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Other common
name(s): low level laser therapy (LLLT), low power laser
therapy (LPLT), soft laser, biostimulation laser, therapeutic laser,
laser acupuncture
Scientific/medical
name(s): none
Description/Overview
The term cold laser refers to the use of low-intensity or low
levels of laser light. Proponents claim that cold laser therapy can
reduce pain and inflammation. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
considers these laser devices experimental, and allows them to be used
in investigational studies based on some evidence that they may provide
temporary pain relief. Cold laser treatment is thought to help some
types of pain, inflammation, and wound healing, although stronger proof
is needed. These lasers are used directly on or over the affected area.
Cold lasers are also sometimes used for acupuncture, using
laser beams to stimulate the body's acupoints rather than needles (see Acupuncture).
This treatment regimen appeals to those who want acupuncture but who
fear needles.
Cold laser therapy providers advertise this method as a way to
help people quit smoking, and some television stations have reported
this as news. The treatment is supposed to relax the smoker and release
endorphins, naturally-occurring pain relief substances in the body to
simulate the effects of nicotine in the brain. Some claim that the
treatment somehow balances the body's energy to relieve the addiction.
Despite claims of success by some cold laser therapy providers,
available scientific evidence does not support claims that this is an
effective method of helping people stop smoking.
There is a great deal of variation in the types of lasers that
are used and how they are used. Some devices do not have the output
that they promise, and others are little more than light-emitting
diodes (LED lights). Some advertise that they can help with herpes,
high blood pressure, migraine headaches, wrinkles, cerebral palsy, and
other conditions, claims for which there is little or no evidence. The
FDA forbids statements that a treatment can help or cure diseases if
scientific studies have not found it to be true. It has warned at least
one seller of low level lasers to stop making such claims.
Well-controlled scientific studies are underway using reliable
low level laser devices for pain, wounds, injuries, and other
conditions. If these studies show positive results, certain types of
cold laser treatment may eventually become part of conventional medical
care.
This method should not be confused with conventional laser
surgery, which is used as a proven treatment for some cancers. Hot
lasers may be used to shrink or destroy tumors on the skin or on the
surfaces of internal organs. They are sometimes used to remove colon
polyps or tumors that are blocking the windpipe, colon, or stomach.
They can help relieve symptoms of cancer, such as bleeding. Laser
surgery for cancer is usually combined with other treatments such as
conventional surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy.
Additional Resources
More information from your American Cancer
Society
The following information on complementary and alternative
therapies may also be helpful to you. These materials may be found on
our Web site (www.cancer.org)
or ordered from our toll-free number (1-800-ACS-2345).
References
Energy medicine: an overview. National Center for
Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Accessed at:
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/backgrounds/energymed.htm on March 29,
2007.
National Cancer Institute. Lasers in Cancer Treatment:
Questions and Answers. Accessed at:
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Therapy/lasers on May 30,
2008.
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
Energy Medicine: An Overview. Accessed at:
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/backgrounds/energymed.htm on March 29,
2007.
Rindge D. Laser Acupuncture. Acupuncture Today. 2005 May;
06(5). Accessed at:
http://www.acupuncturetoday.com/mpacms/at/article.php?id=30129 on June
3, 2008.
Swedish Laser Medical Society. Accessd at:
http://www.laser.nu/lllt/LLLT_critic2_on_critics.htm on May 30, 2008.
Tuner J. Low level lasers in dentistry. Accessed at:
http://www.laser.nu/index.htm on March 29, 2007.
US Food and Drug Administration. Laser Facts. Accessed at:
http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/consumer/laserfacts.html on May 30 2008.
White AR, Rampes H, Campbell JL. Acupuncture and related
interventions for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev
2006 Jan 25;(1):CD000009.
Note: This information may not cover
all possible claims, uses, actions, precautions, side effects or
interactions. It is not intended as medical advice, and should not be
relied upon as a substitute for consultation with your doctor, who is
familiar with your medical situation.
Last Medical Review: 11/01/2008
Last Revised: 11/01/2008
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