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Many medical procedures that are now commonplace were once novel and experimental. One example is Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). When a doctor tells you, “We need to do a MRI” you say “Okay” and the insurance company you use says “Okay” without a second thought. Most patients do not even remember what “MRI” stands for. It is just part of a normal diagnostic process.
The underlying concept of MRI was discovered in 1945. MRI was first used in 1974. A whole-body MRI scanner was developed in 1977.
The Photobiomodulation Foundation is attempting to make “PBM” the next “MRI”.
There are many challenges.
Dr. Endre Mester, a medical researcher in Budapest, Hungary, discovered the PBM effect in 1967. His ground-breaking discovery remained little known for 22 years, until the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989. PBM papers began being published in the West in 1990. Their acceptance suffered from wide-spread skepticism of research conducted behind the “Iron Curtain” of Communist run countries. PBM also suffered from researchers, inventors, and practitioners creating a plethora of terms describing the same effect, making it difficult to track studies and trials.
PBM’s many applications, devices, and manufacturers created a “wild west” where consumers are overwhelmed with terminology, product claims, and company marketing. Limited anecdotal evidence is comingled with validated clinical trials while the 9,000+ published papers range from world class seminal works to poorly written and fragmentary essays. This cacophony is daunting to all.
PBM is segmenting into Medical Grade devices that are used in clinical settings, and Consumer Grade devices (usually called Red Light Therapy) that are used by individuals in their homes. There are also trends away from LASERS to LEDs and employing higher light wave lengths (the traditional 500-900nm spectrum is pushing toward 1200nm).
The PBM marketplace is getting more complex as Medical Grade devices are now being used in home settings and being self-administered. Medical Grade devices are being used for cosmetic purposes, and Consumer Grade devices are being used for treating medical conditions.
While PBM’s popularity is expanding its benefits to a wider population, it is creating a “buyer beware” environment. Trust among health professionals and consumers is vital to PBM becoming an accepted mainstream biotechnology.
Leading PBM researchers wrestled with these multiple challenges. A series of meetings resulted in the Photobiomodulation (PBM) Foundation being founded in December 2017. There were already the North American Association for Laser Therapy (NAALT) and the World Association for Laser Therapy (WALT), along with the oral health focused, Academy of Laser Dentistry (ALD). These organizations perform the invaluable role of sharing research and application among PBM professionals. The PBM Foundation was to be different by being more outwardly focused in communicating and partnering with policy officials, political leaders/influencers, media, and stakeholders.
The PBM Foundation’s first task was becoming “bi-lingual”. This meant translating impenetrable research papers, that were filled with five-syllable terms, into lay audience messaging that directly related and resonated to the interests of decision makers and influencers.
Another challenge was to focus the wide array of PBM’s health impacts to a critical few, which had the strongest clinical evidence and highest impact on public health. The first three were (1) preventing side effects of cancer treatment, especially Oral Mucositis; (2) Pain management, as it relates to addressing the Opioid crisis; and (3) treating Veterans for neurological conditions, physical therapy, and wounds.
October 11, 2018 was the PBM Foundation’s “curtain raising” event – a formal Congressional Briefing on Capitol Hill focused on how PBM’s successful management of pain could address America’s Opioid crisis. This was followed by formal testimony before various Opioid and Pain Management task forces within the Federal Government.
Media outreach generated mainstream news coverage of PBM successfully managing pain and preventing Oral Mucositis. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, the West Virginia University Cancer Institute, and St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital formed an echo-chamber of high profile stories on PBM’s life-saving impacts.
Veterans’ hospitals began using PBM to treat their neurological patients, led by a partnership with Boston University. Ten other VA medical centers adopted PBM for physical therapy and healing wounds. Political support for Veterans generated Congressional endorsement, showcased by Rep. Jim Hagedorn’s and Rep. Alex Mooney’s Keynote addresses at PBM2021.
Another PBM Foundation initiative is a pilot Equipment Testing program. The goal is to provide an independent review of a product’s operation relative to its claims. This information will allow consumers of medical equipment to make medically and fiscally responsible equipment choices. The goal is to build trust among consumers by verifying viable products in a crowded and confusing marketplace.
The PBM
Foundation draws much of its inspiration from hundreds of industry associations,
which provide vehicles for competing companies to find common cause, while
improving the professionalism of their industry. This unity of purpose will be the final
element in making the application of PBM the next MRI.
