Laser acupuncture and acupuncture injection therapy – FV Hospital’s Traditional Medicine Department introduces the latest treatments for a variety of conditions

Recently, modern medicine has been used in combination with traditional medicine to improve the effectiveness of treatment, especially for diseases of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems, which often cause patients persistent pain and significant discomfort. In these cases, adding Western medical treatment in combination with traditional Eastern medical techniques can increase the pain relief effect and reduce side effects.

In addition to existing treatments such as acupuncture, thread implantation and moxibustion, the Traditional Medicine Department at FV Hospital has recently introduced two new techniques: laser acupuncture and acupoint injection therapy to treat musculoskeletal and neurological conditions.

Laser Acupuncture – Combining modern technology with traditional methods

Laser acupuncture is a new treatment technique that combines traditional acupuncture methods with the action of laser light. Instead of physical acupuncture needles, it uses laser light that stimulates acupuncture points on the meridians. This method precisely targets acupuncture points and produces similar results to traditional acupuncture, but also has several other great benefits:

• Non-invasive, painless, no acupoint hurt or bleeding.
• There is no risk of needles breaking or becoming infected.
• Suitable for patients who are afraid of pain, especially children.
• It can be easily and flexibly used to treat various parts of the body, especially areas with many blood vessels and nerves such as the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, knuckles of the fingers and wrists.
• It is safe with no side effects.

Dr Diec Kha Han, head of traditional medicine at FV Hospital and level I specialist, performs laser acupuncture treatment on a patient.

Laser acupuncture works by shining low-power laser light energy through the skin and allowing it to be absorbed by the tissue. At the cellular level, the laser promotes redox reactions, activates numerous intracellular signaling pathways, promotes protein synthesis, regenerates blood vessels, protects nerve cells, and restores nerve cells. At the molecular level, low-power lasers can promote the expression of DNA repair genes and heal damaged skin fibroblasts. As a result, the laser beam can penetrate to different depths in the tissue, depending on the wavelength and power of the laser device used. In addition, the low power of the laser does not generate heat, ensuring the patient’s comfort during treatment.

Currently, laser acupuncture is commonly used to treat the following conditions:

• Pain symptoms: neck and shoulder pain, shoulder periarthritis, lower back pain, functional headaches…
• Inflammatory diseases: lateral epicondylitis of the humerus, plantar fasciitis, shoulder periarthritis, sacroiliac joint inflammation, rheumatoid arthritis…
• Neurological diseases: Post-stroke paralysis, spinal cord injury paralysis, facial nerve paralysis, trigeminal neuralgia, carpal tunnel syndrome, sciatica…
• Functional disorders: rhinitis, sinusitis, insomnia, bronchial asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease, functional dyspepsia, gastritis, vestibular disorders, pediatric bedwetting…
• Laser acupuncture is particularly suitable for older adults, people with chronic diseases such as diabetes, people who are advised to limit their use of painkillers, and patients who are afraid of acupuncture.

However, this method is not indicated for patients with precancerous conditions or cancer, epilepsy, heart failure, hyperthyroidism, or those receiving long-term immunosuppressant or high-dose corticosteroid treatment.

The efficacy of Western medicine is utilized in acupressure injection therapy.

Acupuncture therapy is the injection of medically indicated drugs (Western medicine) into acupuncture points to treat illness. The aim of this therapy is to increase the area, intensity and duration of stimulation during treatment. By combining the benefits of acupuncture with the effects of drugs, acupuncture therapy not only effectively relieves or suppresses illness, but also directly and quickly addresses the underlying cause of the illness.

When the medicine is injected into the acupoints in the body, the stimulated impulses are transmitted to the cerebral cortex. From there, the impulses are reflected at different levels of the nervous system and regulate the activity of the internal organs. The pharmacological effect of the drug and its transmission effect along the meridians allow the body to absorb the medicine faster, have a stronger effect on the affected organs and help them recover better. Therefore, this method has several advantages over traditional methods.

• Even if the same amount of medication is injected into an acupoint, the pharmacological effect is stronger than if it is injected elsewhere.
• When the same type of drug is injected into an acupoint, a smaller dose can produce the same pharmacological effect as a larger dose.
• Combining medication with acupuncture can help manage the various symptoms of a disease simultaneously.

Acupoint injection therapy is recommended to treat a variety of conditions

Acupoint injection therapy is recommended to treat a variety of conditions, including:

• Neurological diseases: migraine, cerebral circulatory insufficiency, sciatica, post-stroke patients, trigeminal neuralgia.
• Musculoskeletal disorders: sprains, osteoarthritis, joint dislocations, chronic arthritis.
• Additionally, acupuncture combined with acupuncture is highly effective in treating chronic conditions such as asthma, post-stroke recovery, mild to moderate herniated discs, post-herpetic neuralgia, and facial paralysis.

At FV Hospital, laser acupuncture, acupoint injection therapy and other traditional medicine treatments are performed by Dr. Diek Ka Hanh, Head of the Department of Traditional Medicine and a Level I Specialist with almost 20 years of experience in traditional medicine. In addition, the Traditional Medicine Department at FV Hospital is equipped with the latest equipment. For example, FV uses the Lightneedle 600 standard laser device from Reimers & Janssen, a leading German manufacturer specializing in non-invasive medical devices and medical laser technology.

Integrating multiple specialties and advanced imaging, these traditional medical treatments are carried out in operating theatres that guarantee infection control standards in line with international JCI standards, one of the world’s highest benchmarks for quality of care and patient safety. This approach increases the effectiveness of diagnosis and treatment, leading to reduced costs and shorter patient travel times.

In particular, from June 1, 2024 to August 31, 2024, the Traditional Medicine Department of FV Hospital will offer a 20% discount on a five-session package of acupuncture, electroacupuncture, acupoint injection therapy, laser acupuncture, thread implantation acupuncture and thread implantation acupuncture for facial wrinkles and sagging skin.

This is both a sign of gratitude to patients who have trusted the effective methods of traditional medicine and an opportunity for many new patients to take advantage of the unique treatment methods that combine modern and oriental medicine offered by FV Hospital, a medical foundation of international standards.