COVID-19 Pneumonia Patients Show Significant Improvement After Laser Treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital

       An article published in the American Journal of Case Reports demonstrates the potential of maintenance photobiomodulation therapy for patients with COVID-19.
        LOWELL, MA, Aug. 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Lead Investigator and Lead Author Dr. Scott Sigman today reported positive results from the first ever use of laser therapy to treat a patient with COVID-19 pneumonia. An article published in the American Journal of Case Reports shows that after supportive treatment with photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT), the patient’s respiratory index, radiographic findings, oxygen demand, and outcome improved within days without the need for a ventilator. 1 The patients included in this report participated in a randomized clinical trial of 10 patients with confirmed COVID-19.
        The patient, a 57-year-old African American diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2, was admitted to the intensive care unit with respiratory distress syndrome and needed oxygen. He underwent four daily 28-minute PBMT sessions using an FDA-approved Multiwave Locking System (MLS) laser therapy device (ASA Laser, Italy). The MLS treatment laser used in this study is distributed exclusively in North America by Cutting Edge Laser Technologies of Rochester, NY. Patient response to PBMT was assessed by comparing different assessment tools before and after laser treatment, all of which improved after treatment. The results show that:
        Before treatment, the patient was bedridden due to a severe cough and could not move. After treatment, the patient’s cough symptoms disappeared, and he was able to descend to the ground with the help of physiotherapy exercises. The next day he was discharged to a rehabilitation center on minimal oxygen support. After only one day, the patient was able to complete two trials of stair climbing with physiotherapy and was transferred to room air. At follow-up, his clinical recovery lasted a total of three weeks, with the median time typically being six to eight weeks.
        “Additional photobiomodulation therapy has proven effective in treating respiratory symptoms in severe cases of pneumonia caused by COVID-19. We believe this treatment option is a viable maintenance option,” Dr. Sigman said. “There is an ongoing medical need for safer and more effective treatment options for COVID-19. We hope that this report and subsequent studies will encourage others to consider additional clinical trials using adjuvant PBMT for the treatment of COVID-19 pneumonia.”
        In PBMT, light is illuminated by damaged tissue and the light energy is absorbed by the cells, which initiates a series of molecular reactions that improve cellular function and speed up the body’s healing process. PBMT has proven anti-inflammatory properties and is emerging as an alternative method for pain relief, treatment of lymphedema, wound healing and musculoskeletal injuries. The use of maintenance PBMT to treat COVID-19 is based on the theory that laser light reaches lung tissue to reduce inflammation and promote healing. In addition, PBMT is non-invasive, cost-effective, and has no known side effects.
        The MLS laser uses a mobile scanner with 2 synchronized laser diodes, one pulsed (tunable from 1 to 2000 Hz) emitting at 905 nm and the other pulsed at 808 nm. Both laser wavelengths work simultaneously and are synchronized. The laser is placed 20 cm above the lying patient, across the lung field. Lasers are painless and patients are often unaware that laser treatment is taking place. This laser is often used on deeper tissues such as the hip and pelvic joints, which are surrounded by thick muscles. The therapeutic dose used to achieve deep pelvic targets was 4.5 J/cm2. Study co-author Dr. Soheila Mokmeli calculated that 7.2 J/cm2 was applied to the skin, delivering a therapeutic dose of laser energy of just over 0.01 J/cm2 to the lungs. This dose is able to penetrate the chest wall and reach the lung tissue, producing an anti-inflammatory effect that could theoretically block the effects of the cytokine storm in COVID-19 pneumonia. For more information about MLS laser treatment, please email Mark Mollenkopf [email protected] or call 800-889-4184 ext. 102.
       For more information about this preliminary work and research program, please contact Scott A. Sigman, MD at [email protected] or call 978-856-7676.
        1 Sigman S.A., Mokmeli S., Monich M., Vetrichi M.A. (2020). A 57-year-old African American man with severe COVID-19 pneumonia responds to supportive photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT): the first use of PBMT for COVID-19. Am J Case Rep 2020; 21:e926779. DOI: 10.12659/AJCR.926779