Fire needle therapy, known in ancient times as “Wen Tong Fa,” involves stimulating the skin and muscles with a heated long needle. Surprisingly, people in the pre-Qin era were already using this intense method to treat diseases.
As for the type of needle, its usage, and the diseases it treats, the ancients highlighted these points:
In the Huangdi Neijing, fire needles are referred to as “chuan ci” and “fan zhen,” indicating that they must be heated before use.
The Ling Shu: Nine Needles and Twelve Origins adds details: “The ninth is the large needle, four inches long, pointed like a stick, with a slightly rounded tip.”
The Ling Shu: Official Needles directly states: “Using the fire needle treats bi syndrome,” meaning that fire needle therapy can alleviate limb pain and numbness.
As time progressed, the diseases treated with fire needles increased, including not only bi syndrome but also cold syndromes, carbuncles, and facial skin diseases, with improved methods of application.
Characteristics of Fire Needle Therapy
The most significant characteristic of fire needle therapy is that it combines the effects of acupuncture and moxibustion. In practice, fire needles require steady, precise, and quick application, generally without the need for tonifying or reducing techniques, making fire needles simpler and easier to use than fine needles. Due to the substantial stimulation from fire needles, they can achieve effects similar to leaving fine needles in place for extended periods without actually leaving them in, and the treatment intervals are longer than with fine needles, thus saving patients the trouble of frequent visits, resulting in lower time costs for treatment.
The main drawback of fire needles is the intense pain, which can be daunting for some patients. However, as long as the practitioner is skilled and the needle type and insertion points are chosen appropriately, the pain can be alleviated, and after several treatments, the vast majority of patients can ultimately accept fire needle therapy.
Regarding pain, Ming dynasty physician Gao Wu compared fire needles with moxibustion: “Moxibustion directly retains the heat of the moxa, causing prolonged pain; fire needles, though intimidating, provide quick relief with just one insertion, resulting in less prolonged pain. Thus, it is known that moxibustion requires multiple applications to achieve results, while fire needles only require one insertion to alleviate pain.”
This comparison refers to the ancient method of direct moxibustion; modern moxibustion often uses indirect methods, which are less effective than the ancient techniques. In summary, compared to the complexities of acupuncture and moxibustion, the momentary pain of fire needles is bearable.
Fire needles have a wide range of indications. The ancients stated: “For all cold and heat, deficiency and excess, light and heavy diseases, it is applicable to all.” This is due to the broad effects of fire needles.
Effects of Fire Needle Therapy
1. Warming Yang and Supporting the Right Qi
Fire needles can use heat to assist Yang, treating various deficiency cold syndromes caused by Yang deficiency. For example, in cases of middle jiao deficiency cold, fire needles can invigorate the spleen and stomach Yang, improving digestive function; for kidney Yang deficiency, fire needles can tonify the kidneys and strengthen Yang, treating kidney deficiency-related lower back pain, impotence, and nocturnal emissions; for Yang deficiency with sinking Qi, fire needles can lift Yang to treat conditions like gastroptosis and uterine prolapse. When Yang Qi is sufficient, Qi transformation is effective, and the movement of fluids is unobstructed, thus phlegm and fluid can be resolved, and edema can be eliminated.
Experimental evidence shows that fine needles can enhance the phagocytic ability of white blood cells in experimental animals and promote antibody formation, thereby improving the immune capacity of animals to defend against pathogenic factors, which is the concept of “supporting the right” in TCM.
Fire needles possess this characteristic of fine needles and, through their warming effect, enhance this action, ensuring that the right Qi is abundant, the exterior is fortified, and pathogenic Qi is difficult to invade, making it easier to eliminate any invading pathogens, as the saying goes, “When the light shines brightly, the shadows dissipate.”
2. Warming and Unblocking the Meridians
Meridians are responsible for the circulation of Qi and blood, connecting the body’s interior and exterior, and regulating the functional activities of the organs. Once the Qi and blood in the meridians are imbalanced, various pathological changes can occur. Therefore, unblocking the meridians has always been an important principle in acupuncture treatment. Fine needles have this effect, while fire needles, through the burning and heating of the needle body, enhance the unblocking effect.
“No flow means pain”; when the meridians are blocked, Qi and blood stagnation can lead to pain. Fire needle therapy can warm and unblock the meridians, allowing Qi to flow and blood to circulate, achieving the goal of “where there is flow, there is no pain.” Thus, it can treat various pain syndromes. When the meridians are obstructed, the lack of nourishment to the muscles and skin can lead to symptoms such as spasms, convulsions, numbness, and itching.
Fire needle therapy warms the body, unblocks the meridians, and invigorates Qi and blood circulation, thus having the effects of relieving spasms, eliminating numbness, stopping itching, and calming convulsions. For chronic non-healing wounds such as chronic ulcers, suppurative lymphadenitis, and ulcers, fire needles can uniquely promote tissue regeneration and closure.
Because fire needles warm and unblock the meridians and invigorate Qi and blood, the stagnant blood around the wound can dissipate due to the unblocked meridians and accelerated circulation, and the surrounding tissues receive nourishment, thus promoting tissue regeneration and speeding up wound healing. The tissue regeneration and wound closure effects of fire needles are unmatched by fine needles.
3. Expelling Pathogens and Dispelling Heat
Fire needles are relatively thick, and with the aid of heat, the needle holes do not close quickly after insertion, allowing wind pathogens and some tangible pathogens to be expelled directly from the body through the needle holes, a method known as “opening the door to drive out pathogens.”
For example, when wind-cold invades, causing the lungs to lose their ability to descend and disperse, resulting in symptoms like coughing and wheezing, fire needles can stimulate the acupoints and meridians with warmth to disperse wind-cold and drive out pathogens. When the pathogenic Qi disperses, the lung Qi’s ability to disperse and descend is harmonized, and symptoms resolve. Similarly, when cold-damp pathogens invade the body, blocking the meridians and causing various pain syndromes, fire needles can use their heat to warm and transform cold dampness, promoting Qi and blood circulation, thus alleviating diseases.
Fire needles can also be used for heat syndromes, showing remarkable effects against heat toxins. “When heat diseases are relieved by fire, it is like cooling down after extreme heat, which is the meaning of the ancient theory of ‘using heat to draw out heat.'” Conditions like mumps and herpes simplex are associated with internal heat toxins, and using fire needles can warm and unblock the meridians, invigorate Qi and blood, and draw out heat toxins, thus clearing heat and detoxifying.
4. Removing Necrotic Tissue and Promoting Healing
Removing necrotic tissue and draining pus is a primary function of fire needles in folk applications, as it is simple and effective, allowing for thorough pus drainage and easy wound healing. One only needs to insert the heated fire needle into the center of the abscess or at easily drained points, typically inserting 1-2 needles in the center and 2-3 needles around it.
Fire needles have the effect of promoting tissue regeneration and closing wounds, treating chronic non-healing wounds or other chronic ulcers, such as suppurative lymphadenitis and ulcers. Using a medium-thick fire needle, after heating, insert around the wound; if there is necrotic tissue in the wound, insert 1-2 needles in the center. Because fire needles can warm and unblock the meridians and invigorate Qi and blood, the stagnant Qi and blood around the wound can flow and dissipate, and the surrounding tissues receive increased nourishment, thus promoting tissue regeneration and accelerating wound healing.
In addition to the above effects, fire needles also have the functions of dispelling masses, resolving nodules, lifting Yang, regulating the lungs, calming wheezing, relieving pain, stopping itching, eliminating numbness, calming convulsions, and calming wind. In summary, when the body is free of pathogens, fire needles can assist Yang and support the right Qi; when pathogens are present, fire needles can disperse and drive out pathogens.
Fire needles provide substantial stimulation to the body and can also be used for bloodletting; therefore, although fire needles are classified as warming and unblocking therapies, they also possess the characteristics of strong unblocking therapies. Thus, fire needle therapy is a powerful tool in acupuncture for treating difficult and complex diseases.
Relieving Tumor Pain: Fire Needle Therapy Has Its Method
Traditional Chinese medicine considers pain as a symptom of tumors, with its etiology directly related to the tumor, which can be summarized as real pain (“no flow means pain”) and false pain (“no nourishment means pain”). Real pain and false pain often occur at different stages of tumor development, generally with real pain predominant in the early and middle stages, while false pain predominates in the late stage or a mix of both.
1. Etiology and Pathogenesis
Etiology: External invasion of the six excesses, irregular diet, emotional distress, and prolonged illness leading to body deficiency.
Pathogenesis: Pathogenic Qi conflicts and accumulates, leading to pain due to obstruction or weakness of Qi and blood leading to pain due to lack of nourishment.
Location: The disease location varies and is closely related to the five organs and six bowels.
Nature: There is a distinction between deficiency and excess; generally, real pain predominates in the early and middle stages, while false pain predominates in the late stage or a mix of both.
2. Syndrome Differentiation and Acupoint Selection
Fire needles are a method of rapidly inserting a heated needle tip into acupoints to treat diseases. As early as in the Ling Shu: Official Needles, it is recorded: “For those who use fire needles, they treat bi syndrome with them.” The Qian Jin Yi Fang states, “For treating abscesses and carbuncles, the needle must be extremely hot.”
Based on the patient’s etiology and condition, a comprehensive diagnosis is made to select acupoints. Fire needle therapy has the effects of warming the meridians, dispersing cold, and unblocking the meridians, thus it can be clinically used to treat symptoms of deficiency cold and abscesses, effectively alleviating cancer pain.
Precautions for Fire Needle Therapy
1. Caution should be exercised when applying fire needles to the face. The Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion: Fire Needles states: “Fire needles can be applied to all parts of the body, but should be avoided on the face.” This is because fire needle insertion may leave small scars; therefore, except for treating small areas of vitiligo, moles, and flat warts on the face, fire needles are generally not used on the face.
2. Fire needles should also not be applied to areas with major blood vessels and nerves.
3. After needle insertion, if there is redness or swelling that does not completely subside, bathing should be avoided to prevent infection.
4. If there is itching at the needle site, do not scratch to avoid infection.
5. Needle hole treatment: If the needle is inserted 1-3 fen deep, no special treatment is needed. If the needle is inserted 4-5 fen deep, apply a disinfected gauze pad and secure it with tape for 1-2 days to prevent infection.
Today’s Program Preview
“The “Rich Disease” from Eating—Gout“
Some describe the pain of gout as “coming and going like the wind,” because it arrives quickly and departs just as fast. More frightening is its intermission period, which often leads people to let their guard down, while in reality, it is brewing for the next attack. Why is gout becoming more common among the general public? What factors in daily life are closely related to gout? As World Gout Day approaches, we invite renowned TCM physician and director of Zhongshan Hospital in Zhejiang Province, Gao Xiangfu, to help you understand gout. Don’t miss today’s program at 17:25 on Zhejiang TV News Channel and 22:30 on Zhejiang TV Education and Technology Channel “Health of the Great Nation.”
Previous Exciting Content, More Essential Health Tips
All in the Original Text