Blocked Fallopian Tubes and Red Light Therapy

You might be asking yourself, “How did my fallopian tubes get blocked, exactly what is blocking my tubes, and what’s causing it?”

Blocked fallopian tubes are one of the most common reasons women struggle with infertility, about 25% to 35% of women facing infertility in the U.S. discover that damage or blockages in their tubes are part of the problem. Many people have no idea this is going on until they start exploring fertility testing. Red light therapy seems to be everywhere on social media these days but could it help with a issue as specific and challenging as blocked tubes? Can specific wavelengths of light physically change what’s happening inside your tubes?

If you've been trying for a while you may have been prescribed a hysterosalpingogram (HSG). It's basically like an X-ray to view the uterus and fallopian tubes with a special dye. Getting a diagnosis of TFI in one or both tubes can be very difficult to come to terms with. Antibiotics may help if there's infection causing inflammation, laproscopic surgery may be an option and/or IVF.

But red light therapy may be a gentle non-invasive way to ‘clear the pipes’ given what we know about how PBM works.

“While emerging evidence is promising, robust clinical trials directly evaluating PBM for fallopian tube blockages are still lacking.”

Fallopian Tube Blockage

What’s Going On with Fallopian Tube Blockages?

So, what’s happening inside those tiny tubes? Often, it starts with your body’s natural response to an infection, trauma, or just inflammation. When healing goes sideways, maybe after an infection or another injury, the immune system sends out repair signals. Instead of a smooth recovery, the immune system can go overboard, telling special cells called fibroblasts to lay down layers of sticky scar tissue, mainly made from collagen fibers (types I and III) and other proteins like fibronectin and laminin. This is similar to what happens in Asherman syndrome, a condition marked by scar tissue inside the uterus.

Immune cells like macrophages and T cells rush to the scene, releasing chemical messengers (cytokines such as TGF-β, TNF-α, IL-1, and IL-6) that drive more scarring and inflammation (exactly what we don’t want!). The fallopian tubes have their own unique immune environment, meant to keep out infections but also to allow sperm and eggs to meet. When this balance is upset, pro-inflammatory and pro-scarring signals start to dominate, leading to thick, rigid adhesions.

Here’s the thing: fallopian tubes are incredibly thin and delicate, less than 1mm wide in parts, widening to at most 6mm in the ampulla (the section where fertilization usually happens). This means even a small amount of scar tissue can be enough to block the entire tube, stopping eggs and sperm from ever meeting.

So where does photobiomodulation (PBM, or red light therapy) fit in? While we don’t have direct clinical studies yet on PBM for unblocking fallopian tubes PBM has shown real promise for reducing scar tissue and inflammation in other parts of the body. PBM works by bringing near-infrared (NIR) light deep into tissues. These special wavelengths of light energy boost cell activity, encourage tissue repair, and help balance the immune response. Specifically, PBM can:

• Slow down the overproduction of collagen, helping to prevent or soften scars.

• Stimulate enzymes that break down excess scar tissue.

• Quiet down pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic messengers (like those cytokines), dialing back chronic inflammation.

• Shift immune cells toward a healing, rather than damaging, mode.

The thinness of the fallopian tubes actually makes them excellent candidates for PBM, since the light can more easily reach the tubal tissue, especially when used over the lower abdomen or with an internal device.

While more targeted research is needed, there’s strong biological logic, and growing evidence from other tissues that PBM may help dissolve scar tissue, calm aggressive inflammation, and potentially restore blocked tubes to a healthier state.

How Could We Even Get Light to the Fallopian Tubes?

It’s a fair question, the fallopian tubes are tucked deep inside the pelvis, so how could light possibly reach them? While we can’t shine a flashlight directly on them, red and near-infrared (NIR) light have a special ability to penetrate through skin and tissue. With the right wavelengths and enough time, some of that light energy can travel several centimeters deep, potentially reaching the pelvic area where the tubes sit.

At Home: Targeted Light Over the Lower Abdomen and Inside the Pelvis

One common approach is simply placing a therapeutic light device, like the Fringe internal wand internally (intravaginally). By gently placing the wand inside, you’re able to bring therapeutic red or near-infrared light much closer to the pelvic organs, including the fallopian tubes. This can potentially deliver stronger and more focused light energy to the area that needs it most and/or combine with the NovaaLab laser, over the lower abdomen. These devices give off specific wavelengths of red/NIR light known to support circulation, calm inflammation, and boost cell energy. You’re not ‘blasting’ the tubes directly; we’re sending energy into the pelvic region to encourage natural repair processes. (You can check out my recommended devices, free fertility protocols and discount codes here).

Professional-Level Treatment

For those who want a stronger, more precisely dosed option, in my Solasta clinic in Central Texas I offer professional-grade PBM laser services. Or if you’re not a good candidate for surgery/repeated antibiotics. These systems deliver higher-quality, medical-standard light therapy in carefully designed protocols, which can be ideal if you’re looking for more targeted, faster acting support than home devices can provide.

What PBM Might Mean for You:

A healthier pelvic environment for conception.

Less pain and inflammation.

A gentle, non-invasive therapy that supports your body’s natural healing processes.

It’s amazing how promising this therapy is for reproductive health - and we’ve just scratched the surface.

Tracy

Resources:

https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/photob.2023.0123

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8803692/

https://dupuytrens.org/DupPDFs/2016_Marques.pdf