TechnologyIndia
A knee that has ached for years, and thirty quiet minutes
Persistent joint or lower-back pain quietly narrows what you’re willing to do. Curapod is a small wearable pod that delivers red and near-infrared light directly to the painful spot for about half an hour.
- MethodPhotobiomodulation, red and near-infrared
- Session lengthAbout 30 minutes
- Applied toOne area at a time, against skin
What it is
Curapod is a wearable pod that applies red and near-infrared light to one part of the body at a time. The method is called photobiomodulation: particular wavelengths of light are absorbed by the mitochondria inside cells, and the working theory is that this supports the cell’s own energy production.
It is the most conventional piece of equipment we run. Photobiomodulation has a larger published literature behind it than most of what sits in this building, and the device is registered with the Indian regulator. That does not make it a cure for anything, and we do not present it as one.
What a session is like
You sit or lie down and the pod is strapped over the area that troubles you, usually a knee, a shoulder, the low back or the neck. It rests directly against skin, so you change out of anything bulky first.
The session runs about thirty minutes. Red and near-infrared light is not something you feel as heat; most people notice a mild warmth and nothing more, and a few fall asleep. There is no sensation to endure and nothing to do while it runs.
Afterwards you carry on with your day. Nothing about the session limits what you can do next.
Who makes it
Curapod is made by Litemed, a product company founded in Bengaluru in 2022 by Sri Velliyur and Surya Maguluri to build light therapy devices. It is one of the few pieces of equipment in our centre that is designed and manufactured in India rather than imported.
Litemed states that Curapod is registered with the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation as a Class B device, and that the company holds a US FDA establishment registration. An establishment registration is a listing, not an approval, and we describe it that way.
The maker is careful about what the device does, and we quote them rather than improve on it: Curapod does not cure arthritis, but many users managing chronic pain report reduced stiffness, better mobility, and improved daily comfort with consistent use.
Manufacturer: litemed.co.in