Low Level Lasers for Acupuncturists
Having low level laser equipment presents a number of benefits in terms of day to day acupuncture practice, as well as adding a whole new but related capability in terms of the stimulation of cellular healing mechanisms and analgesic effects of direct laser therapy.
Laser Acupuncture involves low level laser beams being used to stimulate acupuncture points. Laser is used both as a non-needle alternative and as a medium in its own right with its own distinct energising characteristics, extending the range of acupuncture treatment options available.
Laser is a particularly useful modality for needle-phobic clients and children, being aseptic, painless and having relatively short treatment times. It is also a very useful modality in veterinary practice where needling a restless animal can be difficult and is perhaps best-used in the equine field, where practitioners often combine the direct healing of laser therapy with laser acupuncture for optimum treatment of musculoskeletal injuries.
It is likely that the laser acts partly through the Wei system as the concentration of the light is highest just under the skin. This would be consistent with the effective use of low level laser on ‘trigger’ points (generally regarded as equivalent to ‘ashi’ points in traditional Chinese medicine) increasingly undertaken by health care professionals without extensive acupuncture knowledge. Physical therapists find this useful in the treatment of a number of musculoskeletal conditions, especially tendon disorders, where painful trigger points are especially prevalent.
Auricular acupuncture can also be undertaken using low level lasers to good effect with current protocols for successful smoking cessation treatments primarily utilising auricular acupuncture.
For the trained acupuncturist, low level laser acupuncture can be applied across almost the full gamut of conditions that are treatable with needles. Only in cases where there is excess in the system, might laser acupuncture not be recommended due to its particular energising nature.
The range of applications for laser therapy including laser acupuncture is clearly extremely broad, but notably it will include treatment of soft tissue injuries, pain, wound- and bone-healing plus lymphatic and circulatory disorders as well as addiction and stress treatment particular to the laser acupuncture use. Integrating laser into one’s acupuncture practice is straightforward and increases the potential for highly personalised solutions delivering benefits to acupuncturist and client alike.
"...using traditional acupuncture principles, the laser has enhanced my practice by allowing me to offer an aseptic, non-invasive and painless alternative to conventional needles - I would not be without it."