Laser Acupuncture for Bed-wetting

Can lasers help with children who wet the bed?  Researchers in Turkey say so.  In a report released recently from Haydarpasa Numune Training and Research Hospital in Istanbul claim that “laser acupuncture therapy” can help kids who wet the bed become dry at night.

Others aren’t so sure.

Dr. Orhan Koca of the hospital claims that by targeting points in the body tied to traditional Chinese acupuncture points associated with bladder control, they can help kids finally stop wetting the bed.

In a study of 91 children averaging 8-9 years old, 2/3 of the children received the laser acupuncture, while the other third went through the procedure but no laser was used. The study claims that only 15 days after the treatment, 40% of the kids stopped wetting the bed entirely, compared to 8% of the kids with no treatment.  After 6 months, the percentage increased to 54% and 12% respectively.

While some urologists and pediatricians were quick to dismiss the study, some say the stimulation of nerves could be helping increase bladder awareness, but there is no sure-fire way to tell if the procedure is the thing producing the result, or if the kids naturally stopped wetting the bed. Dr. Steve Hodges, a pediatric urologist from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina, said “there’s a valid scientific basis for nerve stimulation leading to bladder relaxation, and therefore increasing your capacity to hold urine at night.”

I doubt there will ever be “home laser acupuncture kits” available at the local pharmacy in the near future.

The full article can be read here.