Overview of Fire Needle Therapy
The Fire Needle (Huo Zhen) is a method that involves quickly inserting a needle that has been heated to red-hot into acupuncture points to treat diseases. As early as in the “Ling Shu: Guan Zhen”, it is recorded: “For those who use the cauterizing needle, the burning needle is used to treat bi syndrome.” The “Shang Han Lun” also discusses the indications and contraindications for using fire needles. The “Qian Jin Yi Fang” states, “For treating boils and abscesses, the needle must be extremely hot.”
The “Zhen Jiu Da Cheng” summarizes the experiences of using fire needles for treatment before the Ming Dynasty, which can be referenced. This method has the effects of warming the meridians, dispelling cold, and promoting circulation, thus it can be used clinically for treating symptoms such as cold and dampness leading to abscesses.
Introduction to Fire Needle
The Fire Needle (Huo Zhen) is a traditional external treatment method in TCM that involves quickly inserting a heated needle into the body surface. It primarily relies on the thermal stimulation and the mechanical stimulation at the moment of insertion to exert its therapeutic effects. Therefore, it can be applied to various diseases in clinical practice, such as common conditions like migraines, shoulder periarthritis, and ankle sprains.
During the treatment process, patients may feel pain; however, most can tolerate this pain, which is generally mild.
Fire Needle【Terminology】
Also known as burning needle or heated needle.
Fire Needle【Indications and Effects】
It is indicated for bi pain caused by wind-cold contraction of the meridians, or paralysis with inability to move. The needle is quickly inserted and withdrawn, and pressing on the hole can relieve pain. For abdominal masses with cold accumulation, the needle is inserted slowly and withdrawn while rotating to allow the impurities to flow out. For back abscesses with pus but no head, the needle is inserted to allow the pus to flow out without pressing on the hole. When using fire needles, do not insert too deeply to avoid damaging the meridians; do not insert too shallowly, or the disease will not be eliminated. This method should not be used on the face or during hot and humid summer conditions. Method: Fill a small bowl with sesame oil, light 14 wicks, coat the needle with sesame oil multiple times, and heat it over the flame until it glows red before use.
Migraine
Traditional Chinese Medicine offers various methods to address migraine issues, among which fire needle therapy is a very effective and rapid method. The operation is simple and can be completed in just one minute or even less.
Fire needle treatment for migraines involves locating and marking the local pain points, cleaning the skin with an alcohol swab. Using a half-inch fire needle, quickly insert and withdraw at the marked point to rapidly alleviate migraine symptoms. This method does not require prolonged needle retention, is easy to perform, and has significant effects, making it an effective means of acupuncture for treating migraines.
Shoulder Periarthritis
Locate several sensitive points above the affected shoulder and mark them, then disinfect as usual. Heat the fire needle until it glows white over an alcohol lamp, and quickly stab at the marked reaction points 3-5 times without leaving the needle in place. Treatment is done once every 5-7 days, and generally, 3-5 treatments can lead to recovery. Some patients may require additional sessions. After fire needle treatment, the local area should not come into contact with water for 3 days, and functional exercises should begin the day after the needle treatment.
Ankle Sprain
Fire needle therapy for ankle sprains, including chronic sprains, has excellent efficacy. By using quick punctures to penetrate the pain points, the thermal effect promotes blood circulation, alleviating inflammation and pain.
Post-Treatment Precautions for Fire Needle Therapy
1. Avoid scratching or irritating the area;
2. Keep the needle hole clean and dry to prevent infection;
3. Do not wet the needle site within 48 hours to prevent infection;
4. If redness occurs at the needle site after treatment, topical applications of iodine, mupirocin ointment, or fusidic acid cream can be used for anti-inflammatory treatment.
Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine Rehabilitation
Department Introduction
The Traditional Chinese Medicine Rehabilitation Department at the Ganzhou Rongjiang New District Community Health Service Center integrates traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture therapy, modern rehabilitation, and pain management. In 2021, it was approved as a “Four-Star TCM Clinic” in the city, and in 2023, it passed the evaluation for the national standardized training base for TCM resident physicians, being approved as a grassroots base for standardized training of TCM general resident physicians. The TCM Rehabilitation Department is guided by the “holistic view and syndrome differentiation treatment” approach, utilizing traditional TCM diagnostic methods such as observation, listening, inquiry, and palpation, targeting digestive disorders like indigestion, gastritis, and colitis, cardiovascular diseases like headaches, strokes, and hypertension, respiratory diseases like cough, asthma, pneumonia, and lung nodules, gynecological diseases like menstrual irregularities, breast hyperplasia, dysmenorrhea, and menopausal syndrome, endocrine disorders like diabetes, thyroid dysfunction, and hyperlipidemia, as well as various chronic diseases in the elderly, tinnitus, insomnia, and other difficult diseases with significant efficacy. Various therapies are conducted, including acupuncture, tuina (Chinese therapeutic massage), postpartum rehabilitation, pediatric tuina, acupoint injection, small needle knife therapy, herbal iontophoresis, herbal topical applications, cupping, bloodletting, and herbal fumigation, and equipped with TCM directional drug delivery devices, TDP lamps, electronic acupuncture devices, fully automatic wax therapy machines, brain circulation function treatment devices, fumigation beds, medium-frequency pulse therapy devices, and automatic decoction machines.
The TCM Rehabilitation Department always adheres to a patient-centered approach, caring for life, creating a warm and comfortable medical environment, actively advocating a humanized service concept, sharing the worries of patients and celebrating their joys.
Ganzhou Rongjiang New District Community Health Service Center
Normal working hours for all departments: Monday to Saturday morning, closed Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday
General outpatient: 0797-8288685 8:00-21:00
Health check-ups, maternal and child health, and examinations: 0797-8288691
Vaccination: 0797-8288697
Vaccination working hours:
Morning 08:00–12:00 (30 minutes observation after vaccination, stop vaccination at 11:30)
Afternoon 14:00–17:00 (30 minutes observation after vaccination, stop vaccination at 16:30)
(Closed Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon)
TCM Department: Dr. Huang 15180253907 Dr. Wu 13155792278
Dental Department: 0797-8288693 Dr. Huang 15979785489 Dr. Xu 13970207110
Medical ethics and conduct complaints
Complaint hotline: 0797-8288695 (Medical ethics and conduct office)
Complaint email:[email protected]
Complaint address:Ganzhou Rongjiang New District Community Health Service Center, 2nd floor office
Safety production complaint hotline
Complaint hotline: 0797-12345,0797-8288695
Complaint email:[email protected]
Complaint address:Ganzhou Rongjiang New District Community Health Service Center, 2nd floor office
Contributed by: Wu Qizheng
Editor/Layout | Chen Qingrui
First review | Xie Baotian
Second review | Li Xiaomei
Third review | Ding Xiaoyun