By Tapp Francke Ingolia
The new kid on the block in wellness therapies sounds more like a Disney movie than a healing device. Developed by Martin Bales, L.Ac., DAOM, Firefly from Bales Photonics offers the powerful combination of frequency and multispectrum light therapy. Building on technology developed and utilized by NASA, Firefly’s light therapy is used for pain, neurological disorders, immune disorders and pathogen issues. Firefly wields powerful waves of light to penetrate the skin, tissue and surrounding nerves to help treat soft-tissue injuries, reduce pain, promote wound healing and ameliorate chronic conditions.
The combination of light and frequency therapy, known as photobiomodulation, permeates the skin, allowing deep access to the body. This light-delivery system may be able to help boost the immune system, increase nitric oxide, mitochondrial function, blood flow and lymphatic movement, and heal the lining of the gut. Jess Arden, a certified light therapist and a patient of photobiomodulation before she became a practitioner, describes her experience with Firefly as “transformational. I was living with Hashimoto’s disease (chronic thyroiditis) for 10 years before finding Firefly,” she says. “With the help of this device, I was able to bring it into remission.”
Firefly utilizes over eight wavelengths or colors—two bands of near infrared, three bands of red and three bands of blue—making it significantly more powerful than the majority of light devices on the market. Blue wavelengths focus on superficial skin issues such as burns, wounds and cuts; they stimulate the lymphatic system for better flow. The red wavelengths were found to be good for permeating an inch for subdermal injuries or myofascial use. Near-infrared light has been shown to permeate the skin by around 8 inches, allowing lights to reach most internal organs.
Exciting new data from preclinical studies and small pilot studies indicate that photobiomodulation (including near-infrared) light therapy may be able to reverse the symptoms of central nervous system disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Extensive research also documents pain relief from all types of inflammatory diseases and injuries. Additional studies are being conducted to assess photobiomodulation’s effect on traumatic brain injury, as well as its ability to help clear the body of pathogens, parasites, viruses and bacteria.
A Firefly session is simple and painless. First, the patient is scanned using F-scan software. Based on data received, the Firefly light therapy is applied to the gut and then to other parts of the body, depending on need and desired outcome. Most sessions last between 15 and 30 minutes. For best results, patients typically get treatments twice weekly, over a period of four weeks.
Arden’s favorable experience with the device inspired her to become a certified Firefly practitioner and help fellow Hamptonites experience a similar transformation. “The Firefly may be small, but it’s mighty.” Arden says. “For people with autoimmune issues, chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, neurological decline, Lyme disease and long COVID, it can be a game changer.”
Firefly light therapy is available at STANDwellness in Water Mill; standwellness.com