It is claimed that laser treatment for smoking has a success ratio of 85%. However, there has been no research that was conducted to verify this fact. Basically, when you really want to quit smoking, you can take help from this treatment, but, actually, it is you who quits smoking.
Nowadays, laser treatments are available for everything, starting from a simple thing as hair removal to a complicated eye surgery. From past few years, laser treatment for quitting smoking has also become popular.
How Does It Work?
The theory behind this therapy is that the laser pulses stimulate the brain to produce endorphins, a natural pain killer. It is claimed that endorphins reduce nicotine cravings and alleviate nicotine withdrawal symptoms for three days following the laser treatment. This is the period during which a smoker goes through the worst symptoms of withdrawal, and by the time the effect of the laser treatment subsidies, the smoker can be on his or her way to success.
There are certain nerve points in the human body that encourage change. If you put pressure on these points, you will see certain changes. Many therapies use this principle, such as Acupuncture, Reflexology, Shiatsu and more. So, in laser treatment for smoking, a low intensity laser beam is applied to the specific points in your body, to reduce the craving to smoke. This is the first step towards quitting cigarettes. Along with reducing craving for nicotine, it is very important to eliminate the physiological aspect of the addiction. A combination of laser treatment and behavioural therapy can produce the desired results.
Laser treatment for smoking is a half an hour session in which pulses of a laser light is applied to the smoker’s ear lobe. This light has energy that is not more than a 60 watt light bulb. Due to its mildness, it is also called as a “cool” laser light. This treatment has no side effects.
How Much Will It Cost?
Laser treatment for smoking is not considered a medical treatment. Therefore, it is not covered under any health insurance. This treatment can cost you somewhere near, $350 per session. It is claimed that these sessions also detoxify your body from the harmful substances that have been accumulated through smoking. In this process, harmful substances are eliminated with vitamins.
Does This Really Work?
There is not enough evidence to declare that it is successful. At the same time, there are not sufficient reasons to prove its ineffectiveness too. In fact, it will not be incorrect to say that not enough research has been done on this concept. That is the reason why it is difficult to say whether laser treatment for smoking has a definite positive effect or not.
No doubt, if laser therapy is combined with behavioral therapy, the chances of success will improve dramatically.
So, if you have tried quitting cigarettes earlier, only to return back to it, there is no harm in trying laser treatment for smoking.