Cold Laser Therapy claims is to be critically evaluated Essay

Cold Laser Therapy claims is to be critically evaluated - Essay Example To approve any other claim or even similar claim for a particular device, the FDA requires adequate clinical data. Hawaii-based Quantum-Healing -Lasers.com, which sells many cold laser products online, claims that low-level laser therapy is effective for pain relief, anti-aging, weight-loss, smoking cessation, skin care, and treatment of broken bones and bullet wounds (Quantum-Heating-Lasers.com). This paper aims to evaluate some of the claims made by the organization. Quantum-Healing-Lasers.com says that smoking cessation studies in Canada and Europe have a purported success rate of 85%. According to the site, a high-wavelength, low-energy light, when applied to specific points in the body, blocks nicotine-receptors and simulates the release of endorphins. Nicotine is the addictive-factor in cigarette smoking. Nicotine gives smokers a "high" by releasing mood-enhancing chemicals called endorphins. The release of endorphins during laser therapy allegedly prevents any withdrawal symptoms that may occur because of smoking cessation. By curtailing the withdrawal symptoms, a long-time smoker is not tempted to smoke again. The site claims that the procedure is painless, easy, and takes only half-an-hour. The American Cancer Society (ACS) alleges that the currently available scientific evidence does not support claims of cold laser therapy as a smoking cessation aid. Another allegation made by ACS is that some television stations reported the cold laser therapy providers advertisements promising smoking cessation with laser treatment as news, making the therapy popular (ACS::Cold Laser Therapy, 2007). Public watchdog group Public Citizen also alleged that cold laser therapy providers are defrauding thousands of smokers with promise of cessation for hefty sums of up to $349 per session. According to the group reviews of medical literature shows few well-run trials that study the effectiveness of cold laser therapy for