Laser Acupuncture

 

Is Laser Acupuncture the same as Laser Light Therapy?

 

This is a difficult question as they both work in a similar manner and can treat similar conditions.

An acupuncture laser device is the same as normal acupuncture except that laser light is used instead of traditional penetrating needles, great for people that don't like needles!

Treating with laser acupuncture is the stimulation of acupuncture pathways which transmit electrical impulses through the nervous system.

"In acupuncture those points which cause a patient to withdraw or respond with an exclamation of pain, depending on the language of the patient, are called

"Ah Shi" points or "Ah yes!" points."

General laser therapy is the application of infrared light and/or visible red light to injured or damaged local tissue directly on the affected area, without the stimulation of the pathways.

 

 

Laser Acupuncture	Laser Therapy
Very low doses of laser - Treatment length is lower, seconds rather than minutes	"Higher" doses required - Different frequencies, longer application and repeat sessions
Lower laser powers used e.g. 1.5mW like a pencil laser	"Higher" powers used e.g. 100mW lasers
Uses acupuncture pathways	Relies on direct effects of laser on tissues
Tissues near the surface are stimulated	"Deeper" tissues treated
On/Off mechanism - stimulates an acupuncture point in seconds, and doesn't need further stimulation	The response to treatment is related to the amount of laser dose applied
Application of the laser requires precise point location on the body	Requires application to a prescribed body part and over a much larger area

 

The two applications overlap one another with it not being black and white, for example,  both address trigger points - which are sometimes called muscle knots and are hyperirritable points in the skeletal muscle.

 

In theory the trigger points are probably being treated by both laser acupuncture therapy and light therapy.

Dr Chow says for both laser applications it has to be targeted;

"The importance to those who use lasers lies in the need to be clear about the target tissue to be stimulated, how it is stimulated, and the physiological responses expected from the stimulation."

Reference: Dose Dilemmas In Low Level Laser Therapy - The Effects Of Different Paradigms and Historical Perspectives Roberta T. Chow, 2000 Laser Therapy Vol. 13

 

To see more information on our Acupuncture Laser, click HERE.