UNLV Football Cuts Injuries With $12,000 Light Chambers

Four red light therapy chambers now occupy the recovery room inside UNLV football's training facility. Each unit cost $12,000, and the program funded them through private donations.

The devices use red and near-infrared light in a process called photobiomodulation. Fred Donnell, the head football athletic trainer, said the team introduced the technology a few months ago with two main goals. The first is to warm up player tissue before practice to prevent injuries. The second is to reduce delayed onset muscle soreness after workouts.

Donnell says the results have been immediate. He noted that the team's injury rate has decreased compared to the same point last year. This change allows more players to practice without setbacks. He described the benefit as helping the staff out tenfold.

"So this time last year, our rate of injury has actually decreased, which has been great for us, right? Because now we’re able to get more guys practicing," Donnell said.

Red light technology has existed since the late 1960s, but its application in football is gaining attention. A new study from the University of Utah and BYU, published in the Journal of Neurotrauma, found that the therapy can help protect players from brain inflammation caused by repetitive head impacts.

Although the devices are not yet approved by the FDA, Donnell believes the research supports their use. He expects to see more facilities adopting the treatment as the science continues to develop. The football program is also considering red light helmets in the near future.

"My staff and I get paid to make sure that our guys are returning to the field in a timely manner but also safely, right? And to be able to have this technology here for us helps us do our jobs," Donnell said.