Light therapy falls into the category of mild and non-invasive medicines. It is therefore rarely argued against. However, some cases exist where it is preferable to not carry out a light therapy treatment without a medical opinion. Here they are:
Counter-arguments of light therapy
Retinal damage
- Retinopathy
- Retinitis pigmentosa
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Macular degeneration
- Glaucoma
However, it is necessary to keep in mind that the medical field lacks clinical data to establish definitively that this pertains to a real counter-argument and which rather requires caution regarding light therapy treatment. If you are concerned by one of the pathologies listed above, we recommend in any case to seek a medical opinion before thinking about light therapy.
Bi-polar depression
Scientific literature generally recommends that bipolar people avoid light therapy during their manic phase. Indeed, there is a risk of accentuating the symptoms.
On the other hand, light therapy may have a life-saving anti-depressive effect during the patient’s depressive phase. It is therefore recommended to carry out a light therapy session at midday rather than in the morning, to avoid falling into the manic phase.
In any case, it is advised to use a mood stabilizer to avoid swaying from one state to the other.
