Chromotherapy, or color therapy – does it work?

It was already practiced in ancient Egypt, China, India and Greece. According to our dating, chromotherapy was used as far back as 2,000 BC ¹ , and the ancients believed in the power of both light and color. The basic colors of red, blue and yellow were used as remedies for various diseases.

How does chromotherapy work?

Chromotherapy, despite emerging research on it, is still treated marginally by Western medicine . Basically, this type of therapy is about the fact that each color is a source of an electrical impulse that affects our brain and can stimulate our hormonal system and biochemical reactions in a specific way. Some colors are stimulating , while others have a calming effect . Therapists who work with colors believe that the lack of a specific color can cause specific ailments and be responsible for diseases.

How do certain colors affect us?

For example, red in chromotherapy is used to stimulate a person who feels tired or burnt out . However, this color is supposed to cause additional intensification in people who already feel a lot of tension , which is why it is used with caution in therapies.

Blue is used in the treatment of depression and pain . Darker shades are believed to have deeply calming properties, so they are recommended for people suffering from insomnia and other sleep disorders.

Green is supposed to help reduce stress and induce a relaxing mood, yellow is supposed to improve mood , and orange is supposed to be helpful in influencing appetite and mental activity .

Avicenna already knew about this effect of colors, who wrote that "color is a symptom of a disease that can be observed." He also created a whole table according to which he treated, which included colors associated with particular diseases. He believed that red moved the blood, and blue and white reduced pain and inflammation ² .

What does research say about chromotherapy?

Research conducted in 2015 shows that the use of chromotherapy may produce positive results in diseases such as certain types of cancer, hypertension, skin inflammation and depression. ³ . A 2019 study shows that chromotherapy can be an effective alternative therapy for students suffering from anxiety disorders. ⁴ .

What does color therapy look like in practice?

Depending on the effect you want to achieve, it may be directing light of different colors to specific parts of the body . Chromotherapy may also involve looking at a specific color of light or the entire room being lit with a specific shade. Chromotherapy is often used in combination with aromatherapy, massage or relaxing body treatments.

It is worth remembering that chromotherapy, although effective for some people suffering from various diseases, is not a universal treatment and should not be considered the only treatment method. Some people are more susceptible to colors, others less so. The best option will be to try chromotherapy as an addition to other activities aimed at helping us relax or cope with ailments.

Bibliography:

1. Azeemi ST, Raza SM. A critical analysis of chromotherapy and its scientific evolution. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med . 2005;2(4):481-488.
2. As above.
3. Samina T. Yousuf Azeemi, Mohsin Raza, " A Critical Analysis of Chromotherapy and Its Scientific Evolution ", Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine , vol. 2, Article ID 254639, 8 pages, 2005.
4. I Ifdil, RP Fadli, N Zola et all, “Chromotherapy: An alternative treatment for mathematics anxiety among elementary school students”, 2019 J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. 1175 012183.
5. Nancy DeVault, “How Color Therapy Benefits People with Disabilities,” August 5, 2019, America's Disability Community, ameridisability.com.
6. Toketego Ohwovoriole, “What Is Color Therapy?”, verywellmind.com, August 23, 2021.