Shining a Light on PBM & The Health Care Innovation Ecosystem

By Ms. Hannah M Clark, Global NetGeneration of Youth Cyberjournalist, with support from Dr. Ronnie Lowenstein, Executive Director Global NetGeneration of Youth

Recently, I was honored to be invited by Dr. Robert Boege, Executive Director of ASTRA to join ASTRA’s Futurist Dr. Ronnie Lowenstein, and serve as a NetGeneration of Youth Cyberjournalist covering a Congressional Briefing held in the Rayburn House Office Building on October 11, 2018 entitled, “Ending Opioid Use: A New Hope”.  The event was co-sponsored by ASTRA, The World Association for Laser Therapy, NetGeneration of Youth, The Optical Society of America, and thirteen other science and medical organizations.  What an opportunity to learn about PBM, “photobiomodulation,” an innovative medical technology, as well as, to be exposed to the organizational stakeholders who advocate for support of America’s ‘science and technology innovation ecosystem.’

What is PBM and What does it Promise?
When I first heard the term photobiomodulation (PBM) I was confused—initially the word sounded like a lighting technique for theater productions. Then as I started researching, it seemed more like a tool for physics experiments involving light. Only when I attended the Congressional Briefing and heard the first-hand testimony of people who miraculously benefited from using this medical technology did I begin to grasp its far-reaching implications for both revolutionizing health care and for serving as an alternative solution to the prescription opioid crisis.

Read the full news story on usinnovation.org