Fire needle therapy refers to a method that uses specific needles, heated until red, applied with certain techniques to quickly puncture the affected skin areas or acupoints, achieving therapeutic effects for diseases.
The following introduces the comparative effects of fire needle therapy on several skin diseases before and after treatment:
Fire Needle Therapy for Pruritic Skin Diseases
Pruritus is a skin condition characterized solely by itching and secondary scratches and scabs, being one of the main symptoms of many skin diseases and systemic diseases, severely affecting the quality of life of patients and often causing significant suffering. Studies have shown that fire needle therapy can stimulate local blood vessel dilation through thermal stimulation, improve blood circulation, promote inflammation resolution, facilitate skin repair, prevent scar formation, alleviate itching, and control the recurrence of lesions.
Fire Needle Therapy for Herpes Zoster
Herpes zoster is a common skin disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus infection, known in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as “snake string sore” or “waist fire sore.” Some patients may experience postherpetic neuralgia after the skin lesions completely resolve, with an incidence rate of 50% to 75% in patients over 60 years old. Fire needle therapy can harmonize Qi and blood, open meridians, and relieve pain.
Fire Needle Therapy for Furuncles
Furuncles are often caused by internal damp-heat and external toxic heat, where the heat toxin cannot be expelled and becomes obstructed in the skin. Western medicine considers this condition to be acute suppurative folliculitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus invading hair follicles, commonly occurring on the face, back of the neck, back, and buttocks. Fire needle therapy for furuncles involves puncturing to drain pus instead of incision and drainage, which can alleviate patient suffering and minimize scarring, and combined with cupping to extract pus can enhance treatment efficacy.
Fire Needle Therapy for Acne
Acne is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that commonly occurs on the neck, chest, face, and back. This condition has a long course and severely affects the physical and mental health of patients. Fire needle therapy can promote the smooth flow of superficial Qi and blood, expel pathogens, and accelerate inflammation resolution. By using TCM syndrome differentiation to provide internal herbal medicine, combined with fire needle therapy and ear bloodletting, it can achieve the effects of internal regulation of organs, improving endocrine function, expelling inflammatory substances, and driving out pathogens.
Fire Needle Therapy for Scalp Suppurative Folliculitis
Scalp suppurative folliculitis is a chronic suppurative skin disease occurring on the scalp, known in TCM as “locust” or “cricket boil.” This condition is characterized by nodules, abscesses, fistulas, and destruction of subcutaneous tissue accompanied by hair loss, often persisting for years to decades, leaving scars after healing. The fire needle method for pus drainage is an ancient method used to treat superficial abscesses, promoting granulation tissue growth and accelerating wound healing..
Fire Needle Therapy for Vitiligo
Vitiligo is a primary, localized, or generalized skin and mucosal pigment loss disorder, known in TCM as mottled skin, white spots, vitiligo, or white wind. Through fire needle therapy, it can invigorate the body’s Yang Qi, regulate the functions of internal organs, promote Qi and blood circulation, enhance the supply of necessary nutrients to the skin lesions, and accelerate melanin production, effectively treating vitiligo.
Fire Needle Therapy for Flat Warts
Clinical experience shows that fire needle therapy for flat warts has advantages such as strong controllability, low cost, minimal damage, and quick recovery, achieving the goal of removing stasis and promoting regeneration.
In conclusion, fire needle therapy has been clinically applied for over two thousand years and is increasingly used in TCM for skin diseases. During treatment, mechanical and thermal stimulation of acupoints can unblock local skin meridians, harmonize Qi and blood, and effectively promote the repair of local skin lesions. It is safe, with confirmed therapeutic effects, minimal pain and trauma, and is worth promoting and applying.