What Is Photobiomodulation Therapy?
Photobiomodulation (PBM) is a non-invasive, painless treatment that uses low-level light to stimulate the natural healing processes in your retinal cells. Unlike conventional retinal laser — which creates small burns to treat conditions like diabetic retinopathy — PBM uses light at intensities far too low to damage tissue. Instead, it boosts energy production in struggling cells, helping them function better and resist further damage.
In November 2024, the Valeda Light Delivery System became the first FDA-authorized treatment specifically for improving vision in patients with dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) [LINK: amd]. For patients with intermediate dry AMD — a progressive condition that previously had no active treatment beyond supplements — PBM represents a meaningful new option.
The question most patients ask: will this actually help? The honest answer is yes, but modestly. PBM will not dramatically restore lost vision. What it can do is stabilize your vision, produce modest improvement in about half of treated patients, and significantly slow disease progression.
What Conditions Does PBM Treat?
- Intermediate Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) — PBM is FDA-authorized for patients with dry AMD and vision between approximately 20/32 and 20/70, helping stabilize vision and slow disease progression.
PBM is being studied for other retinal conditions including diabetic macular edema and inherited retinal diseases, but the evidence for these uses remains preliminary. Currently, dry AMD is the only condition with strong clinical trial support and FDA authorization. Your retina specialist can discuss whether PBM is appropriate for your specific situation
How PBM Works
The cells in your retina — particularly the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), a critical support layer beneath your light-sensing cells — are among the most metabolically active in your body. In dry AMD, these cells become damaged by age-related stress, accumulating waste deposits called drusen and gradually losing function.
PBM delivers specific wavelengths of red and near-infrared light through your pupil to the retina. This light is absorbed by an enzyme in your cells’ mitochondria (the energy-producing structures inside each cell), enhancing their ability to generate energy. With more energy available, retinal cells can better repair themselves, clear waste, and resist the inflammation that drives AMD progression.
The Valeda device delivers light at three wavelengths — amber, red, and near-infrared — each reaching different retinal layers. The treatment does not burn, scar, or damage tissue. It is an entirely different approach from retinal laser therapy
What to Expect
Before Your PBM Treatment
PBM requires no special preparation. It is performed in the office with no fasting, no IV, and no anesthesia of any kind.
- Take your regular medications as usual
- Arrange a driver — your pupils will be dilated, causing blurred vision for 3–4 hours
- Plan for about 30 minutes total per visit, including dilation and treatment
- The initial course is 9 sessions over 3–5 weeks, scheduled approximately 3 times per week
During the Treatment
PBM is completely painless. There are no injections, no incisions, and no contact with your eye. You simply sit in a comfortable chair, rest your chin on a support, and look into the Valeda device — similar to looking into an eye exam machine.
During treatment, you’ll see a warm amber or reddish glow. Most patients describe the experience as pleasant. Some notice a brief afterimage (like looking away from a bright light) that fades within 15–30 seconds. Each treatment session lasts approximately 3–5 minutes per eye — making it one of the shortest procedures in retinal care.
After Your PBM Treatment
There is no recovery period. You can return to all normal activities immediately. The only temporary effect is from the dilating drops used before treatment: blurred vision and mild light sensitivity that resolve within 3–4 hours.
Treatment schedule: After your initial 9-session course, repeat treatment series are typically scheduled every 4–6 months to maintain benefit. Your specialist will monitor your vision and retinal imaging at each follow-up to determine the right ongoing schedule for you.
Risks and Side Effects
PBM has an excellent safety profile. Across multiple clinical trials and thousands of treatment sessions, no serious device-related adverse events have been reported.
Common side effects (mild and temporary):
- Blurred vision from dilation — resolves within 3–4 hours
- Brief afterimage following treatment — fades within seconds
- Mild dry eye symptoms — reported by a small number of patients; self-resolving
Rare but serious risks:
- No serious adverse events related to PBM treatment have been identified in clinical trials, including in patients followed for up to 3.7 years of cumulative treatment
Contraindications: PBM should not be used in patients taking photosensitizing medications, those with a history of light-triggered seizures, or patients with wet AMD (who should be treated with anti-VEGF injections instead).
Results and Recovery
Set realistic expectations: PBM stabilizes vision and slows disease progression. It does not cure dry AMD or restore vision already lost.
In the largest clinical trial (LIGHTSITE III), PBM-treated patients gained an average of approximately one line on the eye chart over 13–21 months, with about 55–60% experiencing meaningful improvement. More importantly, PBM significantly slowed development of geographic atrophy (an advanced, irreversible form of dry AMD): only about 7% of treated eyes progressed, compared to 24% of untreated eyes — a roughly 72% reduction in risk.
Benefits build with repeated treatment courses and are partially maintained even during breaks between series. Ongoing treatment is recommended to sustain maximum benefit.
What PBM cannot do: It will not restore permanently lost vision, replace anti-VEGF injections for wet AMD, or produce dramatic visual transformation. What PBM can do: For patients with intermediate dry AMD who previously had no active treatment, it offers a safe, painless way to slow disease progression and stabilize or modestly improve vision.
To learn whether PBM is right for you, call us at (310) 269-8565 to request an appointment
