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As per a study presented at the annual ANESTHESIOLOGY conference, customized green eyewear has been made to reduce pain and anxiety for people facing fibromyalgia. These glasses are to be worn for a few hours a day which may lead to a reduced need for opioids by patients. As per resources, fibromyalgia has affected more than 4 million people in the U.S. alone.
Fibromyalgia is a condition that has become common nowadays and causes unbearable pain, fatigue, sleep apnea, and distress. It can also cause body aches, memory issues, constant pain in the head, etc. Some fibromyalgia sufferers are more sensitive to pain—especially those with arthritis who are diagnosed with this disease in their forties.
Color therapy also known as light therapy is based on the concept that color is integral in improving physical and mental health. Few research studies have been conducted in the past to support this claim that colors play a role in health improvement.
An author of the study stated:
“Green lenses reduced ‘fear of pain-related anxiety. While we do not fully understand the mechanism for this response and are currently studying it, the hypothesis is that our visual mediators respond more to green light when it comes to inhibiting the pain pathways.”
A California-based pain specialist Dr. Medhat Mikhael claims that green is the most calming color which helps to reduce anxiety, melancholy, and uneasiness. Green could be used in color therapy to alter the central nervous system, causing excitement and the release of some neuropeptides that can block pain and lessen the need for opioids.
The mechanism of pain and anxiety is somewhat similar. Additionally, the fear of pain aggravates anxiety and may result in the use of opioids. Opioids are the most common therapeutic option for those who suffer from extreme pain due to illness.
The study consisted of 34 patients having fibromyalgia, who were asked randomly to wear different eyewear for twenty-eight hours a week for two weeks, or four hours each day for two weeks. Ten participants wore blue lenses, twelve had clear lenses, and twelve wore green lenses.
According to studies, those wearing green spectacles were four times more likely to report lower levels of anxiety than the other groups, who said they experienced no such decrease. Most participants who wore the green spectacles said they felt better and requested permission to continue doing so after the trial was over. The green glasses were specially developed by scientists to block a particular wavelength of green light. The study further suggests that they discovered no change in the participants’ pain levels. But individuals who wore green eyewear took fewer painkillers, indicating that their pain was appropriately managed.
The green eyewear therapy was advised by the researchers for fibromyalgia patients. To determine whether lowering anxiety in persons with other chronic pain problems may be beneficial, researchers are presently researching people with these conditions.