Syntonic Phototherapy

There is an accumulating body of research highlighting the importance of light to our bodies but also light via our eyes!

We have seen the discoveries of photosensitive receptors all over our body. They can be likened to antennas. They pick up the wavelengths of light and convert it into nerve impulses for the body or brain to decode. These photoreceptor molecules are called Opsins.

Currently, Phototherapy is the hottest research topic in medicine. There are over 3,000 papers yearly on the topic. There is a specific field called Chronobiology dedicated to medicine in finding out the effect of Circadian rhythms on sleep and general health.

Current Phototherapies in medicine are – Photobiomodulation, Dynamic phototherapy, Chronobiology, Photopharmacology therapy, and Chronotherapy.

Phototherapy has been used for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), jaundice in babies, UV for psoriasis, Photosensitive drugs (Photofrin) and red light in cancer treatment. More recent studies in Ophthalmological papers for macular degeneration, glaucoma and myopia. Migraines and improvement in eyesight.

Exposure to certain colours has also been found to affect behaviour, mood, concentration, attention, memory, and physiological functions.

There are three ways light works with the body.

1] Phototransduction for picking up light and converting it into nerve impulses such as photoreceptors in the eye for vision – the Retinocortical pathway

2] Bio-Active pathway of light - nonvisual functions – the Retinohypothalamic pathway.

3] Biological effects directly on cell function. Such as photobiomodulation and dynamic phototherapy.

Since the early nineteen thirties (1930s), Optometrists have known about the nonvisual pathway, and Dr. Harry Riley Spitler developed Optometric Phototherapy Syntonics.

Optometric Phototherapy Syntonics is the branch of ocular science dealing with the application use of specific frequencies of light via the eyes to improve visual dysfunctions.

Syntonics is not used for the treatment of pathological conditions. Syntonics can be used for functional binocular dysfunctions as the primary treatment or to support other therapies to aid in the remediation of such dysfunctions as strabismus, amblyopia, accommodation, convergence, vision-related learning disorders and the visual sequelae of traumatic brain injury.

Patients are diagnosed by symptoms, vision evaluation, visual/motor performance, and peripheral vision sensitivity. They may have blurred vision, a crossed or lazy eye, double vision, or poor academic achievement. If appropriate, they are treated by way of their eyes with selected visible light frequencies seen as colours.

Optometric research published in the New England Journal of Medicine supports the theory that a temporal deficiency exists in the magnocellular pathway (transient vision system) of reading-disabled children. Efficient timing and interaction of the magnocellular pathway with the parvocellular (sustained) system appear to be crucial for efficient visual processing. Colour has been shown to affect the timing relationships of the dual pathway. This might explain why Syntonic practitioners report changes in their patients’ neuromotor and perceptual skills when neither movement nor practice has been initiated during phototherapy.