Managing Pain with Laser Acupuncture

Abstract

According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, Qi flows through the body along specific paths known as meridians. Any disturbance in Qi evokes a Ying−Yang imbalance in the body, and consequently leads to disease. Pain results from blood stasis and Qi stagnation. Laser acupuncture (LA), first introduced clinically in the 1970s, combines the advantages of traditional acupuncture and modern laser medicine and has been applied for the treatment of various diseases. Here, we investigated studies on the use of LA for pain management according to current evidence. Articles including English keywords related to the use of LA for pain, published between January 2006 and August 2015 were sourced from PubMed, Medline, and Cochrane Library databases. On the basis of these papers, we explored the modern applications, mechanisms, and analgesic effects of LA. LA integrates the positive effects of acupuncture and low-level laser therapy, and is therefore effective in activating blood and in moving Qi. LA relieves pain through both anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. No adverse effects or complications resulting from LA were reported in the literature. In the hands of an experienced physician, LA can be a useful and safe method for pain management.

Traditional Acupuncture and Laser Acupuncture in Chronic Nonspecific Neck Pain: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

“…LA is an e cient analgesic and anti-in ammatory therapy that is totally painless, non-invasive, safe, and without adverse effects or complications. This technique may be used in locations where the insertion of needles is complicated or risky (30,33,43), being a useful option for individuals with needle phobia. Until the present moment, there are no studies in the literature that have effectively compared TA and LA in cases of chronic nonspeci c neck pain.…”

“…An obvious difference between acupuncture using needles and LA is that the laser enables stimulation of acupuncture points without damaging the skin tissue (30). The laser induces a photochemical reaction in the cells, in a process known as photobiomodulation, at acupuncture points selected using the same rules as traditional Chinese acupuncture (32,33). Using an optical power of around 40 mW, the effect of LA is similar to that obtained with metal needles (28), being an attractive option for the treatment of chronic pain (34).…”

“…Acupuncture using needles is a widely accepted technique that provides good results and can be effective in reducing chronic neck pain (16,17,19,20,(35)(36)(37)(38)(39)(40)(41)(42)(43)(44)(45). Meanwhile, the clinical use of LA is increasing, since this technique offers the advantages of being totally painless, non-invasive, and safe (30,33,43), which is appropriate for people who have phobia of needles. There are few reports in the scienti c literature using AL for cervical pain condition (39,46,47).…”

The Effectiveness of Laser Acupuncture for Treatment of Musculoskeletal Pain: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Studies

“…LA has the effects of both acupuncture and moxibustion through delivering energy in pulsed wave at acupoints. 21 Although articles reviewing LA exist, 20,22 its effectiveness on musculoskeletal pain remain controversial. 23,24 The efficacy of LA for pain is uncertain, due to inconclusive results from different studies.…”