic waste and reduce inflammation.³
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✅ Reduction in Inflammatory Cytokines - Nitric oxide and light therapy modulate inflammatory signaling pathways (like NF-kB), reducing pain-related inflammation.⁴
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✅ Analgesic Effect - Nitric oxide interacts with nerve endings and modulates pain transmission by reducing excitability of nociceptors (pain receptors).⁴ ⁵
Here’s what happens during and after a light therapy session:
- Increased Cellular Energy (ATP): More ATP allows cells to perform better and repair tissue damage faster.
- Enhanced Microcirculation: Blood flow increases, delivering more oxygen and nutrients to tissues while removing metabolic waste.
- Reduction of Inflammatory Markers: Light therapy reduces the production of cytokines and other inflammation-related chemicals in the body.
- Collagen & Elastin Production: Collagen synthesis is stimulated, improving joint and connective tissue repair.
This combination makes red and near-infrared light therapy a safe and effective tool for treating both acute and chronic musculoskeletal pain, whether it stems from a workout, a long-term injury, or daily physical stress.
According to a review published in The Lancet, low-level light therapy has demonstrated significant pain relief in conditions like tendinopathy, neck pain, and joint disorders.¹
Pre-Workout Benefits of Light Therapy
Incorporating light therapy before your workout can help your body prepare for movement more efficiently, reducing your risk of strain and increasing performance.
- Boosts Circulation Before Activity: Celluma’s red light increases vascular dilation and blood flow, helping more oxygen reach your muscles. This makes it easier for your body to move, react, and perform from the very first rep or step.
- Loosens Tight Muscles and Joints: Got stiffness from a previous workout or a long day at your desk? Light therapy can help relax tight muscle fibers, making warm-ups more effective and reducing your risk of injury.
- Improves Flexibility and Range of Motion: Using Celluma before movement supports greater joint mobility and tissue elasticity, so you can stretch deeper, lift with more control, and move more freely.
Post-Workout Recovery with Light Therapy
Recovery is where your body repairs microtears, rebuilds muscle, and adapts to your training. With light therapy you can speed up that process and get back to peak performance sooner.
- Reduces Muscle Soreness (DOMS): Delayed onset muscle soreness is a natural part of challenging your muscles, but it doesn’t have to slow you down. Studies show that light therapy can significantly reduce muscle soreness after intense exercise by minimizing inflammation and oxidative stress
- Accelerates Healing of Muscle Microtears: Exercise causes tiny tears in your muscle fibers, which need time and nutrients to heal. With increased ATP production, light therapy helps your body repair damaged tissues faster, allowing for quicker recovery between sessions.
- Relieves Joint and Muscle Pain: If you struggle with chronic joint discomfort, overuse injuries, or acute soreness, light therapy can be an effective drug-free pain management tool. Near-infrared light penetrates deep to reduce nerve sensitivity and promote tissue repair, offering relief that feels both immediate and lasting.
- Decreases Inflammation Naturally: Light therapy helps regulate the body’s inflammatory response, reducing swelling and discomfort while supporting faster healing, making it especially useful for athletes, aging bodies, or anyone prone to overuse injuries.
Why Celluma Stands Out
- FDA-Cleared for Pain Relief: Backed by clinical data and cleared for use on muscle and joint pain, arthritis, and muscle strains.
- Trusted by Professionals Worldwide: Used by physical therapists, chiropractors, acupuncturists, plastic surgeons, and sports medicine professionals in over 100+ countries.
- Patented, Flexible, Hands-Free Design: Easy to use at home, on the go, or even at the gym. Just wrap it around the target area and relax. The shapeable design allows for close proximity to the skin for optimal results.
- Non-Invasive and Drug-Free: No side effects, no downtime, and no harsh chemicals just safe, natural light.
Real Recovery, Real Results
Celluma isn’t just about pain relief; it’s about optimizing your performance and longevity. Whether you’re recovering from a tough lifting session, working through a chronic injury, or simply looking to stay mobile as you age, light therapy can support your goals without disrupting your lifestyle.
Explore our full Pain & Recovery Collection to find the device that fits your routine. Want to see how Celluma helps with other wellness goals too? Check out our anti-aging and body contouring collections to build a full-body wellness regimen.
Show Us Your Results Have you used Celluma to support your workouts or manage pain? We’d love to see your progress! Share your before and after photos here and inspire others in the Celluma community.
References
¹ Glazov, G., Yelland, M., & Emery, J. (2016). Low-level laser therapy for chronic non-specific low back pain: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
² Hamblin, M.R. & Demidova, T.N. (2006) Mechanisms of low level light therapy
³ Farivar, S., Malekshahabi, T., & Shiari, R. (2014) Biological effects of low level laser therapy
⁴ Karu, T. (2005) Mitochondrial signaling in mammalian cells activated by red and near-IR radiation
⁵ Chung, H., Dai, T., Sharma, S.K., et al. (2012) The Nuts and Bolts of Low-level Laser (Light) Therapy
