Introduction to Laser Therapy

Cold lasers have been in use in Europe and Canada for decades for a variety of applications including:

• acne,
• spider veins,
• hair removal/hair loss,
• weight loss,
• pain, etc.

Now, in the United States while low level lasers are being used for the aforementioned procedures, they are also being studied for smoking cessation.

Cold laser therapy is becoming very popular for people wanting to stop smoking because:

• Usually only one treatment is needed (not the months it takes for other methods)
• there are no side effects
• It is less expensive than most other therapies.

The theory of using lasers for smoking cessation is based on 5,000 year old acupuncture treatment except the laser is used to activate acupressure points instead of the needles. When the laser is applied to over 50 specific acupoints on the wrist, hand, face and ears it is believed that the low level laser stimulates the release of endorphins which will replace nicotine in the brain's nicotine receptor sites so nicotine cravings will not start.

The points stimulated are also associated with:

• appetite
• metabolism
• stress
• anxiety
• emotions.

People become addicted to the nicotine because they have a hard time feeling good without it. When one stops smoking, there is obviously no more nicotine in the body, therefore the endorphins are not being released, and hence, you get nicotine withdrawal symptoms.

So if we can cause the release of endorphins during low light laser therapy, we are helping to reduce or remove the nicotine withdrawal symptoms. While the effect of nicotine in cigarettes last about one to two hours, low level laser causes the cells to release endorphins over three to five days which is the time it takes nicotine to leave your system.

As the nicotine leaves your system, you will also have to deal with the psychological effects of smoking and start to work on behavior modification.

Research studies that have been conducted, thus far, have shown that laser acupuncture has helped alleviate the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal by reducing the cravings caused by stopping smoking.

Furthermore, in studies which compared laser treatments with nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), low level lasers were shown to be significantly more effective in helping people quit than any of the NRTs.

So how much better to choose a method that can help someone stop smoking cigarettes, quickly, easily, safely and without dangerous drugs and chemicals.

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Preparing for treatment
Natural Ways to Quit Smoking
Stop Smoking Tips
FAQs about laser therapy
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