A new solution to an old problem helped Clark Collins, 75, do something he has been trying to do for almost 10 years: quit smoking.
A smoker for most of his adult life, Collins said he finally kicked the habit through the Anne Penman Program, a technique using laser technology, personal guidance, advice and telephone support.
“I’ve done acupuncture, hypnotism … nothing helped until this,” Collins said. “Now I’m clean.”
One of the keys, Collins said, is “you have to want to quit.”
“Then you go into the laser treatment routine and you’re done,” said Collins, who quit July 22. “I’m home free so far.”
In a new application of laser technology, a “cold” laser beam is targeted to specific energy points on the body. Focusing the laser beam on these areas causes the body to release natural chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins have a calming, relaxing effect on the body that helps to reduce nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
“It’s just amazing,” Collins said. “I have cravings, but when they come I get up and walk around, take deep breaths and think about something else.”
Collins said there is no pain to the process.
“I thought the withdrawal would destroy my body,” he said. “I’ve been smoking for 60 years, but I feel much better. On the 22nd of August I started to really feel much better … with more of a spring in my step.”
The program was developed by Anne Penman in 1992. Her center in Glasgow, Scotland, was the first to offer laser treatment to help smokers quit the habit. Collins went to a franchise opened in May in Cincinnati, the closest to Chicago listed by the franchise operation.
Smokers in the family
Opening the franchise hit close to home for its owner, Ted Wade.
“My parents were both smokers for years,” Wade said. “We were trying to get my parents to quit and they finally quit in their 60s, but my mom has emphysema and uses oxygen in the evening as she sleeps.”
Wade said he had always wanted to be involved in health care. Working in the pharmaceutical packaging industry, he was approached about the concept that Penman was bringing to America.
“I investigated to get verifications that it was a program my wife, Kimberly, and I wanted to do. I took my wife to Atlanta, the home office, and she was as excited as I was,” he said.
Even though Wade said he has never been a smoker, “I relate because I have seen what others have achieved with this program and what my parents went through before they were finally able to quit.”
Using non-invasive class IIIB laser, the treatment is completely safe, he said. It is recognized by the FDA as a “non-significant risk device.” The laser is applied to points on the hands, ears, nose and wrists.
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It is believed that nicotine releases endorphins, which give the smoker a sense of relaxation. When smoking stops, the sudden drop in endorphin levels leads to withdrawal symptoms. Laser therapy helps reduce cravings and stress and restores balance to the body.
The process is more than just laser treatment, Wade said. “One-on-one personal guidance and coaching with the technicians is also part of the program,” Wade said. The total cost of the program, which includes three sessions, is $269.
For many smokers it is not stopping that is difficult but becoming a happy non-smoker, Wade said.
Through counseling, individuals are supported to focus on the lifestyle changes necessary to help them remain smoke free. Backup support is in the form of a help line available 24 hours a day, seven days per week.
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For more information on the Anne Penman Program, visit the www.annepenmanlasertherapy.com Web site.