Prungo Red Light Therapy Modules Review

Prungo Red Light Therapy Modules Review

Prungo Red Light Therapy Modules
Grade: B-
Teacher’s Comments: The modules seem to work. The straps to attach them, on the other hand, are a disaster.

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Prungo’s Red Light Therapy Modules arrived for review in the nick of time, as I had been suffering for some time from “golf elbow.”

I’m pretty sure I got the tendonitis as a result of regular practice sessions at a golf simulator this past winter. Even with high-end mats, repeatedly hitting balls off a platform probably isn’t the best thing for a guy my age.

However, after several weeks of using the Prungo therapy modules regularly, I’m pleased to report that the pain has largely gone away. Indeed, from the first usage, I felt almost immediate, albeit initially temporary relief. The pain went away for hours.

I zapped my forearms again the next day, and again on any day when I felt the golfer’s elbow pain. Each time, I felt some immediate relief, and the intervals between red light therapy module use lengthened.

At this point, I’m feeling quite good.

Now here’s where I offer all the appropriate disclaimers: 1) that it is entirely possible that the golfer’s elbow just went away on its own 2) that switching from regular indoor practice to regular play on grass was enough to reduce the pain 3) that the arm braces I have worn when engaging in other activities, like yardwork or my kettlebell workouts have done their part 4) that there’s more than a little bit of the placebo effect at work here and 5) that I am not a physician, so you should consult with your own before buying or using these.

Still for all those caveats, I think there’s something to the efficacy of the red light modules.

The theory behind the modules is that the infrared light helps muscle and joint pain by nudging cells’ energy systems, dampening inflammation, and supporting tissue repair rather than by heating tissue or “fixing” damage directly. I found a meta review of studies at the US National Library of Medicine that suggests the red light therapy has some scientific validity.

The package has three rechargeable modules in a case with a couple of straps for hanging them to various body parts.

To use the modules, press the power on, then use the other button to select the strength of the session. As far as I can tell, the “strength” is simly how long the modules are on: mild is 8 minutes; mid is fifteen; and strong is twenty. I’ve found that the batteries on the modules last for two of the “strong” sessions.

The straps are the weakness of the product. They are fiddly and awkward. I can never quite get them positioned correctly. Plastic tabs on the ends of the straps slide into grooves on the modules. That part is easy enough, but every combination of the straps are either too small, or too large. I’m an average-sized, relatively fit dude, so I’m not sure who Prungo tested these on.

They need a redesign to make them easier and more practical to use.

On the other hand, the charging case is neat. It has a 5000mAh battery, which Prungo says will recharge a module up to five times. The case itself charges with a USB C cable. A zipper seals the entire thing up, along with the straps.

I have not timed the recharge time on the modules, but I’m not doing a continuous series of treatments, so recharging overnight has worked fine.

Straps aside, I think the design and function of the Prungo Red Light Therapy Modules are excellent. Red light therapy is definitely going to be part of my arsenal (along with ice packs and motrin) to keep me playing throughout the season.

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