Laser AcupunctureNew research reveals that ultra-low-level violet laser stimulation of acupuncture point Du-20 (Baihui) changes the heart rate. A 405nm wavelength laser beam at an output power of 1mW (continuous mode) was directed at Du-20 (Baihui, GV-20) on laboratory rats. There was an acute on/off effect when activating the laser beam. When on, the laser beam significantly lowered the heart rate. Results were measured by electrocardiograms using an HRV Medilog AR12 system. The acupuncture point Du-20 was located “at the continuation of the line connecting the highest points of the ear, on the median line of the head.”
The researchers note that laser acupuncture “can modulate physiological and neurovegetative parameters after stimulating the Baihui acupuncture point” and that there was a “clear on/off-effect when the laser was activated/deactivated.” Given the controlled predictability of laser acupuncture stimulation on bodily function, the researchers from the Medical University of Graz, Austria and the Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion at the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences conclude that low-level laser acupuncture can be used in clinical studies.
Reference:
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. V 2012, ID402590. Sino-European Transcontinental Basic and Clinical High-Tech Acupuncture Studies—Part 3: Violet Laser Stimulation in Anesthetized Rats. Xin-Yan Gao, Gerhard Litscher, Kun Liu, and Bing Zhu.
