photobiomodulation
June 30, 2019 – Parkinson’s Weekly Update
This Week's Highlights: Parkinson's humor at the supermarket checkout; more evidence that PD starts in the gut; Blue Water Navy Vietnam vets finally get disability benefits; Michael J. Fox Foundation plans to take their show on the road; brain changing benefits of exercise; Parkinson's and Pain - is your mattress trying to kill you; Photobiomodulation and a stroll through the PD Red Light District ...
Am I a Fool to Consider Red Light Therapy?
I know what you're thinking, there must be a sucker born every minute. That is a reasonable hypothesis, and by my calculation, probably a gross underestimate. The CIA estimates 2018 global population to be 7,503,828,180, with a birth rate of 18.2 births per 1,000 population. This translates to approximately 259 births per minute. In order to reach our target of one sucker born of every minute, we need 1 out of 259, or 0.38% of those born to be suckers. (Source: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/xx.html) In the USA alone, there are approximately 3.8 million births per year, or 7.23 per minute. In order ...
Wearing a red light bucket hat on your head for Parkinson’s
One of the most intriguing PD stories of the year has been an unusual fashion trend taking place in Tasmania (Australia). Wearing a red light bucket on your head for Parkinson’s is literally turning heads in Tasmania. The treatment is known as photobiomodulation. It is experimental and unproven. It does not claim to cure Parkinson's. The people who have been experimenting with this technology claim to see slow and subtle improvements in PD symptoms over time. It is not a double-blind study, and it is possible a placebo effect is responsible for any improvements. An article on the ABC News ...
Photobiomodulation, Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) and Neuroplasticity
I first read about red light therapy for the brain in the Norman Doidge book from 2015, “The Brain's Way of Healing: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity”. Neuroplasticity refers to the ability of the brain to change continuously throughout an individual's life, and the book explores different factors that may promote positive changes, particularly in the context of brain injury or neurological disease. This Doidge book is best known in Parkinson’s circles for Chapter 2, “A Man Walks Off His Parkinsonian Symptoms” the story of John Pepper, who used exercise (primarily fast walking) and conscious control ...
Roxanne, You Don’t Have To Put On The Red Light (But It Might Help Your Parkinson’s)
(Please forgive me in advance, but I have red lights on my mind.) It seems like every other day, there is another ridiculous study about how one thing or another affects the probability of developing Parkinson’s Disease. Take for example, the recent study that concluded that residents of the red light district of Amsterdam are significantly less likely to develop Parkinson’s Disease than residents of brothels or bordellos that use either black lights or fluorescent lighting. When I first read this study, I was mostly intrigued that the researchers managed to get funding. I was not surprised that the Michael ...
PD Red and Near-Infrared Light Therapy Experience (Photobiomodulation)
On June 22, 2019, I began a 3 times per week, full-body Red and Near-Infrared Light Therapy (Photobiomodulation) treatment with a local chiropractor (Dr. Eric Bunge). My primary objective is relief of muscle pain, soreness and. inflammation which may be directly or indirectly related to my Parkinson's condition. I am also aware of the group of PD sufferers in Australia who are experimenting with red light hats for treating PD symptoms, and am curious if I will see any effect on either PD or muscle pain/soreness. I am also aware of the power of the placebo effect. I will be sharing my ...
February 25, 2019 – Parkinson’s Weekly Update
This is a recap of the most interesting news and discussions relating to Parkinson's Disease this past week. We saw people with Parkinson's in Tasmania (Australia) turning heads with the latest Parkinson's Disease fashion trend, wearing red light buckets on their heads. They say it helps improve their symptoms. We saw study results that told us that while research on the gut bacteria/PD connection continues, we should also be aware that gut bacteria can interfere with levodopa treatment. Rock and roll legend Peter Frampton was diagnosed with Inclusion Body Myositis, a rare disease that based on some of the symptoms, ...