Abstract
Objective: Laser acupuncture has become increasingly attractive in clinical practice, especially for patients with needle phobias well as elderly people and children. However, literature concerning the safety of laser acupuncture has been limited. This systematic review synthesizes the current available literature on the safety of laser acupuncture.Methods: Ovid MEDLINE,® Epub Ahead of Print, In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations Daily, Ovid Embase, Scopus, and EBM Reviews—Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases were searched for available randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on laser acupuncture. Safety data were extracted from the included studies. Adverse events (AEs) data were extracted and assessed in terms of severity and causality.Results: Of 737 articles, 21 RCTs were included. The majority of these RCTs reported that laser acupuncture was safe, without AEs; 6 trials reported AEs (including tingling, pain flare-ups, and transient fatigue). All AEs were mild and resolved spontaneously within 24 hours. The causal relationship between AEs and laser acupuncture was felt to be “certain” in 4 studies, “probable” in 1 study, and “possible” in 1 study. AEs were collected and monitored by evaluation methods in 7 trials: 5 with AE questionnaires, 1 with a checklist, and 1 with oral reports.Conclusions: Laser acupuncture appears to be a safe therapy associated with few mild and transient AEs. However, given the heterogeneity of current studies, large, well-designed placebo-controlled RCTs with rigorous evaluation methods are needed to assess the safety of laser acupuncture more completely.
Highlights
Laser acupuncture is a photonic stimulation of acupoints and areas, initiating therapeutic effects similar to that of needle acupuncture and related therapies together with photobiomodulation.[1]
Laser acupuncture has become increasingly attractive in clinical practice, especially for patients with needle phobias well as elderly people and children
Of 737 articles, 21 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included. The majority of these RCTs reported that laser acupuncture was safe, without Adverse events (AEs); 6 trials reported AEs
Summary
Laser acupuncture is a photonic stimulation of acupoints and areas, initiating therapeutic effects similar to that of needle acupuncture and related therapies together with photobiomodulation.[1]. 1 study did not find laser acupuncture effective for smoking cessation As this kind of acupuncture becomes more popular, it becomes more important to understand its safety.[4,8,9,10,11]. Given the increasing use of this kind of acupuncture as a clinical treatment option, studies on its safety are needed urgently. This review systematically collected and synthesized previous published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) regarding the clinical safety evidence of this medical approach. Randomized controlled trials that mentioned safe or safety or adverse event or adverse reaction or risk were searched. (1) Had original patient data (2) Involved laser acupuncture treatment for any disease (3) Reported AEs or had safety reports (4) Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (5) Involved with keeping records of laser acupuncture safety and risks. Any dispute was resolved by discussion between the 2 authors, and the original study author was contacted for further information by e-mail if needed
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