An advanced clinical trial with laser acupuncture anesthesia for minor operations in the oro-maxillofacial region.

For the purpose of improving acupuncture and acupressure anesthesia, laser acupuncture as a new type of controlled anesthetic method has been used since 1979. A beam from a 2.8-6 mW helium-neon laser apparatus (Model CW-12, Chengdu Thermometer Factory) was delivered and focused to a red spot on the selected skin point of the patient. The laser was used instead of the routine acupuncture and acupressure anesthesia. This paper reports the clinical laser trial of 610 cases (562 cases of difficult exodontia and 48 cases of various minor operations in the oro-maxillofacial region). The effect of analgesia was satisfactory. No sedatives or analgesics were administered before or during operations. The helium-neon laser apparatus, selection of laser irradiating acupuncture points, distance, and duration of irradiation and clinical observations are described.