EFFICACY AND MECHANISM OF HELIUM-NEON LASER ACUPOINT THERAPY IN TREATING GASTROINTESTINAL URTICARIA

抄録

From June 1990 to June 1993, 18 patients with gastrointestinal type urticaria (GU) were treated with helium neon (HeNe) laser acupoint therapy (LAT). As a control group, 17 patients with GU were treated with the corticosteroids cortisol (CT) or dexamethasone (DX) and the results were compared. The patients’ ages ranged from 3∼59 years, with a mean age of 31 years. In the HeNe laser group, the ‘shenque ’ acupoints were irradiated once daily with 25 mW continuous wave (632.8 nm) for 10 ∼15 minutes per session, at an incident power density of 800 mW/cm² giving an incident energy density of 480 ∼720 J/cm². The results showed that 11 patients were cured and 6 greatly improved. The total effective rate for HeNe LAT was 94.1%. In the CT and DX therapy groups, the drugs were administered by intravenous drip or injected intramuscularly. The results showed 8 patients cured and 7 greatly improved. The total effective rate was 88.2%. In comparison with the two chemotherapeutic groups, the total effective rate of the HeNe group was statistically significantly higher than that of the controls (p = > 0.05). Although more controlled experimental work is required to elucidate the LAT mechanisms and pathways, this preliminary study indicates that noninvasive and side effect free HeNe LAT might be more effective for the treatment of GU, especially for those cases with have proved resistant to CT or GX therapy, and for the paediatric patient.