Michelle Jorgensen is now walking normally on both feet.

That wasn't the case just a few months ago when she broke multiple bones in her foot.

Jorgensen went from swimming five days a week to being unable to move her foot.

A visit to her orthopedic doctor revealed that the bones in her foot had moved.

“[The doctor said] if this doesn't change in the next three weeks, we have to put screws in,” Jorgensen recalled. “So I became more still, I had my foot elevated. At 70 years of age, I don't want to have any surgery."

Jorgensen also has osteoporosis, which made her be even more careful with her body.

“I needed to keep my foot still, so really the only therapy I could do was this,” Jorgensen said.

Her therapy consisted of infrared light therapy, which is being offered for free at UTRGV.

Through low-level wavelengths of red light, the therapy helps reduce inflammation, repair muscle tissue and treat skin conditions like psoriasis, scars and acne.

“The other wonderful thing that it does is that it actually improves healing by what's called ‘self-proliferation.’ It improves the body's ability to heal faster,” UTRGV Department of Health & Human Performance associate professor Dr. Juan Gonzalez said.

After doing three to four weekly 10-minute long sessions since Nov. 2023, Jorgensen said she went from severe pain, to “pretty much next to nothing right now."

Gonzalez is offering therapy sessions to those in need. 

“I do see a need here,” Gonzalez said, adding that his team of students have 15 red light panels.

An email from Dr. Gonzalez said the following individuals could be excluded from the sessions:

- Those undergoing cancer treatment
- Those who are epileptic
- Pregnant women
- Individuals currently taking medications sensitive to light
- Individuals who have a pacemaker
- Those currently ill with an illness or a virus
- Those with an open wound
- Those with a metal implant

Sessions are every Monday through Thursday from 4 p.m. through 8 p.m. 

"Currently, there is no charge, but the university is looking into charging a nominal fee in the near future," the email stated.

More information on the therapy is online. Those interested in getting free red light wellness sessions can call Dr. Juan Gonzalez at 956-665-2309 or email him at juanito.gonzalez@utrgv.edu.