by Amanda-Lynn Williams

Lasers may be great for killing off the bad guy in science fiction movies, but they also make great healers says Precision Laser Therapy owner Ray Uwanchuk.

As an owner and laser therapist, Uwanchuk says that laser therapy is often favoured over acupuncture as clients get the same results without the discomfort of needles.

 “They found that acupuncture needles were just releasing endorphins, a cold laser can do the same thing.” Uwanchuk says.

Clients such as Debra Benning, 41, swear by laser therapy. Benning underwent laser therapy in January 2006 for a crystal meth addiction and she hasn’t looked back since.

Benning says prior to her laser therapy treatment, she spent a $100 daily on her addiction. Benning says she finished her treatments and hasn’t touched crystal meth since.

“I walked in there a rattlesnake and I walked out a bunny rabbit 45 minutes later,” she said.

Laser therapy was an effective treatment for her addiction as the endorphin stimulation keeps her from going through the major symptoms associated with withdrawal, said Benning. She claims she had no cramping, sweating, or cravings typically experienced in the withdrawal process.

After successful laser therapy for her addiction, she returned for further therapy to help stop smoking and gambling.

Benning said she stopped gambling almost immediately after receiving treatment.

“Every $20 bucks I had, I would be at the casino trying to make it $40, and now I've maybe been there five times since I quit in five years.” Benning said. “I just have no desire to put my money in that machine and lose it.”

Her anti-smoking therapy was less successful although it worked in the beginning. Benning began smoking again after quitting for three years, and sought alternative methods to help her quit.

Much of the client’s success depends on their own will power and desire to change, said Uwanchuk.

Of the five days training he received in learning to perform laser therapy, most of the training concentrated on talking to clients and assessing their will power, he said.  

“If they’re not willing to hand us their pack of cigarettes when they walk out the door then we probably won’t take them,” he said.

According to Uwanchuk when it comes to patient success, 70 per cent lies in the therapist’s conversation with the patient and 30 per cent is up to the laser.

“Therapy is not about the equipment. It’s really about the will of the person to get better and what we say to them that’s so important,” he said.

Regardless of her struggles with smoking, Debra Benning feels people would benefit from laser therapy if it were more widespread.

“For the life of me I don’t know why this isn’t government funded. Why don’t they take this into the jails or the rehab places when people go in and at least give them one zap to make their life a little bit easier,” she said.

“I think it’s the way to go.”

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