Summary of TCM Courses
01
All Courses by Ni Haixia
02
Complete Guide to TCM Treatment of Common Diseases
03
Focused Study on TCM Topics
04
Online Reading of TCM Learning Books
40
Fire needle therapy is a special acupuncture treatment method that involves inserting a specially made needle, heated until red, into specific acupuncture points or areas of the body to achieve therapeutic effects.
Principles: dispel wind and cold, warm the meridians and promote circulation, select acupuncture points; Ah Shi points, Xuan Xu (Suspended Abdomen), Jian Jing (Shoulder Well).
Procedure: After routine disinfection, ignite an alcohol lamp, move the lamp close to the acupuncture point with the left hand, hold the needle in a pen-holding style with the right hand, heat the needle until red, quickly and accurately insert it into the acupuncture point, then immediately withdraw the needle, and use a disinfected cotton ball to press on the needle hole to ensure closure. Avoid water for 3-5 days!
Fire Needle Therapy for Shoulder Periarthritis
Shoulder pressure points: coracoid process, supraspinatus insertion point, rotator cuff insertion point, posterior upper arm, infraspinatus, biceps long head intertubercular groove.
Acupuncture points: Ah Shi points
Method: Locate sensitive points above the biceps on the affected shoulder and at the anterior and posterior edges of the deltoid, generally 3-6 sensitive pressure points, mark them, and disinfect as usual. Use a tungsten steel fire needle heated to white hot over an alcohol lamp, quickly prick the marked reaction points. Generally, prick 3-5 points each time, inserting about 1 inch, without leaving the needle in place. Treatment is done once every 5-7 days, typically 3-5 treatments can lead to recovery. Some patients may require additional sessions. After fire needle therapy, the local area should not come into contact with water for 5 days, and functional exercises can begin the day after the treatment.
Fire Needle Therapy for Corns
Fire needle therapy is very effective for corns; after heating the needle red, directly prick the corn, generally healing occurs after two sessions, while some severe cases may require 3-4 sessions. It is important to ensure proper disinfection, and the needle hole should not come into contact with water for three days.
Fire Needle Therapy for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Acupuncture points: Jiaji (夹脊穴), local Ah Shi points at the joints.
1.3.2.3 Fire Needle Method: The Shi-style fire needle technique uses a mini alcohol lamp to heat the needle. The practitioner holds the alcohol lamp in the left hand and the needle in a brush-like grip in the right hand. First, heat the base of the needle, then slowly lift it, heating the tip until it is white hot, and quickly insert and withdraw. Treatment is done once every other day, with 10 sessions constituting one course of treatment.
1.3.2.4 Precautions: After each needle, immediately apply pressure to the needle hole with an alcohol cotton ball to prevent bleeding; do not rub or press. After fire needle therapy, avoid bathing or getting the area wet for 3 days to prevent infection. During treatment, avoid raw, cold, and spicy foods.
Fire Needle Therapy for Neurodermatitis
Fire needle therapy is used for neurodermatitis. Since the purchased fire needles are relatively thick, patients may find them uncomfortable. I use a 0.5 mm needle, heating it red or white over an alcohol lamp, and then scatter prick the lesions, ensuring disinfection with alcohol. This method has shown good results for both localized and generalized neurodermatitis, generally reducing itching after one session of fire needle therapy. Many patients report feeling quite comfortable during treatment; although it may be slightly painful, it is much more bearable than the itching. Some patients even request additional pricks after treatment for more relief. I take Sundays off, so for smaller areas, I treat patients on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while larger areas are treated twice a week. Generally, after 10 to 20 treatments, most patients can achieve recovery.
Fire Needle Therapy for Chronic Erysipelas of the Lower Leg
Two patients experienced acute episodes of chronic erysipelas, treated with various antibiotics and herbal medicines. I tried fire needle therapy with good results. The method involves disinfecting the lesion area with 75% alcohol, heating a fine needle until red over an alcohol lamp, and then pricking the lesion to a depth of 0.5 inches, followed by cupping for 10 minutes (using 3-5 small cups, as larger cups are not effective and may fall off). A significant amount of light yellow viscous fluid is drawn out, and the patients experience a continuous seepage of light yellow fluid from the needle hole for several hours after treatment. Treatment is done daily for three days, then every three days thereafter. During treatment, antibiotics are not used. Patients report reduced swelling the day after treatment, and after 5-7 sessions, they achieve recovery. During treatment, it is important to rest, elevate the affected limb at a 30-40 degree angle, drink plenty of water, and keep the lesion area clean.
Fire Needle Therapy for Breast Masses
Breast masses can vary in size and shape, with unclear boundaries from surrounding tissues, movable under pressure; they often become painful and enlarge 3-4 days before menstruation, with pain reducing or disappearing after menstruation, and the mass shrinking.
After routine disinfection of the lesion area, a medium-sized coarse fire needle is heated to red over an alcohol lamp. The practitioner uses the thumb and index finger of the left hand to stabilize the mass, quickly prick the heated needle into the center and around the mass, without leaving the needle in place, and immediately apply pressure with a disinfected cotton ball to prevent infection. Treatment is done once every other day, with 20 sessions constituting one course of treatment.
Often caused by liver qi stagnation due to anger, spleen deficiency from overthinking, leading to phlegm dampness accumulation, resulting in damage to both liver and spleen, kidney deficiency, and disharmony of the Chong and Ren meridians, with yang deficiency and internal phlegm dampness leading to this condition. Fire needle therapy has the effect of warming and assisting yang, stimulating the flow of qi, promoting blood circulation, and eliminating accumulations; it can also assist yang to transform qi, facilitating the smooth flow of qi and body fluids, thus resolving stagnation and phlegm dampness. Fire needle therapy is particularly effective for short-term conditions and masses with a diameter of less than 2.5 cm; for longer-term conditions with larger masses, the treatment course should be extended.
Fire Needle Therapy for Ankle Sprains
I frequently encounter patients with ankle sprains in clinical practice; as long as X-rays confirm no fractures, fire needle therapy can be applied.
Most patients come in needing assistance to walk, but after treatment, they can walk out on their own, demonstrating its effectiveness. The needle is heated red and inserted at the most swollen and painful area of the ankle, pricking 4 to 8 times to allow the stagnant blood to flow out naturally, after which a plaster can be applied, leading to recovery in three days.
Fire Needle Therapy for Tendon Sheath Cysts
Tendon sheath cysts are cystic swellings that occur at the site of tendons, usually found on the wrist or the dorsal side of the foot, varying in size, soft or hard to the touch, commonly seen in young women. They develop slowly, often presenting as a half-spherical mass at the wrist, fixed at the base, elastic, mostly asymptomatic, but occasionally causing discomfort or weakness, and in severe cases, affecting normal life.
Conventional treatments often include: 1. External force to rupture, break, or squeeze the cyst wall for absorption; 2. Puncturing with a coarse needle to extract the gelatinous fluid, injecting hydrocortisone or prednisone, and applying pressure bandaging; 3. Surgical treatment, which not only has a large wound area but also leaves scars on the hand or foot. All these methods have a high recurrence rate.
In contrast, fire needle therapy for tendon sheath cysts is quick-acting and has a low recurrence rate! Treatment method: The patient sits or lies down, exposing the affected area, disinfecting as usual, then using a coarse fire needle heated red over an alcohol lamp to quickly prick the base of the cyst, quickly inserting and withdrawing 3-5 times to expel the thick gelatinous substance inside, then covering with a band-aid, treating once every 15 days. Generally, 1-2 sessions are sufficient.
Tendon sheath cysts fall under the TCM categories of “Wrist Tendon Knot” and “Tendon Accumulation,” often caused by overexertion or trauma, leading to obstruction of qi and blood flow in the local area. Fire needle therapy aims to use external fire to assist internal fire, enhancing the driving force of qi and blood circulation, warming and dispersing accumulations, and unblocking the meridians to achieve therapeutic goals. Additionally, fire needles can directly destroy cyst wall tissue with their high temperature, preventing regrowth and thus reducing the likelihood of recurrence.
Fire Needle and Cupping Therapy for Skin Numbness
For the lateral thigh, select the Du meridian from L1 to L5, Jiaji, and the affected area; for the face, select Fengfu to C7, Jiaji, and the affected area; for the abdomen, select from T10 to L2, Jiaji, and the affected area; for the perineum, select from L3 to the sacral area, Jiaji, and the perineum.
For the corresponding areas (excluding face and perineum), apply cupping for 15-20 minutes. After routine disinfection, the practitioner holds the lit alcohol lamp in the left hand and the self-made fire needle (a No. 2 steel sewing needle with the tip cut to create a flat head, wrapped with tape at the tail) in the right hand, heating the needle until it glows red, and quickly pricking the Du meridian, Jiaji, and affected area. The sequence is: healthy side Jiaji from top to bottom, Du meridian from bottom to top, affected side Jiaji from top to bottom, and affected area from the periphery of numbness towards the center. The distance between points on the Du meridian and Jiaji should be about 1 cm, and between points on the affected area about 2 cm. The depth of the needle should be about 0.5 mm. After the procedure, disinfect the puncture sites with iodine as usual.
Do not wet the needle sites, scratch them, or apply plasters; stop other treatment methods. Treatments are done every three days, with 6 sessions constituting one course of treatment.
In a study of 126 cases, the cure rate was 79%. The effective rate was 95%.
Fire Needle Therapy for Varicose Veins
In TCM, this is referred to as “Tendon Accumulation,” believed to be caused by prolonged standing, leading to poor circulation of qi and blood in the lower limbs, resulting in slow blood flow and obstruction of the meridians.
Types: (1) Liver Qi Stagnation and Spleen Deficiency (2) Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis (3) Liver and Kidney Yin Deficiency (4) Blood Stasis Obstructing the Meridians
Acupuncture points: Ah Shi points, Xue Hai (血海).
Method: For Ah Shi points, use fire needles to prick the varicose veins; for severe cases, apply a tourniquet above the lesion, then use fire needles to prick the lesion to expel stagnant blood, release the tourniquet, and then use a fine needle to prick the Xue Hai point.
Fire Needle Therapy for Patellar Ligament Injury Nodules
A patient developed a large cyst the size of a jujube on the left knee after an injury. I was unsure what it would be called in Western medicine, but I thought fire needle therapy would be effective for this case. After obtaining the patient’s consent, I began my fire needle journey, pricking the cyst over a dozen times, and asked the patient to return in three days. The patient returned on the fourth day, and it was incredible; the original “jujube” was nearly invisible to the naked eye, and only a small base remained.
Fire Needle Therapy for Herpes Zoster
The specific operational method for fire needle therapy is as follows:
(1) The patient lies down with the herpes lesions facing up, disinfect the lesions and surrounding skin with iodine, then gently dry with a disinfected cotton ball to fully expose the lesions for clear visibility.
(2) Explain the procedure to the patient, encouraging cooperation and alleviating fear. (3) Use a fire needle (or a straightened paperclip as a makeshift fire needle), heat one end over an alcohol lamp until red, and prick the tense, shiny areas of the herpes lesions, avoiding excessive depth. The herpes fluid may vaporize due to the high temperature, and occasionally, the sound of the lesion bursting can be heard; the patient may not feel significant pain. After pricking, the skin at the prick site will contract and become slightly red. Smaller lesions may become clean and dry due to vaporization of the fluid, while larger blisters can be pricked multiple times, but the area should not exceed the base of the lesion, and any excess fluid should be wiped away with a disinfected cotton swab.
(4) If there are many lesions and a wide area of involvement, it is advisable to prick in stages, not pricking too many at once. Start with the tense, shiny lesions or larger blisters, and continue with the remaining lesions the next day. If the patient has a weaker constitution, intervals of 2-3 days may be used, along with supportive therapies such as intramuscular injections of BCG polysaccharide-nucleic acid solution to enhance immunity. (5) After completing the fire needle pricking, disinfect the wound with iodine and apply acyclovir ointment or other astringent medications.
(6) Fire needle therapy is particularly effective for early-stage herpes lesions when they are small.
Fire Needle Therapy for Common Warts
After heating the needle red over an alcohol lamp, the method involves directing the needle at the center of the wart, quickly burning until reaching the base; or quickly pricking the base of the wart to a depth of about 2/3 of the wart’s base in a cross pattern, turning the wart root grayish-white. After 7-14 days, the wart may fall off on its own. During the burning process, the fire needle may need to be reheated multiple times. For filiform warts, pull the wart outward before quickly cutting it off with the heated needle, which can be done in seconds, then apply iodine and cover with a dressing, securing it with tape. The area should not come into contact with water until fully healed.
Fire Needle Therapy for Facial Telangiectasia
Using a 0.45*55mm fire needle, after heating it red, quickly prick the center of the telangiectasia, causing it to disappear immediately. Generally, treat about 10 lines each session. Patients should avoid washing their faces for 24 hours.
Fire Needle Therapy for Tennis Elbow
Treatment Method
2.1 Acupuncture Points: The patient lies supine with the elbow flexed to fully expose the affected area, or sits on a sofa with the forearm resting on the armrest to expose the affected area. The practitioner supports the affected limb with one hand and uses the thumb to press on the lateral epicondyle of the humerus to mark the size of the lesion based on the hardened area and pain for the next step.
2.2 Procedure: After routine disinfection, the practitioner holds the lit alcohol lamp in the left hand and a medium-sized fire needle in the right hand, heating the needle tip 1-1.5 cm from the affected area until it turns red, then quickly pricking the lesion. Generally, three needles are inserted in a triangular pattern, with the distance between them determined by the size of the lesion. After pricking, disinfect the needle holes with an alcohol cotton ball and instruct the patient to keep the area clean and dry for 24 hours. Treatments are done every three days, avoiding the original needle holes for subsequent sessions. Three sessions constitute one treatment course, and the effectiveness is evaluated after two courses; for patients with significant pain radiating to the forearm, additional points such as San Li (手三里) and He Gu (合谷) can be added; for those showing signs of qi deficiency and insufficient blood, internal herbal medicine can be prescribed, such as Huang Qi Gui Zhi Wu Wu Decoction with modifications.
Pain in the neck, shoulders, waist, and legs can be treated with plaster.