Migraine and Green - a satisfying combination
Migraines for some are all too common, last too long, and can be debilitating. Is photobiomodulation with green light a potential remedy? Could green light actually help in reducing the symptoms and the pain of migraines? Read on.
Good news!!
According to some studies, green light might actually be your best friend! A paper published in 2016 showed that:
"that green light exacerbates migraine headache significantly less than white, blue, amber or red lights ........ Additionally, the findings provide substrate for the soothing effects of green light"
This is good news for migraine sufferers, a light source that will not aggrevate the symptoms but actually soothe the symptoms. 
How does this work?
Well all light generates electrical activity at the back of the eyes - research shows that green activates these electrical pathways the least of any colour. In a sense, it works by calming your brain and the signals it is received. A further paper from 2017 suggests that green light can go beyond simply not activating those pathways which can cause photophobia, and actually help with the way body perceives pain by concluding
"green LED therapy may represent a novel, nonpharmacological approach for managing pain."
The added benefit of the green light therapy was that the effects lasted up to 4 days. Although the research volume is small - the initial results seem promising. A further study in 2020 took 29 migraine patients and tested them using white light versus green light. They found that participants reported getting 60% less headaches when using the green light. One of the most encouraging things about this latest study is that 28 of 29 participants wanted to keep the green lights after the study was finished.
These studies, although small could point to a non-invasive method that could dramatically reduce the pain, discomfort and overall burden of migraine episodes for sufferers.
Green light is definitely worth a look.
References:
1. https://academic.oup.com/brain/article/139/7/1971/2464334
2. https://journals.lww.com/pain/Abstract/2017/02000/Long_lasting_antinociceptive_effects_of_green.19.aspx
3. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0333102420956711