Laser Acupuncture

Description

Laser acupuncture is based on the same principles as traditional acupuncture. However, the acupuncture points are not pricked with needles, but optically stimulated with laser light. The big advantage of laser acupuncture is that it is non-invasive, aseptic and completely painless. That makes laser acupuncture suitable for children and babies too. Also people who are very afraid of needles or who simply don’t like to be pricked, prefer laser acupuncture over classical acupuncture. If a person suffers from, for example, blood clotting problems, laser acupuncture is a good solution.

Indication

Laser acupuncture can be effective, especially in case of stress and pain symptoms. The method is also used in treatment of depression. Headache seems to respond positively as well.

Application

Laser acupuncture is given by using a laser device. Usually, laser light has a power of 40 milliwatts. That is a thousand times less than a 40-watt light bulb. The laser wires are stuck to the body at acupuncture points using a self-adhesive skin tape and then the light penetrates the body tissue. The amount of milliwatts is so low that no heat is released to the body. This low power is safe for the human body.
During the treatment, the patient wears dark glasses to exclude the minor risk of damage to the eyes from the laser light.

Effect

Several scientific studies on laser acupuncture have already been carried out. These studies show that laser acupuncture has different effects, such as:

• Improves blood circulation.
• Stimulates the production of collagen (collagen is a protein that is very important for connective tissue in the body).
• Anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effect.
• Stimulates the release of ATP (ATP is necessary for the release of energy in the body).
• Reduces susceptibility of the nervous system (note that pain stimuli go through the nervous system).

Considerations

• People feel nothing of laser acupuncture. Not when attaching the wires onto the body and not when the lasers are started.
• A disadvantage is that laser beams cannot be used to treat locations that need to be deeply pricked.

Facts

• Only late in the last century it was discovered that a strong beam of light can have the same effect as the metal needles the acupuncturist works with. And so laser acupuncture arose.
• Laser is the abbreviation for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.