PHOTOBIOMODULATION (PBM) FOR VIRAL INFECTIONS OF THE LUNGS
Photobiomodulation (PBM) or light therapy is the use of red and near-infrared light to stimulate, heal, regenerate, and protect tissue that has either been injured, is degenerating, or sick.
Research show that most of the organ systems of the human body show improved function with PBM.
OVERVIEW
With the recent onset of the corona virus there is a lot of confusion about what we should do. The World Health Organization has their list of what we can do to reduce our risk:
- Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.WHY? Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub kills viruses that may be on your hands.
- Maintain at least 1 meter (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing. WHY? When someone coughs or sneezes they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease.
- Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth. WHY? Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.
- Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately. WHY? Droplets spread virus. By following good respiratory hygiene you protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and COVID-19.
- Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance. Follow the directions of your local health authority. WHY? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on the situation in your area. Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This will also protect you and help prevent spread of viruses and other infections.
- Keep up to date on the latest COVID-19 hotspots (cities or local areas where COVID-19 is spreading widely). If possible, avoid traveling to places – especially if you are an older person or have diabetes, heart or lung disease.
SUPPLEMENTS
Those are all great suggestions, but can we do more? There is research showing that many supplements can reduce our risk. The following list are some of the most powerful herbs and supplements that reduce our risk of catching any infection, especially viral:
Artemesia annua
Andrographis
Berberine family
Colloidal Silver
Cryptolepis
Chinese Skullcap
Elder
Garlic
Ginger
Houttuynia
Isatis
Japanese Knotweed
Lauric acid
Licorice
NAC
Oregano
Polkroot
Sida Acuta
Usnea
Vitamins C and D
Zinc
However, how do we get these essential nutrients into the lungs with an infection the like the corona virus as it focuses it growth in lung tissue. I would suggest, for patients, suggesting a combination supplement that includes a lot of the above nutrients. Then, using light therapy on the lungs to stimulate uptake of these nutrients or drugs (if on antivirals). There is research to substantiate the use of the light therapy for this purpose.
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RESEARCH
Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2018 Mar 4;2018.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive disease characterized by irreversible airflow limitation, airway inflammation and remodeling, and enlargement of alveolar spaces. COPD is in the top five leading causes of deaths worldwide and presents a high economic cost. However, there are some preventive measures to lower the risk of developing COPD. The results of this study showed that PBM significantly reduced the number of inflammatory cells and the proinflammatory cytokine secretion such as IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). They also observed that PBM decreased collagen deposition as well as the expression of purinergic P2X7 receptor. On the other hand, LLLT increased the IL-10 release. They concluded that PBM a promising therapeutic approach for lung inflammatory diseases as COPD
Lasers Med Sci. 2019 Feb;34(1):191-199.
Sepsis is a big health problem and one of the most common causes of acute lung injury (ALI) leading to high mortality. Pro-resolving mediators play an important role in abrogating the inflammation and promoting tissue homeostasis restoration. Here, they evaluated the effect of PBM treatment on the resolution process of acute lung inflammation in animals. After 7 days of LED treatment the bone marrow cells, lymphocytes, and lipoxin A4 were increased, while IL-6, IL-17, and IL-10 were decreased. Thus, their results showed that LED treatment reduced lung inflammation induced by sepsis by modulating the cell mobilization. In addition, they also showed later effects of the LED up to 7 days after the treatment were still positive. This study proposes PBM as therapeutic adjuvant to treat ALI.
Int J Inflam. 2019 Mar 21;2019:
Asthma is characterized by chronic inflammation in the airways. Several models have been proposed for the discovery of new therapies. The results showed that PBM was able to modulate the pulmonary inflammation observed by reducing the number of cells in Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid (BALF) as well as reducing the percentage of neutrophils, eosinophils and T lymphocytes. PBM was able to reduce the production of mucus, peribronchial eosinophils, collagen deposition, bronchoconstriction index, and bronchial and muscular thickening in the airways. THEY concluded that the use of PBM in the treatment of chronic inflammation of the airways attenuated the inflammatory process and functional and structural parameters. Thus, they concluded that PBM can be considered a promising tool for the treatment of chronic pulmonary allergic inflammation observed in asthma
TREATMENT PROTOCOLS
It has been proven that light therapy, or PBM passes through skin and bone into deeper tissues with the correct wavelength. The LZR UltraBright has both the proven red and infrared wavelengths to provide deep penetration. Where do you treat? Think about your last lung exam where your physician used their stethoscope to listen to your lung fields. Those are the areas closest to the lungs. Thus, you will want to treat over the lungs on the chest and middle to upper back. Remember that PBM can penetrate easily 2-3 inches (5-8 cm) but the effects are much deeper as it stimulates second messengers to provide much deeper effects.
Dosage requires some thought as you will need to treat sensitive patients for a shorter period of time than those who are robust. Start low and increase the dose each visit until the patient feels some relief with respiration. Using the 8,000 mW will take a little longer than the 10,000 or 12,500 mW devices that we sell. We would suggest starting with 1-2 minutes over the front and 1-2 minutes over the back of the lungs and increasing the dose up to a maximum of 2-3 minutes over each side, based on patient comfort.
Remember, if the patient feels more relaxed, you probably have the right dose. If they feel fatigued you need to lower the dose. If they feel anxious, then you over treated them.
As you use your UltraBright, let us know if you have any questions.
LZR UltraBright Clinical Team
