Author: Round R, Litscher G, Bahr F.
Affiliation: Frank Bahr Research Group "Auriculomedicine and Pharmacopuncture", Stronach Research Unit for Complementary and Integrative Laser Medicine, Research Unit of Biomedical Engineering, Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, and the TCM Research Center Graz, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz, Austria.
Conference/Journal: Evid Based Complement Alternat Med.
Date published: 2013
Other:
Volume ID: 2013 , Pages: 984763 , Special Notes: doi: 10.1155/2013/984763 , Word Count: 153
Abstract
Auricular acupuncture is a method which has been successfully used in various fields of medicine especially in the treatment of pain relief. The introduction of lasers especially low-level lasers into medicine brought besides the already existing stimulation with needles and electricity an additional technique to auricular acupuncture. This literature research looks at the historical background, the development and the anatomical and neurological aspects of auricular acupuncture in general and auricular laser acupuncture in detail. Preliminary scientific findings on auricular acupuncture with laser have been described in detail and discussed critically in this review article. The results of the studies have shown evidence of the effect of auricular laser acupuncture. However, a comparison of these studies was impossible due to their different study designs. The most important technical as well as study parameters were described in detail in order to give more sufficient evidence and to improve the quality of future studies.
PMID: 23935695