ABSTRACT
In the previous paper, we reported a clinical study on laser irradiation stimulation for pain diseases. In the present study, we examined the effect of laser irradiation stimulation on peripheral blood circulation and its clinical effectiveness in the treatment of shoulder stiffness.<br>[METHOP] Five healthy adults were irradiated with low energy semiconductor laser (Ga-Al-As, 70mw, 830nm) at the Jianjing (VF21) for ten minutes. Skin blood flow near the stimulated point was measured using Laser-Doppler method before and after (for 20min.) irradiation.<br>Clinical effectiveness was examined for 50 patients with clonic shoulder stiffness who visited Anesthesiological Department of Osaka Medical College Hospital. The patients were randomly devided into two groups: laser irradiation group (L group) and Non-irradiation group (C group). To the C group, the apparatus was set but no laser was irradiated. Stimulation points were Tianzhu (VU10), Jianjing (VF21), Jianwaishu (IT14) and other points commonly used for shoulder stiffness. According to the numerical scale of subjective symptom reported by the patients immediately after the stimulation, therapeutic effictiveness was rated into four grades: “marked improvement” “improvement” “slightJimprovement” and “no change”. “Marked improvement” and “improvement” were regarded as effective cases.<br>[RESULTS] After laser stimulation, blood flow increased several times heigher than the original level but it tended to decrease back to the original level within the measuring period. The incedence of effective cases was 58% for L group and 40% for C group.<br>[CONCLUSION] Laser irradiation stimulation has been reported to have same effect as acupuncture, and gathering attention as stimulation method with less adverse effects. Our study demonstrated that laser stimulation induced transient improvement of local blood circulation.
ABSTRACT
In this research we conducted a comparative study on the pain threshold elevation resulting from “exercise” work loads, ie. running and cycling, and acupuncture anaesthesia. 10 subjects participated throughout our research; whereas, additional subjects only participated in selected experiments. It was found that the pain threshold increased for both exercise work load and acupuncture anaesthesia; however, no significant correlation was found between the pain threshold elevation percentages resulting from exercise work load and acupuncture anaesthesia.<br>Therefore we propose, although it has been ascertained that the elevation of pain threshold involves the endomorphin mechanism, that there must be other important mechanisms involved as well.
ABSTRACT
A statistical study on effects of laser-puncture was carried out. In addition, an attempt was made to compare between the effect of acupuncture and this method. The treatments were under-taken for various chronic and acute cases with pain. In the laser-puncture treatment, two types of laser (<i>i, e.</i> low energy 10mW laser and 70mW sharp laser) were used. Laser-beam was given to 20-30 points which were located in painful areas, innervating nerve areas and remote areas for 40 sec for each.<br>In the open study, 10mW laser-puncture was effective (including ‘rather effective’) in 64% of the cases, and 70mW laser-puncture 73%. In the blind test, ‘the day’ evaluation showed that the laser-punctures were more effective than placebo treatment: 10mW laser-puncture was effective in 80% of the cases, and placebo in 67%. 70mW laser-puncture was effective in 87% of them, and placebo in 80%. <i>In situ</i> acupuncture was effective in 97%, and no effect was seen in 7%.<br>Only ‘the day’ evaluation in the open study showed that 70mW laser-puncture was more effective than 10mW one. In the blind best, 10mW and 70mW laser-puncture were more effective than placebo, and in situ acupuncture was more effective than the laser-punctures, but there were no significant differences among the three treatmets.