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Acupuncture from needle to laser
Wong TW, Fung KP
Fam Pract 1991 Jun;8(2):168-70
Department of Community and Family Medicine, Chinese University of Hong
Kong.
Acupuncture has been used in the treatment of a variety of illnesses for
more than 2000 years. The practice of acupuncture is based on a theoretical
system different from our understanding of human anatomy and physiology, and
has developed through experience and observation. Stimulation of selective
acupoints (situated along 'meridians' in the body) by inserting needles is
believed to restore bodily functions by promoting the flow of 'vital
energy', throughout the system. Other forms of stimulation which have been
developed are heat, electrical stimulation, magnetism and, recently, laser.
Laser acupuncture offers distinct advantages over the traditional method
because the procedure is pain-free and non-traumatic. Clinical applications
include the control of pain in osteoarthritis, lumbago and migraine, and
anaesthesia for certain surgical procedures, as well as other ailments of
the cardiovascular, respiratory and nervous systems. The technique is easy
to learn and there is no need for sophisticated instruments. Thus it is
especially useful in developing countries where health resources are limited
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