Photobiomodulation Therapy for Parkinsons

The Future of Medicine has Arrived

Click on the link below to hear my interview on Parkinsons Recovery Radio with Dr. Lew Lim, inventor of this new photobiomodulation therapy.

I predict the future of medicine rests with innovative therapies that utilize light and sound to bring the body back into balance and harmony. Neurons are cells that contain mitochondria. Photobiomodulation energizes neuronal mitochondria, triggering a cascade of beneficial cellular functions. Potential benefits are neuroprotective effects, self-repair mechanisms and enhanced functionality.

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I predict Dr. Lim’s new invention promises to set health care in new and exciting directions and has the potential to offer far reaching benefits to persons experiencing Parkinson’s symptoms.

After listening to this interview, I am even more optimistic about this therapy for Parkinsons and other conditions including mental fog and dementia. Be sure to listen to my interview with Dr. Lim posted at the top of this post. I believe Dr. Lim is a true pioneer who has invented medicine of the future which uses light.

Intranasal photobiomodulation is the most efficient method for light energy to reach the brain. Different from electrical and magnetic stimulation, photobiomodulation uses light energy (or photons) of specific wave lengths and power density to simulate cellular function.

Dr. Lim is an engineer and a Doctor of Natural Medicine with additional diplomas in Medical Neuroscience and Business and Accountancy. He obtained his degrees and diplomas from the University of California at Berkeley, University of Sheffield, Duke University, Quantum University and The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, UK.

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Photobiomodulation Research

A 2017 study examined the effects of photobiomodulation (PBM), a light therapy that uses red or near-infrared light to heal and protect tissues, in five older adults with dementia, one of the symptoms of Parkinson’s.

After 12 weeks of treatment subjects showed significant improvements on the Cognitive Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale. With only five subjects, the effect sizes had to be huge for significance to be shown.

Caregivers who kept daily journals tracking experiences of the research subjects reported participants had:

  • Better sleep
  • Fewer angry outbursts
  • Decreased anxiety

 

Did Positive Results for Subjects Continue After Treatment was Suspended?

No. Precipitous declines were observed during the follow-up 4 week no-treatment period. Results suggest treatments need to continue for results to be sustained.

Saltmarche et al.(2017) Photomed Laser Surg. 2017 Aug;35(8)

About the Vielight Photobiomodulation Device

The company, Vielight, has generously offered followers of Parkinsons Recovery a 10% discount off orders of the the Vielight Neuro Gamma device which retails for $1749. Enter the coupon code healing4me on the shopping cart. The website: www.vielight.com

Warranty

Vielight is so confident in its new product that you get six (6) months to try out their newly invented photobiomodulation therapy. If for any reason you are not satisfied, you can return it for a 80% refund. I have never heard of a company that is so confident in their product that such a generous warranty can be extended. They obviously have high confidence in their new invention. While there is scant evidence about its effectiveness for people who experience symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, the opportunity to try it out for minimal risk is currently available.

Act Now or Wait for More Evidence?

If you prefer to wait for clear and convincing evidence that this or any light therapy will help with symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, be on the lookout for research findings that will be completed and released 5-10 years from now. Designing and implementing studies takes time and of course big bucks. I would personally like to see many people with the symptoms start getting photobiomodulation therapy now. Early users are giving us rich indications about its usefulness as a treatment for Parkinson’s symptoms,. I do not hesitate to suggest this as a treatment option to take seriously.

Early Evidence on Vielight’s Photobiomodulation Device as a Treatment for Parkinson’s Symptoms

As a brand new invention. there is no systematic published research on the use of the Vielight Gamma Photobiomoduatlion device as a therapy to specifically address Parkinson’s symptoms. I have heard informal feedback from users that the therapy has resulted in relief of some symptoms and report below my summary observations:

  1. One common report from users is that the therapy does not show quick results. You apparently have to apply the therapy over a period of several weeks to a month or longer to celebrate a positive shift in symptoms.
  2. I have heard several specific reports on tremors that were calmed.
  3. It is unclear at this point to what degree the therapy will address balance issues, but I have heard it seems to offer help with gait issues.
  4. Evidence does suggest that this therapy can potentially help with dementia.
  5. One user reported a definite return of smell, but the jury was out on the effect on tremors and other symptoms.
  6. The wife of one 85 year old man with advanced Parkinson’s symptoms reported that after 6 weeks of using the Vielight Neuro device. there were no major improvements but several minor ones of some consequence: Her husband reports being more alert, sleeping better, his cough is less, he has been inspired lately to use his automatic peddler and his hallucinations have dwindled. She reports it has been an answer for a better quality of life for both of them and promises to keep me updated.

Of course, it is difficult for people diagnosed with Parkinson’s to attribute an improvement in symptoms directly to their photobiomodulation therapy when they are getting other therapies at the same time. Reports above are a general summary of the informal feedback I have received in emails and phone conversations.

Are Medicines or Supplements no Longer Working for You?

If the answer is yes to this question, what treatment options remain? There is, of course, Deep Brain Stimulation available as an option, but I am well aware many of you prefer not to pursue this treatment option. It is my hope and prayer that photobiomodulation therapy will become a natural option that supports the therapeutic effect of medicines and supplements such that the dosage does not have to be increased or even can be reduced under close supervision of your doctor.

I thus recommend that you consider this therapy so we can discover together whether my prediction of success is right or wrong. Keep in mind that while the device is relatively expensive – $1749 – you:

  1. Can claim a 10% discount if you use the Parkinsons Recovery discount code of healing4me.
  2. Get 6 months of use to see if it offers symptomatic relief or not.
  3. Risk is reduced 80% since you can return the device within the 6 month period after purchase for an 80% refund of the purchase price.
  4. Everyone in the family can use the therapy.

The Vielight company obviously has confidence in their product which is a very encouraging sign. I have never heard of any company that offered a 6 month warranty. You can purchase the Gamma Vielight device from the Vielight website:

www.vielight.com

Be sure to enter the coupon code healing4me on the Vielight shopping cart to claim your Parkinsons Recovery 10% discount. Please also email me your experience with using it after a month (or longer) of use.

Research on Light Therapy from MIT

The following video previews recent research at MIT that explains why light therapy offers a promising opportunity to reverse dementia associated with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.

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I hope many of you will try this therapy out and let me know the result. It is not a permanent “fix” to be sure, but neither is medicine. I am attracted to this option because it is noninvasive and inexpensive over the long term when you consider it can be used for a lifetime and by all members of the household.

Photobiomodulation Mechanism

Visible red and near infrared light energy stimulates cells to generate more energy facilitating self-repair. The healing takes place within the mitochondria through an enzyme called cytochrome c oxidase. This enzyme accepts and converts the light (or photonic) energy into cellular energy (ATP) and other gene transcription factors leading to cellular repair and regeneration.

Will Photobiomodulation Therapy Interfere with My Daily Life?

No. You are welcome to receive the therapy while working, reading or doing anything really. Dr. Lim, the inventor, recommends that people with more serious health issues such as Alzheimers might be advised to do the therapy at night while going to sleep. The treatment duration lasts only 20 minutes.

Photobiomodluation therapy
Photobiomodulation Therapy while Working

Robert Rodgers PhD
robert@parkinsonsrecovery.com
Olympia Washington
Parkinsons Recovery
Road to Recovery from Parkinsons Disease
877-526-4646

5 thoughts on “Photobiomodulation Therapy for Parkinsons

  1. Well, Robert, it will still cost someone $350 to try it out for 6 months, with no guarantee that it will work or that it won’t actually hurt you. So, I would be careful about recommending something so enthusiastically. How many people have tried it? Did they use the exact same settings, amount of time per day used (dosing)? I’d like to hear more about the studies he says some universities are beginning. He didn’t mention the name of the universities. Are they looking for volunteers for the trials?

    I appreciate that he says he cannot make any claims one way or the other. He sounds like he understands science at least enough to know that he should not make unfounded claims.

  2. Thanks so much for pointing out there really is no evidence on this new device. If someone decides to try it out, it truly will be a risk.

    Please do contact the staff through their website and see if you can tap into any studies. As I understand it, they are currently focusing on Alzheimers, not Parkinson’s so it will likely be several years down the road before participation in a study will be possible and perhaps as many as 5-10 years before we have any good sense of the cumulative evidence.

    I do admit my enthusiasm. I am a sucker for anything new – especially light and sound therapies that I see as the future of medicine. I became very enthusiastic during the interview. Dr. Lim was clearly an honest man and a very gifted inventor. He really is the first to pursue light therapies in the USA.

    I have heard from so many people recently who have not found any therapies that help them suppress their symptoms. I am often ask what is out there to try and I have too few ideas to suggest. As I hear back from those who decide to take the risk and try it for 6 months, I will be in a position to report back what is learned from use. The risk is less in one sense since every member of the family can use it – those with cognitive challenges – children needing mental sharpness for taking tests, etc. I figured that the device might be beneficial to the entire family. In the end of course, we do not know one way or another whether it will help.

    Like all therapies, it may well benefit some people greatly and others not so much so. And, it may offer support for some symptoms more so than others. We will just have to wait and see.

    My gut instinct tells me this is worth trying out, so I am interested in getting the device for myself and my own family. I am excited there is something different out there to try.

    Robert Rodgers PhD
    Road to Recovery from Parkinsons Disease

  3. Being an engineer also-it would be nice to have one unit that could switch between 10Hz and 40Hz to enable you to treat both areas with the one unit

  4. I purchased the Vielight Gamma and have been using it for a week (6 days on and 1 day off). I have PD and therefor excited about this product . I am not on any PD medication . I did do a steml cell procedure about 6 months ago with some results. I am trying to get rid of tremors and gait issues . Overall, I am doing well. I am a strong believer in njeuroplasticity through walking.

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