What is laser acupuncture? Laser acupuncture is an adjunct way of administering acupuncture to a patient. Laser acupuncture is another form of stimulating the acupuncture points. It is a non-needle technique,...
Laser acupuncture is another form of stimulating the acupuncture points. It is a non-needle technique, which uses hand-held electrode stimulation, according to Annie Sturman, a licensed acupuncture physician and owner of Annie Sturman Acupuncture. She has been treating patients with illnesses and ailments for the past 20 years.
For people who fear needles or just can't tolerate the sensation of how the needle feels when entered into the body, then other forms of acupuncture, such as laser, are used. Laser acupuncture is not recommended as the only form of treatment to be used. It should be combined with medicine and another form of acupuncture treatment. There is not a single laser that will do everything, from pain relief to curing to alleviating the illness; more research needs to be conducted to see how the treatment can be improved, according to Margaret A. Naesar, a licensed acupuncturist in Massachusetts.
Laser acupuncture treatment is a painless, non-invasive treatment that can burn the skin if used at greater then 500mW, a class VI type of laser, according to The American Academy of Medical Acupuncture. The purpose of the American Academy is to promote the integration of concepts from traditional and modern forms of acupuncture with Western medical training.
The treatment has been described as the application of red and infra-red light that stimulates the acupuncture points, according to Happy Herbalist, a website dedicated to informing the public of natural healing. It is designed to treat injuries by softening tissue and giving relief for both acute and chronic disorders. "It is safe and friendly for any type of patient," Sturman says. The laser is placed on certain acupuncture points only, such as the ears, nose, hands, wrists and forearms. The laser acupuncture therapy is intended to increase the production of endorphins. It is gaining popularity as a treatment to quitting smoking, according to the website Action News.
However, Sturman suggests addiction therapy as well as laser acupuncture when treating a problem like smoking; that paired with determination help a patient quit, Sturman says. She feels the reason laser acupuncture works so well is because it gets the nicotine out of the system immediately because the nicotine is what creates the addiction. She uses a five-point protocol that is used in the ears for most addiction therapies. Along with this procedure, green tea is also recommended to detoxify the liver of addiction.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is another ailment that responds well to laser treatment. Patients with this illness normally do not respond to other forms of treatment. They typically feel less pain from this condition after applying lasers and electrical stimulation to acupuncture points, according to Dr. Joseph Mercola, author of The Total Health Program. He conducted a study with 11 patients receiving alternating rounds of treatment using lasers and electrical stimulation directed at acupuncture points along the hand and wrists. The test results concluded that most patients reported less pain after receiving a series of laser treatments. According to Mercola, the treatment of Carpel Tunnel Syndrome consists of lasers and transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation directed at acupuncture points along the hand and wrist.
