Those of us old enough to remember the Star Wars movies might think of lasers as kind of like the lightsaber that Luke Skywalker used to fight the dark side. With this mystique surrounding the therapy some might question if lasers are an effective treatment for new non-smokers, even to the point of accusing laser therapy practitioners with fraud. But there are others who believe in the therapy. In this edition of “Focus on…” we’ll look at what laser therapy may accomplish and how this may benefit the new non-smoker.
The practitioners of low level laser therapy, or LLLT, use these lasers in a similar fashion as an acupuncturist uses pressure points and needles. The laser is said to be no stronger than a light bulb, and while other types of lasers have been associated with skin burns and scarring, this type does not seem to cause these types of issues. The laser is applied to parts of the face, hands and arms and is designed to release endorphins similar to acupuncture.
With some clinics they only recommend one session to get through the first 72 hours of cravings and withdrawal. While these sessions can run into the hundreds of dollars, they are much less than the cost of smoking. The big question is do they really work? The answer is maybe. While there are no clinical trials that have found LLLT to be more effective than placebo, much anecdotal evidence of its effectiveness is available from users of the treatment. These testimonials can be found at healinglaserclinics.net, freedomlasertherapy.com, lasertherapyinc.com and other stop smoking informational sites.
Personal testimonials, both positive and negative, can be found at Healthboards.com and keeping this treatment in perspective is important. It is a drug free, pain free alternative and although a bit expensive and controversial, it is something to try. You may find the motivation to quit simply by paying for the visit.
As always, no matter what you include in your stop smoking program, discuss it with your doctor. If you both decide low level laser is something to try, you and Luke Skywalker may just defeat the dark side of cigarette smoking.
