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Expert Introduction: Hou Xiaobing, PhD, Chief Physician, currently serves as a member of the Party Committee and Vice President of Beijing First Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital. In 2020, he was recognized as a “Model Figure in Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Capital,” and in 2021, he was awarded as a “Famous Young and Middle-aged TCM Physician in the Capital.”
Patients new to acupuncture often find themselves confused by the treatment methods prescribed by doctors, such as electroacupuncture and electric heat needles, not knowing the differences between them. Below, we will carefully distinguish these methods.
The Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon) systematically records nine types of needles and acupuncture methods. The Ling Shu (Spiritual Pivot) states: “There are nine types of acupuncture to respond to nine changes… The ninth is the burning needle, which is used to treat numbness.” Later generations of physicians combined the achievements and practical experiences of their predecessors to evolve the burning needle and scorching needle into warm needle and fire needle therapies.
Warm Needle
Warm needle therapy involves applying heat stimulation while using acupuncture techniques. Typically, moxa (mugwort) is rolled into a small ball and wrapped around the handle of the needle or small moxa cones are ignited and placed on the needle handle. The heat is transmitted through the needle to the acupuncture points and meridians. Warm needle therapy combines the effects of acupuncture and moxibustion, achieving the purpose of warming the meridians and promoting blood circulation. It is suitable for conditions characterized by excess cold and dampness, and stagnation in the meridians, such as joint pain and numbness of the skin.
Fire Needle
Fire needle is a type of traditional acupuncture therapy in which specially made needles are heated in a flame until they glow red and then quickly inserted into acupuncture points for treatment. The efficacy of fire needle therapy is primarily reflected in two aspects. First, it dispels cold and alleviates pain. Fire needles can effectively unblock the flow of qi in the meridians; as TCM states, “where there is flow, there is no pain.” When the flow of qi is restored, stagnation in the meridians can be relieved, thus reducing related pain symptoms. Therefore, fire needles can treat joint pain, which falls within the scope of TCM bi syndrome. Second, it draws out toxins. In TCM, this is referred to as using heat to draw out heat. For example, during the blistering phase of acute sores or herpes zoster, fire needles can effectively expel internal heat toxins through the skin, providing excellent detoxification effects. However, fire needles require longer burning times, dissipate heat quickly, are inserted rapidly, and it can be difficult to accurately locate the acupuncture points, which may induce fear in patients.
Electric Heat Needle
Modern acupuncture has drawn from the theories of “burning needle” and “scorching needle” in the Huangdi Neijing, combined with modern scientific technology, to create a new type of needle—electric heat needle. This is an inheritance and improvement of traditional fire and warm needles, possessing the common characteristics of acupuncture and moxibustion, similar to fire and warm needles, but superior to them.
Although the name electric heat needle contains the word “electric,” it is fundamentally different from electroacupuncture. The electric heat needle does not stimulate the corresponding acupuncture points and meridians through electric current; instead, it converts electrical energy into thermal energy to stimulate the corresponding meridians and acupuncture points.
During the retention time of the needle after achieving qi, the electric heat needle maintains a constant thermal effect, allowing for precise adjustments of the needle temperature based on the patient’s condition, objectively and quantitatively exerting the effects of warm needle therapy.
The electric heat needle generates more heat than moxibustion, and the needle is thicker than a standard acupuncture needle, combining the dual advantages of acupuncture and moxibustion. The electric heat needle can improve and regulate the flow of qi and blood in the meridians, achieving the purpose of warming the meridians, expelling pathogens, and ensuring smooth circulation of qi and blood. It is like ice in the cold of winter, which melts with warmth and flows freely with heat, achieving the goals of supporting the righteous and expelling evil, adjusting yin and yang, and preventing and treating diseases.
In clinical applications, electric heat needles do not cause skin damage. Depending on the temperature adjustment of the electric heat needle device, the temperature can be adjusted within a certain range, allowing the electric heat needle to exhibit the combined effects of acupuncture, warm needle, and fire needle. The sensation of warmth can penetrate deep into the body and diffuse, with the temperature increasing as the current intensity rises, and the temperature remains constant and adjustable. It is currently an ideal tool for introducing thermal radiation deep into the body and dispersing heat at the center.
Electric heat needles are commonly used for cancer and precancerous lesions, bi syndrome, as well as various deficiencies following chronic illness, serious illness, or prolonged illness. Electric heat needles attempt to combine traditional “burning needle” and “scorching needle” techniques with modern scientific technology, elevating and promoting the theories and practices of TCM.
Electroacupuncture
Electroacupuncture, differing from electric heat needles only by the absence of the word “heat,” involves using an electroacupuncture device to convert alternating current into direct current, then outputting low-frequency pulsed direct current. The output electrodes of the electroacupuncture device are divided into positive and negative poles, which are connected to two acupuncture needles, forming a circuit. It is important not to connect both electrodes to the same acupuncture needle to avoid short-circuiting. Unlike the composite needles used in electric heat needles, electroacupuncture uses standard acupuncture needles.
Electroacupuncture has effects such as unblocking meridians, promoting the flow of qi and blood, alleviating pain and calming, and regulating muscle tension. For example, dense waves can reduce the emergency function of nerves, used for pain relief and calming, and alleviating spasms; sparse waves can induce muscle contraction, increasing muscle tension, used for atrophy and soft tissue injuries of muscles, joints, and ligaments.
Both electric heat needles and electroacupuncture share common features such as adjustable output current intensity, controllable duration of action, and repeatable operational techniques, allowing this ancient practice of acupuncture to be quantified, which holds great practical significance for modern clinical practice.
Note: Please follow medical advice for specific treatments and medications!
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Great article! Highly recommended for everyone to read.