NovoTHOR PBM Therapy FAQ’s
Science Fact Not Science Fiction
FAQ’s About NovoTHOR® Whole Body PBM Therapy
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Strong Scientific Evidence
After many years of research there is strong evidence proving that PBM Therapy can help:
- Treat the causes of Musculoskeletal pain, inflammation and swelling.
- Sports strength endurance and recovery – train harder/recover quicker
- Skin healing and repair. Including skin side effects from cancer therapy such as Oral Mucositis
- Dry Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
Everyone of our cells in our body have the same energy and inflammation pathway that PBM therapy treats . Many modern diseases and conditions we humans suffer from are caused by this pathway ‘going wrong’ so there is huge excitement in the scientific community that it could help many other diseases and conditions not in the top 3 above (see below). The limiting factor is being able to construct large trials to gather the evidence to say conclusively that PBM Therapy helps a condition and by how much. If you have a condition that does not fall within the categories above, please contact us to ask us if PBM Therapy could help. Just contact us and we will aim to answer your enquiry within 1 working day.
Moderate Scientific Evidence
Research shows there is moderate evidence proving that PBM Therapy can help:-
- Wound healing
- Neuropathic pain
- Fibromyalgia
- Lymphoedema
- Cognitive and emotional function
Experimental Treatment
Experimental evidence:
- Stroke
- Depression
- PTSD
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- Dementia (Alzheimer’s)
- Parkinson’s
- Acute MI
- Nerve regeneration
- Autism and ASD
- Opioid addiction
Anecdotal Evidence
Anecdotal evidence:
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Lyme’s disease
- CANCER – the evidence so far shows
- There is NO EVIDENCE OF HARM FOR CANCER PATIENTS BEING TREATED WITH PBM THERAPY
- However, if you are having ACTIVE cancer treatment (Chemotherapy or Radiotherapy) or have cancer but are not in active treatment, the consensus for this medical condition in the PBM Therapy field is that it is best practice for you to get your oncologists permission that they are happy for you to have PBM Therapy*. To make it easier for your consultant to see the evidence for themselves we have created 5 pdf’s for you. Simply download all of the 5 pdf’s below to your computer – print them off, email them or send this web page url to your consultant to get to this page of our website.
- PBM therapy is an increasingly accepted treatment for the side effects of Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy – Oral Mucositis – which is a severe ulcerating inflammation of the mucous membranes of the mouth (it can also effect the intestines, bowels and vagina) which occurs as a direct consequence of having Chemotherapy/Radiotherapy treatment for active cancer. PBM Therapy (note: in the pdf below PBM Therapy is referred to by its old name ‘LLLT or Low Level Laser Therapy’ – the two names are interchangeable) has NHS approval for oral mucositis. Click/tap the PDF icon below where you can download the PDF article (NHS web page copy with the web URL) to print or save it and email it to your consultant.
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- Click/tap the PDF Icon below where you can download the PDF article to print or save it and email it to your consultant, it contains many published research articles demonstrating the routine use of PBM Therapy whilst patients are under the care of a specialist oncologists/nurses for Oral Mucositis
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- Random Controlled Trial (RCT) evidence of the safety of PBM Therapy in cancer. We are aware of one Level III Random Controlled Trial (RCT) showing that PBM Therapy may well improve survival rate from cancer in the long term. Click/tap the PDF Icon below where you can download the PDF article to print or save it and email it to your consultant.
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- A review of the all the literature relating to the safety/efficacy of PBM Therapy and cancer was carried out by Professor Michael Hamblin et al. The conclusion was “PBM Therapy may have benefits in cancer patients and should be further investigated”. Click/tap the PDF Icon below where you can download the PDF article to print or save it and email it to your consultant
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- PBM Therapy for Lymphodema after breast surgery is routinely performed by oncology nurses at and around the site of cancer surgery. Click/tap the PDF Icon below where you can download the PDF article to print or save it and email it to your consultant. It contains many published research articles demonstrating the routine use of PBM Therapy whilst patients are under the care of a specialist oncologists/nurses.
*As part of our consultation paperwork we will ask you to sign a disclaimer that you have done so before starting treatment..
PBM Therapy using our NovoTHOR® pod is safe to use with
- New joint replacements e.g. hips, knees, spinal fusion operations or metal implants
- Surgery in the past
- Body piercings and tattoos
- Breast augmentation or other cosmetic procedures
- Prescriptive medications and creams and over the counter medications from the pharmacist
- Skin conditions (see skin healing and repair)
PREGNANCY – the risks have not been established so we would advise you against Whole Body PBM therapy whilst you are pregnant. Once you have given birth then it is safe for you to have Whole Body PBM Therapy. If you have a local problem that is not in your lumbar spine or pelvis whilst you are pregnant then you can have able to have specific body part PBM using our desk top LX2 PBM Therapy machine.
WEIGHT – the maximum weight limit for the NovoTHOR PBM light Therapy bed is 20 stone.
ORGAN TRANSPLANT – if you are on immune suppressant medications after having organ transplant the risks have not been established so we would advise against having Whole body PBM therapy unless agreed by your consultant. If you have a specific body part problem that is not near your new organ then you can have specific body part PBM using our desk top LX2 PBM Therapy machine
Is A NovoTHOR Just A Heat Lamp Or Sauna?
In a word ‘No’
The simple answer is ‘no’ not anything like it. Whole body PBM Therapy with a NovoTHOR light bed pod cannot work like a sauna or heat lamp – the physics of its action are completely different with totally different physiological effects on your body. Watch the video as it simply explains the difference. For more information visit how does PBM therapy work?
Yes. Steroid injections help to reduce inflammatory chemicals but are known to slow healing. It does not mean that you should not have a steroid injection and it does not mean that PBM Therapy should not be used after a steroid injection, it just means that the beneficial effects of PBM Therapy could be reduced if you have had a steroid injection. Symptomatically most steroid joint injections seem to have the maximum reported benefit at about 2 weeks after, so this may well be the length of time that PBM Therapy is not so efficient.
Yes! The NovoTHOR PBM Therapy Whole Body Light Bed is not like the tunnels that you get with an MRI or CT Scan. The top of the light bed hinges open – much like a clam shell, so we can leave the lid half open or fully open its up to you. Many people with claustrophobia find that when they get onto the NovoTHOR their fear goes away (even with the lid closed) because their head is so close to the open ‘top end’.
If the NovoTHOR is partially or fully open then the amount of light reaching your body – the irradiance – is likely to be a little less than if you were covered, so this may increase the number of treatments needed to get a benefit or maintain a benefit.
PBM Therapy is safe to have with prescribed and over the counter medications. A few prescription medications can cause your exposed skin to react to Ultraviolet light (UV) to become e.g. swollen, itchy and red – like a nettle rash. The NovoTHOR Whole Body Light Bed does not contain any ultraviolet (UV) light, only red and near infrared (NIR) which is also why you cannot get a tan on the bed.
Notwithstanding this fact of physics that you should be fine, if your Doctor or Pharmacist has said you should stay out of the sun due to the medication you are taking, we will be extra cautious with you. We will do a series of ever increasing light dose skin ‘patch tests’ as follows:
- 4 minutes on one part of your arm/hand then 5 day monitoring followed by
- 8 minutes on same part of your arm/hand then 5 monitoring followed by
- 12 minutes on same part of your arm/hand then 5 days monitoring
If no reaction occurs then we have the knowledge you are ‘100% safe’ to have a Whole Body PBM Therapy Light Bed sessions not just 99.99% A full NovoTHOR PBM Therapy light bed session is 15 Minutes. Why is a NovoTHOR PBM Therapy light bed session only 20 minutes? Read the link to find out. There are also just a few times when whole body PBM Therapy is not advised with medical conditions which you can read by clicking the link.
As you are totally enclosed by the NovoTHOR light bed pod and so close to the source of powerful red and near infrared light, treatment times are probably not as long as you would think. Consensus in the research field is that 15 minutes is the ideal time to achieve the maximum physiological benefit. Research has shown that this is the optimum treatment time. This means that less time means you do not get the full benefit. Equally, perhaps contrary to what you would expect, a longer treatment time isn’t actually better as it causes the benefit to reverse.
The easiest way to think of PBM Therapy dose/irradiance is either:-
- Getting a health benefit from being in the sun’s UV light and making vitamin D. Too little sun and you do not make any Vitamin D, too much sun is harmful and you burn with negative health effects. There is a ‘Goldilocks point’ of being just right which for NovoTHOR® PBM Therapy is 20 minutes.
- Alternatively think of any medication either from a doctor or pharmacist there is always a recommendation of dose based on science e.g. a tablet twice in 24 hrs or 2 lots of 5 ml of cough syrup per 24 hrs. This is optimal, less does not help but more is not better its actually bad for you.
In The UK there are very few NovoTHOR® Whole Body PBM Therapy Bed clinics as it is such a new science and because of the substantial investment that is required to set up a PBM Therapy Clinic. Our PBM Therapy Clinic is conveniently in the centre of the UK. It is close to 3 major airports with good road and rail links so we could well be the closest to you, use this link Find us to see where we are. If you visit the NovoTHOR website they have a Google map with the pins showing the locations in the UK and globally of all the NovoTHOR® Whole Body PBM Therapy Beds.
There is no maximum or minimum age for using a NovoTHOR whole body PBM Therapy bed. Published early animal studies shows that PBM therapy for growth and development looks to be a very promising method to speed up growth and development in babies born prematurely. At the other end of the spectrum elderly patients with for example pain and inflammation, joint pains and poor wound healing can benefit.
In the elderly with mild to moderate dementia exciting preliminary PBM Therapy research has shown significant improvement in their cognitive abilities and so PBM Therapy for dementia is an exciting emerging field of research, as well as PBM Therapy for mood and cognition.
PBM Therapy works by reducing the source of inflammation, swelling and pain and providing more energy to each cell so that it can do the job its programmed to do. Click the link to read in more depth how does PBM Therapy work?
No is the simple answer. The only limit is that you shouldn’t have more than one 15 minute session in a 24-hour period. A good example is professional athletes. They use the NovoTHOR® whole body PBM Therapy bed daily in order to train harder with faster recovery and with more endurance in their chosen sport.
This is quite a hard question to answer as it is effected by so many variables. Factors such as the severity of your problem, the length of time you have been suffering with it, is it a recent onset/injury or have you been suffering for years? More acute injuries and conditions usually settle quicker with PBM therapy compared to chronic ones e.g. a surgical wound is going to heal and stay healed.
So as a general rule, acute conditions could need six whole body PBM Therapy treatments. It would not be unusual for more chronic conditions to need twelve and sometimes more to get to the point of maximum improvement. Chronic health conditions e.g. arthritis are likely need treatment periodically to maintain the changes as aging does not stop.
Research shows that the optimum treatment regimen for acute injuries would be to have daily sessions for 3 days then twice a week till better. Chronic conditions don’t respond in the same way and research shows that conditions which have been troubling you for 6-weeks or more need an average of 2 sessions a week till you feel better. It is very important to keep to the recommended treatment schedule as the consensus from research programmes shows that this is what is required to reduce pain, inflammation, swelling (oedema) and thereby promote tissue healing. Shorter treatments numbers or bigger gaps between sessions means that patients fail to get results. It is equally true that too much, too soon (a bit like too much sun giving you sun burn on holiday) is not beneficial either, so there is the ‘Goldilocks’ region of just the right amount.
The investment in the machine and setting up a PBM Therapy clinic with a NovoTHOR Whole body light bed pod is not a small affair and so the costs reflects this. However we have five PBM Therapy payment plans that can help you save money to see the treatment costs for whole Body PBM therapy just click either link.
We do not deal directly with insurance companies for PBM Therapy using the NovoTHOR® whole body light bed, but we will be able to give you receipts either as you go along or after so many sessions so you can submit them for a claim. However, we would urge you to check with your insurer first to see if they will cover or will contribute towards the fee.
As every one of our cells from head to toe has the same energy and inflammation pathway so it is entirely possible that as result of having NovoTHOR® Whole Body PBM Therapy for one condition that you experience other health benefits that you were not anticipating! One of the major features of the NovoTHOR® Whole Body PBM Therapy bed is its ability to have a positive affect on your whole body all at once.
In order for PBM therapy to work the red and near infrared light needs to be able to reach the surface of your skin. Red and near infrared light cannot penetrate clothes so we would advise that you wear either:-
- Men – pants or shorts.
- Women – bra/sports bra and pants/shorts.
This attire means that almost all your whole body from head to toe will get PBM Therapy not just the area you have problems with. This in turn increases the likelihood of benefiting from positive effects over your whole body that you might not be expecting e.g. more energy and strength or beneficial skin effects, even if you were only seeking therapy for relief of musculoskeletal pains.
The NovoTHOR Whole Body PBM Therapy bed treatment room is only 2 meters from the changing cubicles. So for those clients that arrive in office/work attire that is unsuitable to take off quickly or if you have mobility problems we offer changing cubicles and gowns ready for your treatment session. The gown protects your modesty between changing cubicle and therapy room and is easily removed for PBM Treatment. Alternatively, by wearing loose clothing over the top of your underwear (as above in 1. or 2.) e.g. a T shirt and jogging bottoms you can go straight into the NovoTHOR Whole Body PBM Therapy bed treatment room and get changed in there.
Whether you prefer to use a changing cubicle and gown or wear loose clothing and change in the therapy room, our aim is to have:
- Each person leave on time so that subsequent clients are not delayed.
- Give our clinical staff sufficient time to ensure the NovoTHOR Whole Body PBM Therapy bed is THOROUGHLY CLEANED AND SANITISED between clients and the room made ready for the next client.
- Give our staff time to offer assistance to clients who need a little extra help.
For those clients who think they might need assistance to get on/off the bed then please don’t hesitate to ask. We will arrange suitable booking times so that a staff member will be present to help you.
Your Security And Modesty
- The NovoTHOR treatment room is private only you are in there
- The one window it has, has obscured glass and a voile over so its impossible to see into the room
- For your security the door to the NovoTHOR treatment room has an electronic magnetic lock. It locks automatically on closure. It can only be operated from the outside by one of our staff with the correct code or electronic fob and by you internally via a button to exit
- The door to the changing area also has the same electronic lock system
Valuables: we would recommend bringing your valuables with you into the the NovoTHOR treatment room so you know where they are. We are unable to accept liability for items that go missing.
If you need directions then use this link how to find us. For those that arrive by car you will find the PBM Therapy Clinic has ample dedicated free parking right outside our front door. When you arrive for your initial consultation and your first PBM Therapy treatment session using our NovoTHOR® Whole Body PBM Therapy bed you will be asked to fill out a medical questionnaire by one of our friendly and highly experienced clinic assistants.
Once this has been done you will be personally greeted by either Ian or Richard who will then take you to one of the consulting rooms to:-
- Take a history of your problems(s) e.g. pre-exisitng conditions, current medications and also discuss the symptoms you hope to improve by having PBM Therapy.
- Carry out all relevant tests as necessary.
- Explain what research shows in terms of the likely number of sessions that you will need.
- Discuss any questions you may have.
- Explain the process and complete a consent form with you, indicating you are happy to proceed.
- Finally, they will take you to get changed for your first session.
We are not aware of any NHS clinic or hospital that is using NovoTHOR® Whole Body PBM Therapy yet as it is such a new and pioneering therapy.
The technology in hand held device form, is in use for the treatment of patients suffering with Oral Mucositis – a painful and debilitating side effect of some chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments. In addition, research is ongoing at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Hospital using the technology to treat diabetic wounds and speed up skin healing times.
No, you can simply book yourself in – you do not need your GP to give you the go ahead. However if you are having active cancer treatment or chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatment for cancer we would advise you speak to your oncologist first before undertaking a course of NovoTHOR® Whole Body PBM Therapy treatment. There are some other conditions that PBM Therapy is not suitable with as well
The NovoTHOR® Whole Body PBM Therapy is simply very concentrated light in the red and near infrared wavelengths, the same wavelengths you get on holiday perhaps the question to ask yourself is if I go on holiday does the sun make my problem worse? Very unlikely. In the 24 hrs following PBM Therapy you may possibly feel a little soreness because the PBM therapy is releasing inflammation from your cells and occasionally some patients can feel a little nausea and dizziness immediately after (normally caused by getting up too quickly from lying down). Don’t worry as these mild irritations are normally short lived and pass quickly. However there are a few contraindications for having Whole Body PBM Therapy which you ought to read and be familiar with.
PBM Therapy does not create side effects like prescription or over the counter drugs. Some of the healthiest populations are where the sun is able to deliver consistently higher levels of red and near infrared light to your body. This could help explain why those who live in the Mediterranean have such good general health (along with a healthy diet too!). No adverse effects that we are aware of have been reported in the scientific literature. If you look at the FDA, Health Canada, TGA or MHRA websites there are no reports of adverse events from Photobiomodulation – PBM Therapy. There are some medical conditions which are contraindicated to have with PBM Therapy so you need to be aware of these before you book your initial consultation.
Does PBM Therapy Burn And Will I Get Hot?
The NovoTHOR® whole body PBM Therapy bed does not contain ultraviolet light only red and near infrared so it’s impossible for these wavelengths to burn you. Watch the video as it explains why this is the case. The PBM Therapy bed you lie on does get a little warm but not hot and certainly will not burn you. Also, to keep you cool:
- The room has air-conditioning and heat reflective glass in the obscured window panes.
- At the foot end there is a fan to blow the cool air over you.
No, the NovoTHOR® whole body PBM Therapy bed does not contain ultraviolet light wavelengths – only red and near infrared so it’s impossible for these wavelengths to activate Melanocytes in your skin to produce a tan.
No, quite the reverse as it is designed to treat the cause of pain! In the 24 hrs following PBM Therapy you may feel a little soreness in areas that were already hurting because the therapy is releasing inflammation from your cells. Don’t worry as this is normally mild and passes quickly.