The Laser Therapy Group stop smoking program has been very successful. The treatment is completely relaxing and in 30-40 minutes you can become smoke free! The treatment is also highly effective for chewing tobacco as well. We use a low level laser (also known as a therapeutic or cold laser). It works along the same principle as acupressure. The points that we work on are on the ears (auricular points), hands, wrist, and legs, and feet (meridian points). It is a very relaxing and pleasant treatment.
We work on three different areas with the treatment. First, we treat points for the addiction to nicotine, to help block your body's need for that drug; second, we treat diet points to help control your appetite and avoid excessive weight gain; and third we treat a lot of stress and relaxation points to help avoid the withdrawal symptoms that you would normally experience if you tried to quit on your own, such as irritability, getting short tempered, etc. We try to take away all the negative feelings and make it a smooth transition for you.
How long before you benefit? According to the American Cancer Society:
Within 20 minutes
body temperature, pulse rate and blood pressure drop to normal
Within 12 hours
carbon monoxide level drops in your body
oxygen level in your blood increases to normal
Within 24 hours
your chances of having a heart attack start to go down
sense of smell and taste begin to improve
Within 72 hours
bronchial tubes relax making breathing easier
lung capacity increases up to 30%
Within 1 week to 9 months
circulation improves
coughing, congestion, and shortness of breath decreases
cilia regrowth in the lungs increases ability to handle mucus, cleaning of the lungs, and reduce infection
Within 6 months
coughing, sinus congestion, tiredness and shortness of breath improve
Within 1 year
risk of smoking-related heart attack decreases by 90%
Within 10 years
risk of dying from lung cancer is cut in half
Within 15 years
risk of dying from a heart attack is equal to a person who never smoked.