Photobiomodulation Devices and Research (including Long COVID)

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When I had Covid in May of 2020, I made a point to spend a significant amount of time outside in the sunlight. Tried to maximize my sunlight exposure, and went to bed at a very early hour. In my single data point study, I always felt better after a sun filled day with good sleep. Your videos were the catalyst for me making this decision.

I was involved with red and infrared light therapy in late 1990s. It was developed to treat horses because not fda approved. However it was of course used on people who were interested. Amazing results. These original devices also had a pulsing setting. We used the device in relationship to the acupressure meridian system. I still have and use my original device all these years later. It was also found that the use was more efficient with an every second day usage. Over stimulation of cells can be somewhat detrimental to. Thank you for your videos on health.

Thank you for continuing to "shine the light" on light as a healing tool. This is a fascinating area of research.

I use my red light panel twice a day. I have MS and treat it using diet and exercise (no meds) as well as sauna, red light, and some supplements. On top of the internal repair I get, my skin and hair are amazing! Bonus!

My dog had blown her knee out last year and had surgery for it. Her treatment was 6 sessions of red light therapy for healing along with some meds. My friend had knee surgery last year and she asked about red light therapy for healing and the doctor just laughed at her request. 🤷🏼‍♀️

I'm so glad to hear you share about Low Level Light Therapy or cold laser. As a quadriplegic, I got COVID last August, and a few weeks later, I was lightheaded whenever I sat in my wheelchair, so getting physical exercise was extremely difficult. Two open wounds on my right foot continued getting worse, as I had bilateral occlusion of the abdominal arteries. I had 4 minutes of K-Laser LLLT on my right leg and foot, and within literally 5 MINUTES my leg and foot veins filled with blood, and my formerly cold leg warmed up. I continued K-Laser and MLS robotic laser therapy, and within 2 months, my foot wounds completely healed. My dizziness completely disappeared, my blood circulation improved, formerly violent leg spasms reduced to infrequent mild spasms, I had increased mental clarity, and increased endurance & energy while exercising. So I can vouch for cold and warm laser therapy having improved post-COVID and paralysis related problems.

In early Covid, I listened to you and many other physicians, I did my research using Pubmed and other universities studies, old and recent studies. I have Autoimmune hemolytic anemia & cold agglutinins, I had been taking multivitam/minerals, Vitamin D3, K2, B-complex, long before covid hit. Through my research, I added Glutathione, zinc (short term). I traveled by car and plane between the midwest and San Diego numerous times during covid. I never was ill from covid. The last time I had seasonal flu was in the late 1960s.  It appears that many illnesses/diseases are caused by and/or contributed to from lack of sunlight, poor nutrition (I am referring to consuming foods with lack of optimal natural vitamins/minerals.), lack of physical exercise, environmental factors, etc. Even when a person does all the right healthy things, it doesn’t mean they won’t become ill, hopefully it would minimize the severity of the illness. In 2006, when Mom was DX; Glioblastoma, she had said she felt better after I wheeled her outside in the morning sun.

I have a bit of an odd recommendation. Reptile lighting! Especially arcadias deep heat projector. It is made to emit a lot of IR-A and IR-B has a pretty wide area of effect and is cheap compared to many other things. Getting 2 or 3 of these mounting them above you can expose great amounts of your body to high quality infraredlight

I feel like you listened to me in Twitter! Another cloudy day in London, no sun. But i just got done with a 30 min session in front of my NIR lamp! Been sick this week so it’s been a real treat to be able to use it

Wife is a professor that works in this field, we both loved watching this video, thank you. Her father sent us one of the Neuradiant helmets. Will be sending him a photo of myself with an afro wig showing how well it worked for hair follicle stimulation (joking aside it is a great helmet).

This video discusses the growing field of photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy, which utilizes light to produce biochemical reactions in living cells for therapeutic benefit. The number of published research studies on PBM has been increasing exponentially in recent years. PBM is also known by other terms like biostimulation, cold/cool laser therapy, low-level laser therapy, soft laser therapy, and low power laser therapy. In 2015, the term photobiomodulation therapy was officially added to the National Library of Medicine MeSH database. In PBM, a light source is placed near or in contact with the skin, allowing the light photons to penetrate tissue and interact with chromophores in cells. This leads to photophysical and photochemical changes that cause physiological reactions to accelerate wound healing, reduce inflammation and pain, and restore normal cellular function. Recent research suggests PBM can also enhance performance in normal tissues. The video examines PBM in the context of treating COVID-19 and post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (long COVID). Oxidative stress plays a key role in the pathophysiology of severe COVID-19. The SARS-CoV-2 virus downregulates the ACE2 receptor, disrupting the balance between oxidative and reducing molecules. This leads to an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS), blood clots, and hypoxemia. Glutathione deficiency and markers of oxidative stress and damage are elevated in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Mitochondrial dysfunction caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection appears to be a major contributor to long COVID symptoms like brain fog and fatigue. Boosting the antioxidant melatonin is one way to counter excessive ROS. Near-infrared (NIR) light in the 800-1000 nm range can penetrate deep into bodily tissues. In early 2020, the narrator began advocating for NIR light exposure, through sunlight or devices, as a way to increase melatonin and reduce oxidative stress in COVID-19 patients. A 2023 randomized controlled trial found that 15 minutes per day of 940 nm NIR light for 7 days improved outcomes in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, reducing hospital length of stay and improving lung function and blood tests. The narrator incorporated NIR light exposure into their treatment protocols. Many people are not able to get sufficient natural sunlight exposure due to weather, living circumstances, or being hospitalized. This has driven interest in developing artificial PBM devices that emit NIR light. PBM research has examined the effects of transcranial (through the skull) NIR light on various brain-related conditions like traumatic brain injury, dementia, depression, anxiety, and the cognitive deficits seen in long COVID. One study found that long COVID patients had persistently impaired cognitive test scores and elevated blood markers of brain injury 1-26 months after the initial infection, regardless of severity. The cognitive deficits resemble those seen after concussions. Transcranial PBM is thought to work by activating neuronal mitochondrial metabolism, shifting energy production from glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation. This prompts neural stem cells to migrate from their hypoxic niche and differentiate into mature neurons to repair damaged brain tissue. PBM also appears to stimulate the brain's waste clearance and regenerative pathways. Two companies, Vielight and Neuronic, are developing transcranial PBM devices resembling helmets that emit pulsed NIR light, mainly at a wavelength of 1070 nm. Their devices allow the frequency, intensity, duration and location of the light to be customized. A head-to-head study found that the cognitive benefits from the Neuronic transcranial PBM helmet were comparable to those from whole-body PBM beds. This suggests the helmet is sufficient and the whole body does not need to be irradiated to get the brain effects. The dose-response of PBM is often biphasic rather than linear - there is an optimal therapeutic dose range above and below which the benefits diminish. Some evidence suggests pulsing the light at certain frequencies like 40 Hz produces better cognitive outcomes than continuous light. These PBM devices are still investigational and not yet FDA-approved to treat any medical condition. However, they are considered low-risk general wellness devices. The companies are currently running clinical trials in hopes of eventually getting FDA approval for specific indications. The devices are expensive, costing around $2000-3500. A 3-month consultation on proper use of the customizable settings is included or recommended. The narrator suggests the devices are complex tools that are best utilized under the guidance of knowledgeable experts, comparing it to a surgeon wielding a scalpel. In conclusion, photobiomodulation is a promising emerging therapy that utilizes red and near-infrared light to stimulate healing and regeneration at the cellular level by boosting mitochondrial function. It has wide-ranging potential applications for a variety of inflammatory, degenerative and neurological conditions. While sunlight is the ideal natural source of therapeutic red/NIR wavelengths, practical considerations are driving the development of artificial PBM devices. Transcranial PBM helmets may prove helpful for the persistent brain fog and cognitive dysfunction associated with long COVID, which appear to stem from mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, more clinical research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms, optimal treatment parameters, and limitations of PBM. The PBM devices are still early in the regulatory approval process. Patients and practitioners are recommended to follow the evolving science closely and consult PBM experts when evaluating whether to utilize this novel therapeutic modality.

Dr I work for a company Outside inc. Our mission is to get everyone outside. Great video

I have early-stage Dementia, at one point a year ago I began to be unable to complete a sentence. I researched Photomodulation. I read up on different inferred treatments and settled on a Vielight head-worn device. After about six weeks my speech got better and eventually totally came back to normalcy. However, I'm starting to trip over words when speaking casually. These treatments are six days a week, under a timer on the device for seven minutes per treatment. And I recently had a CT of my brain and it was normal for my age. I did have COVID almost two years ago. I lost my sense of smell during it.

Thank you. I have been using healthlight (tm) for about 15 years. They are very expensive but the power and frequencies are critical. Really helped me heal from osteomyelitis and sepsis. That was a very difficult path.

This is absolutely fascinating to me. I would like to know the ramifications on other inflammatory diseases, because I have an inflammatory condition that can cause blood clots (along with other terrible symptoms) and I feel much better when I get outside in the sun. I live in the Pacific Northwest, so much of the time the sun is blocked so getting sun is not possible. Thank you very much for sharing this exciting research

Watching this with a red light "belt" on my leg and sitting with a red light device shining on my throat for the thyroid benefits. Last night I used a gynecological red light device to help with post-menopausal estrogen issues.

I just listened to this while using my red light therapy device

I have the MITO pro 1500 red light panel and have been using it for two years. It has improved my sleep, SAD and joint pains.

I have been following your channel and videos since 2020. Thanks for the update Doc.