Evaluation of the Efficacy of Laser Acupuncture on Uremic Pruritus

Evaluation of the Efficacy of Laser Acupuncture on Uremic Pruritus-Randomized Controlled Trial Double Blind

Sixty patients were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n=30) receiving laser acupuncture or the control group (n=30) receiving sham laser acupuncture. Treatment sessions were conducted during dialysis sessions. The experimental group received laser acupuncture at Xuehai, Quchi, and Bai Chongwo acupoints three times per week for four weeks. The control group received sham laser acupuncture at the same acupoints. The 5-D Pruritus Scale and DLQI were used to assess pruritus severity before and after the intervention.

The subjects were divided into two groups to investigate whether laser acupuncture can improve uremic pruritus.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age ≥ 20 years.
• Intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) levels < 68 pg/mL (patients with -thyroidectomy excluded).
• Urea nitrogen (BUN) clearance rate (Kt/V) ≥ 1.2 at each dialysis session.
• Serum phosphate levels < 5.5 mg/dL.
• Receiving hemodialysis three times weekly for at least three consecutive months.
• No history of acute illnesses like infections or cardiovascular disease.
• Avoiding a high-phosphorus diet.
• Adjusting dialysate calcium concentration to 8.6-10 mg/dL.
• Replacing the artificial kidney or increasing dialysis blood flow

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pregnant or nursing.
• History of photosensitivity.
• Recent use of systemic or local medications for pruritus (e.g., immunosuppressants, opioid agonists/antagonists, glucocorticoids, antihistamines, ultraviolet B therapy).
• Hepatobiliary dysfunction based on medical history and liver function tests.
• Malignancies.
• Other itchy skin conditions diagnosed by a dermatologist.
• Wounds near acupuncture points, contraindicating laser acupuncture