Question:
How effective is laser therapy in
helping people stop smoking?
Answer:
Treatment to help smokers stop has
87.9% success rate worldwide. The
therapy is a laser version of acupuncture.
The treatment is aimed at reducing
the physical withdrawal symptoms
smokers feel when they quit. Neither
the state nor the federal government
require that the laser treatment
be given by a medical professional,
Radford said. Instead, equipment
maker Laser Therapeutics provides
operators with two to three hours
of training on laser safety. Laser
treatment at 32 pressure points
in the body stimulates the brain
to produce endorphins, feel-good
hormones similar to the natural
runner's high athletes experience.
Smoking cigarettes releases the
same endorphins. Certain people
are not eligible for laser treatment
because of health concerns. They
are: pregnant women, cancer patients,
epileptics and people with blood-clotting
disorders.
