38 million people in the U.S. that has migraines or study published in a 2016 issue of Brain shows that green LED lighting reduced pain intensity by 20 percent. In the study, “Migraine photophobia originating in cone-driven retinal pathways,” researchers at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center set out to test whether or not colors can affect photophobia and migraine intensity. Photophobia is sensitivity to light and can be associated with pain and migraine exacerbation. Findings in a previous study fueled the motivation for this study. In the earlier study, the researchers found that blind participants experienced increased migraine pain when exposed to blue light.

Sixty-nine participants with migraines were part of the most recent study. Researchers studied the effects that exposure to white, blue, green, amber, and red low-intensity light had on their pain. Blue and red light were the worst—increasing pain by 18-19 percent. White and amber increased pain by 15 percent. Green was the only color that reduced pain.

Another green-light study found that exposure to low-intensity light from green LEDs reduced chronic pain and migraine severity. In this study, eight participants with fibromyalgia or migraines were given a green LED strip light, and five were given a white strip. Participants were asked to use their strips nightly for one to two hours for 10 weeks. Participants with green LEDs reported a 40-50 percent drop in pain.

The study was so successful for some that they asked to keep their green LED strip lights; they continue to use them in addition to or in place of medicine. In a study was published in a 2017 issue of Pain. The University of Arizona study, “Long-lasting antinociceptive (pain blocking) effects of green light in acute and chronic pain in rats,” found that rats experienced an increased tolerance for thermal and tactile testing methods. These tests measured how long it took for the rats to withdraw their paw when exposed to heat or pricked with a filament. Testing was completed under green or white light. The researchers found that after eight hours of green LED light exposure for five days it took much longer for rats to withdraw their paws. Effects of the green LEDs lasted for four days.

Rajesh Khanna, UA associate professor of pharmacology and senior author of the study, reports that, “While the pain-relieving qualities of green LED are clear, exactly how it works remains a puzzle. Early studies show that green light is increasing the levels of circulating endogenous opioids, which may explain the pain-relieving effects.”  In a UA article, “(Exogenous) Opioids, while having many benefits for managing pain, come with serious side effects.” These medications can also be addictive.

Researchers in this study are not advising people to stop their medications without speaking with a professional. However, it is possible, as in Lesneski’s case, that green LED lighting could eliminate the need for them in the future. “We need safer, effective and affordable approaches, used in conjunction with our current tools, to manage chronic pain,” Ibrahim said.

Motion sensor LED stair lights let you safely and effectively navigate your steps while eliminating the need for any action. And because they turn off automatically, they also save power! We’ve recently installed these handy little LED stair lights and wanted to share the process with you.

wire that will be needed. It is best to order more than you need so that there’s slack in the line and enough to extend to where your power supply will be mounted.

It’s important to choose the correct wire gauge for the length of wire you need and amount of current that will be flowing through it. The key is to avoid voltage drop, which happens when the supplied energy of a power source is reduced as electric current flows through wire (or any other pieces of equipment that do not supply voltage on a circuit). The longer the run of wire, the lower the gauge of wire needed.

*If you need help determining the correct wire gauge, don’t hesitate to call us toll free at 866-590-3533. Our customer service and technical support teams are available from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. CDT Monday-Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. CDT on Friday.

3. Using wiring from the

4. Use a run of wire to join the PIR sensor at the top of your steps with the power supply. You can wire both PIR sensors to the power supply using electrical tape or with

5. Connect your main line to the PIR sensor at the bottom of your steps, and begin connecting each step light with

7. Finally, connect to power.

LED stair lights and

4. Connect your main line to the PIR sensor at the bottom of your steps, and begin connecting each step light with

6. Finally, plug the power supply into your wall outlet.

By Elisa Voland

So, you’ve realized you need a whole house surge protector installed in your home. Don’t panic – the entire process is a lot less stressful than you think it might be. Mr. Electric will be there to assist and make sure your expensive and sensitive electronics are well protected. We have included some information about the installation process to make this as simple as possible.

Before Mr. Electric arrives, be sure to clear at least three feet around your electrical panel as required by code for proper workspace for the technician. Don't fret about preparing your home beyond that – we understand you have busy schedules, and our experts will be able to take care of the rest. The area where we will be working varies depending on the job, but technicians will mostly be at the main electrical panel. We will be sure to use drop cloths and wear booties wherever we go in your home to prevent any dirt coming inside.

Our technicians will be sure to explain the task performed before beginning work and will answer any questions during the installation. The entire installation process should take under an hour so expect your electricity to be shut off for the duration of the time while we work.

After we install your surge protector, we will properly clean up any messes made during the job, beyond the extra precautions taken with the booties and drop cloths. We will also vacuum any debris created during our work. Mr. Electric warrants all of our work for a year, so if any problem arises with your surge protector, we will not hesitate to assess the problem and find a solution. 

After that, sit back, relax and enjoy the peace of mind knowing that your home electronics are protected when storm season arrives. We’re here to power your tomorrow! Call Mr. Electric today!

I have a great deal of interest in digital photography, but my life is as crazy as anyone else’s. My son, family, and work keep me busy from dawn to midnight every day. I’ve never had time to cultivate any photography skills, even though I’ve always been very interested, sitting on the edge of my seat, if you will, for a chance to take some digital photos in order to learn a little about how capturing light can create astonishing works of art.

My interview with Matthew Danser had given me my long sought “excuse” to try out some photography techniques. But it also required that I put in an honest effort. The thought in the back of my head: These photos are going to suck. Probably a lot. And they will most likely be seen by the thousands of people who visit this blog monthly. Second gulp.

But I’m the kind of person so riddled with ADHD that even my paranoia about being judged on a mass scale can only last about three minutes before the audacity to try anything resurfaces and action is taken. So here’s what happens when a total amateur who has no idea what he is doing tries to “Paint with Light.”

A one-dollar flashlight from – you guessed it – the Dollar General. One dollar. Even. Gotta love it. Especially since it’s all I could afford, seeing as how I’m still paying off the aforementioned Nikon that I bought to take photos of our baby son. (True, a million pictures have been taken of him during his first year-and-a-half on Earth. However, 999,999 of those photos were taken with an iPhone. Go figya.)

THE PLAN, STAN:

The plan was to wait until it was dark in the apartment and do some light painting. I knew that I could use the Shutter mode on my camera to set it to take exposures of up to thirty seconds. I saw that my camera also had an option for bulb release, so, invoking Danser, who recalls how his girlfriend had to hold down the button on his camera for a full thirteen minutes, I determined that if I asked really nicely, I might be able to persuade my wife to hold down the trigger to get exposures longer than thirty seconds. Otherwise, thirty seconds was my window of time to do all the light painting I could.

I started off pretty timidly. I had seen photos online in which people used long exposures to create squiggly lines. The most popular examples are pictures of traffic at night, headlights and tail lights streaming, giving you a sense of the fluid motion of busy intersections. You’ve also seen those nature pics in which streams and rivers and clouds and stars become gauzy with movement because of long exposures.

But what I really like about Danser’s work is the use of color. The effect of running inside the hut and popping off red-gelled flashes shown at the beginning of this blog post (Matthew Danser! And happy lightpainting, everyone!