Laser acupuncture - innovative basic research: visual and laser-induced evoked potentials

Laser Acupuncture: 35 Years of Successful Application in Russia (Narrative Review)

Introduction: Laser acupuncture is one of the low-level laser therapy (LLLT) methods, replacing the traditional technique of Chinese needle acupuncture. This article describes the main principles and parameters of laser acupuncture based on the analysis of 35 years of successful experience in applying the method in Russia. Methods: The search of the literature on laser acupuncture was made in the Russian Medical Library and the Russian State Library (1498 publications in Russian), and PubMed/Medline (117 publications in English). 96 studies on laser acupuncture techniques were selected and a narrative review was conducted. Results: The optimal parameters of the technique were worked out by Russian specialists in the 1970s, and are perfectly confirmed by the wide practice of clinical application. The literature review showed that the most optimal parameters of laser acupuncture are wavelength - 635 nm (red spectrum), power - no more than 2-3 mW, the diameter of special nozzle attachment - not more than 1-1.5 mm, and exposure - 20-40 s (for corporal points) or 5-10 s (for auricular points). The impact on acupuncture points (APs) is carried out consistently in accordance with the recipe (protocol), with no more than 10-12 daily procedures. Conclusion: Laser acupuncture is a very effective and reproducible technique to treat patients with different diseases. Any specialist can apply this method because of its simplicity, but using the most effective parameters.

Modern acupuncture-like stimulation methods: a literature review

Acupuncture therapy has been proved to be effective for diverse diseases, symptoms, and conditions in numerous clinical trials. The growing popularity of acupuncture therapy has triggered the development of modern acupuncture-like stimulation devices (ASDs), which are equivalent or superior to manual acupuncture with respect to safety, decreased risk of infection, and facilitation of clinical trials. Here, we aim to summarize the research on modern ASDs, with a focus on featured devices undergoing active research and their effectiveness and target symptoms, along with annual publication rates. We searched the popular electronic databases Medline, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, and analyzed English-language studies on humans. Thereby, a total of 728 studies were identified, of which 195 studies met our inclusion criteria. Electrical stimulators were found to be the earliest and most widely studied devices (133 articles), followed by laser (44 articles), magnetic (16 articles), and ultrasound (2 articles) stimulators. A total of 114 studies used randomized controlled trials, and 109 studies reported therapeutic benefits. The majority of the studies (32%) focused on analgesia and pain-relief effects, followed by effects on brain activity (16%). All types of the reviewed ASDs were associated with increasing annual publication trends; specifically, the annual growth in publications regarding noninvasive stimulation methods was more rapid than that regarding invasive methods. Based on this observation, we anticipate that the noninvasive or minimally invasive ASDs will become more popular in acupuncture therapy.