Laser Acupuncture for Chronic Pain

Laser Acupuncture (LA) is a modern treatment method with a history of approximately 50 years. Contrary to manual acupuncture, it is a non-invasive and painless treatment method, which is preferred particularly by needle-phobic patients. Studies conducted to date indicate that acupuncture points can be stimulated by the application of laser beams with a certain dose for a certain amount of time. Pain is defined as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage. Resistance to treatment can occur when pain transitions into a chronic state. Nearly 20% of the adult population complain of pain. About 10% of these individuals develop chronic pain within a year. Numerous treatment modalities have been used in the treatment of chronic pain. In this article, the role of LA in chronic pain is assessed in detail. Concomitantly, history, mechanism of action, treatment dose and duration, contraindications, complications, combination with other acupuncture methods, and the analgesic effect of LA are also mentioned. Utilization of LA more frequently by clinicians to treat chronic pain and further long-term randomized controlled trials will help eliminate conflicting results regarding this subject.