“Even though everyone wants to forget about COVID, those in clinical practice know that these long COVID-related symptoms or conditions are not going away in the patient population...”
ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR HEALTH STATISTICS, as of mid-2024, approximately 30% of those who have had COVID report having long COVID, and 10% report they still have long COVID.
Long COVID varies greatly from person to person, and there is a very wide range of symptoms, from cardiorespiratory to neuropsychological issues. For some people, their symptoms are extremely debilitating and prevent them from normal functioning in daily life, which also increases their risk of developing chronic conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, neuropathy, etc.
Even though everyone wants to forget about CO VID, those in clinical practice know that these long COVID-related symptoms or conditions are not going away in the patient population, and, unfortunately, there actually seems to be an increase in them. Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) has shown to be an effective treatment in combination with oxygen therapies, molecular hydrogen therapy, and targeted nutritional and herbal therapeutic agents.
Loss of taste and smell is a hallmark symptom for most people who have CO VID, and, for a subset of these people, they never regained their normal olfactory and gustatory function. Multiple research articles were published in 2023 about using PMBT to restore normal function.
The first randomized controlled trial for post-COVID loss of taste had 17 patients treated with a 1 W continuous wave 940 nm laser over the tongue for two three-minute intervals separated by a 30-second rest period (total 360 joules/session) had a 94.4% success rate of complete taste restoration.1
In another study that treated both post-COVID loss of taste and smell, 20 patients were treated over 12 sessions three times a week in 48-hour intervals intranasally for loss of smell with a 100 mw continuous wave 660 nm laser, 60 joules/session. They were also treated intraorally over the tongue for loss of taste with a 100 mw continuous wave 808 nm/660 nm dual laser, 216 joules/session, with results showing at least a 50% restoration of both loss of smell and taste in all patients.2
Multiple other studies indicated a higher joule/session may have a faster restoration of normal function, but satisfactory results can be achieved over the course of 12 or more treatments with any infrared and red spectrum laser as long as the laser-light energy is applied directly intranasally for loss of smell and over the tongue for loss of taste.
Brain fog is another hallmark symptom of long COVID, and in a 2023 clinical trial, 14 patients were treated over 12 sessions three times a week in 48-hour intervals with either transcranial PMBT using a 1070 nm LED helmet or whole-body PMBT using 660 nm/850 nm LED bed, both using continuous wave at 20.2 joules/cm2 for 14 minutes. Both groups showed significant improvements in neuropsychological tests.3
As everyone knows, cardiorespiratory dysfunction is the major cause of death for COVID-19 and post-COVID-related conditions. There are no current studies on the treatment of long CO VID cardiorespiratory dysfunction with PBMT, but studies were conducted using PBMT for the treatment of an active COVID-19 infection.
One randomized controlled trial treated patients once a day for seven consecutive days using a 6 W 940 nm LED vest for 15 minutes, 5,400 joules/session, wrapped around the entire chest, abdomen, and spine. Compared to standard treatment alone, the PBMT group showed a reduction in hospital discharge time and significant improvement in cardiopulmonary and hematological functions.4
Another study treated 50 patients every two to three days using a 5 LED 650 nm/850 mn dual wavelength pads at 11 mw/ cm2 for 84 minutes, with two pads over the sinuses delivering 20,000 joules/session and three pads over the anterior lungs and heart delivering 30,000 joules/session. One hundred percent of the patients recovered after three weeks or less with no supplemental oxygen requirements, and acute cardiopulmonary inflammatory symptoms resolved within only four days.5)
In a mouse model study, the effects of PBMT on accelerated cardiac aging were investigated using an 850 nm LED device for two minutes a day for three and a half months at 25 mw/cm2 with a total dose of 3 joules/cm2. Results showed the PBMT treatment mitigated age-associated cardiovascular remodeling and increased longevity.6
Anecdotal evidence from multiple clinicians worldwide has also shown to quickly treat minor cardiac arrhythmias with laser vagal stimulation at the cymba concha area and inferior external tragus point unilaterally (usually the left side) using infrared and red lasers from only 4 joules to 40 joules/ session per area up to five times a day or until stabilized.
PBMT is not FDA cleared for the treatment of COVID or long COVID, but it has shown to be quite effective across the wide spectrum of long COVID symptoms. It would be a valuable therapy to add to a clinic or as an at-home treatment because of its immense safety record and broad versatility.
Dr. Ryan Novak is a practicing naturopathic and chiropractic physician. He is also the chief scientific officer (CSO) for a sonophotobiomodulation therapy medical device facility and consulting firm that develops and distributes FDA-approved and registered devices, such as the PainBuster Super Pulsed Laser You can reach out to Dr. Novak at 877.799.7477 or email [email protected].
References
1. Shabaan AA, Kassem I, Mahrous AI, Aboulmagd I, Badrah M, Attalla M, Refahee SM. Diode laser in management of loss of taste sensation in patients with post-COVID syndrome: a randomized clinical trial. BMC Oral Health. 2023 May 6;23(1):263. doi: 10.1186/sl2903-023-02952-w. PMID: 37149582; PMCID: PMC10163926.
2. Panhoca VH, Ferreira LT, de Souza VB, Ferreira SA, Simao G, de Aquino Junior AE, Bagnato VS, Hanna R. Can photobiomodulation restore anosmia and ageusia induced by COVID-19? A pilot clinical study. J Biophotonics. 2023 Jun;16(6):e202300003. doi: 10.1002/jbio.202300003. Epub 2023 Mar 22. PMID: 36929335.
3. Bowen R, Arany PR. Use of either transcranial or wholebody photobiomodulation treatments improves COVID-19 brain fog. J Biophotonics. 2023 Aug;16(8):e202200391. doi: 10.1002/ jbio.202200391. Epub 2023 Apr 29. PMID: 37018063.
4. Pereira PC, de Lima CJ, Fernandes AB, Zangaro RA, Villaverde AB. Cardiopulmonary and hematological effects of infrared LED photobiomodulation in the treatment of SARS-COV2. J Photochem Photobiol B. 2023 Jan;238:112619. doi: 10.1016/j. jphotobiol.2022.112619. Epub 2022 Dec 5. PMID: 36495670; PMCID: PMC972
5. Williams RK, Raimondo J, Cahn D, Williams A, Schell D. Whole-organ transdermal photobiomodulation (PBM) of COVID-19: a 50-patient case study. J Biophotonics. 2022 Feb;15(2):e202100194. doi: 10.1002/jbio.202100194. Epub 2021 Nov 22. Erratum in: J Biophotonics. 2022 Mar;15(3):e202190015. doi: 10.1002/jbio.202190015. PMID: 34658147; PMCID: PMC8646787.
6. Syed SB, Ahmet I, Chakir K, Morrell CH, Arany PR, Lakatta EG. Photobiomodulation therapy mitigates cardiovascular aging and improves survival. Lasers Surg Med. 2023 Mar;55(3):278-293. doi: 10.1002/lsm.23644. Epub 2023 Feb 23. PMID: 36821717; PMCID: PMC10084725.
NEW PODCAST EPISODE!
Find the latest TAC Tic Talk podcast with Dr. Ryan Novak at www.tic-talk.net.
