Dr. Liisa Laakso
Past-President of the World Association for Laser Therapy (WALT)
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Dr Liisa Laakso is Senior Research Fellow (Allied Health) at the Mater Research Institute, Brisbane; Honorary Associate Professor at The University of Queensland Faculty of Medicine; and Adjunct Professor of Physiotherapy in the School of Health Sciences and Social Work at Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia.
Prof Laakso’s research focuses on:
- the role of photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy for pain, lymphoedema management, tissue healing, inflammation and neurodegeneration in a range of non-malignant and malignant laboratory and clinical models and populations;
- symptom control and prevention in chronic disease, and in recovery after cancer, and in palliative care.
Prof Laakso is an executive committee member of the Australian Medical Photobiomodulation Association (AMPA), and past-President of the World Association for Laser Therapy (WALT). Prof Laakso is immediate past Vice-President of the International Society for Electrophysical Agents in Physical Therapy (an official sub-group of the World Confederation of Physical Therapy); and member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Korean Medicine Association for Laser Therapy. She is also on the editorial board of the journal Photobiomodulation, Photomedicine and Laser Surgery.
ABSTRACT:
Authors: E-Liisa Laakso1,2, Tatjana Ewais3,4
Affiliations:
1 Mater Research Institute-University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
2 Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia
3 Mater Adolescent and Young Adult Health Clinic, Brisbane, Australia
4 School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Title: Photonic energy is more than just its effect on photoacceptors - An integrated biopsychosocial view of PBM
A commonly cited explanation of how PBM influences biological activity is that mitochondrial chromophores such as cytochrome C oxidase accept photonic energy resulting in dissociation of nitric oxide, production of reactive oxygen species and numerous downstream effects. Other mechanisms have also been suggested. We suggest that there may be several co-existing phenomena (including mechanisms) that are activated by the application of PBM to a biological system with sentience, and which cannot necessarily be explained by biophysical causes. Made up of interconnecting systems, the human body will respond to photons in numerous, concomitant ways. These may include psychological effects that influence social and health-related quality of life (QoL) arising from the improvement in an individual’s pathophysiological status. It is necessary to consider the effects of PBM in an integrated way because most conditions in which PBM has been shown to have efficacy, will affect those who suffer the condition in numerous biopsychosocial ways. One example is found in a systematic review and meta-analysis by Camolesi and colleagues (/doi.org/10.1007/s10103-022-03518-y) who found that there were significant improvements in oral health-related QoL in people with burning mouth syndrome. The variety of conditions in which PBM has been used, and the reported improvements in QoL as well as physical indicators, reflect the benefits of PBM on holistic, biopsychosocial factors that are likely to be underpinned by integrated mechanisms of effect. We propose that the mechanism of PBM is multifactorial including machine and causal mechanisms that are likely to have holistic beneficial effects in many conditions including QoL and other psychosocial impacts. These integrated effects deserve to be studied in greater detail.
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