Fire needling and bloodletting at cleft points in treatment of 35 patients with acute gouty arthritis

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of fire needling and bloodletting at cleft points for acute gouty arthritis, and to explore its functional mechanism. Methods Thirty-five patients with acute gouty arthritis were enrolled into this study, and fire needling and bloodletting with 10 mL/ time were applied at cleft points of corresponding meridians and collaterals at the affected side. The treatment was conducted for once every other day, and treatment for three consecutive times was needed. Serum uric acid （UA） and pain score were tested in patients before treatment and on the 6th day after treatment, follow-up visit for 3 months was performed in patients who stopped treatment, and recurrence rate was calculated. Results Budzyuski 6-point behavioral rating scale was applied to score pain. T-test was conducted on mean and standard deviation of pain score before treatment （4.09 ＋ 0.82） and after treatment （1.14 ＋ 1.33）, showing that the difference was significant （P〈0.05）; t-test was also conducted on mean and standard deviation of serum UA before treatment [（555.34 ＋ 53.09） pmol/L] and after treatment [（414.23 ＋ 67.04） pmol/L], showing that the difference was significant （P〈0.05）; among the 35 patients with acute gouty arthritis, 14 patients were cured （40.0%）, improvement was found in 19 patients （54.3%）, and effectiveness was found in 33 patients （94.3%）. Based on follow-up visit for 3 months in 33 patients with efficacy, recurrence was found in 3 patients （9.1%）. Conclusion Fire needling and bloodletting at cleft points is an effective method in treatment of acute gouty arthritis with significant analgesic effect, efficacy of reducing serum UA, high cure rate and low recurrence rate, which is worth of being generalized clinically.

Clinical observation on fire needling and pricking bloodletting for 67 cases of acne vulgaris

Objective To observe clinical effect of fire needling and pricking bloodletting on acne vulgaris. Methods Sixty-seven patients of acne vulgaris were treated by fire needling at pimple, blackhead and pustule, and pricking bloodletting at ěrjiān （耳尖 EX 11） and Géshū （膈俞 BL 17） by three-edged needle, twice a week. Clinical effect was observed after 8 times of treatment. Results Among 67 cases, 42 cases were cured, 21 cases were markedly effective, and 4 cases were effective. The cured rate was 62.69%, and the cured and markedly effective rate was 94.03%. Conclusion The fire needling and pricking bloodletting has a significant effect in the treatment of acne vulgaris with high cured rate, worthy of clinical promotion

Observation of therapeutic effects on supraspinal ligament impairment treated with fire needling

Objective To compare the therapeutic effect of fire needling with that of medication on supraspinal ligament impairment. Methods One hundred and sixty cases were randomly divided into 2 groups. Of which, in fire needling group （80 cases）, fire needling was applied and Ashi points （choosing the spinous processes of the affected vertebras as the central points） were selected. In western medicine group （80 cases）, medication was applied with Nabumetone capsules for oral administration. Two groups were treated for 2 courses and the therapeutic effects were evaluated 4 weeks after the treat- ment. Results The total effective rate was 96.3% in the fire needling group and 67.5% in the western medicine group, indicating a significant difference in comparison of the 2 groups （P〈0.05）. Conclusion The therapeutic effect of fire needling is much superior to that of medication therapy on supraspinal ligament impairment.

Clinical observation of epiphora as sequela of peripheral facial paralysis treated with pricking technique of fire needling therapy at Chengqi(承泣ST1)

Objective:To compare the clinical therapeutic effect on epiphora as sequela of peripheral facial paralysis treated with pricking technqiue of fire needling therapy at Chengqi(承泣ST1)and acupuncture treatment at conventional acupoints.Methods:From September 2018 through to October 2018,64 cases of epiphora as sequela of peripheral facial paralysis were collected from the Department of Acupuncture-Moxibustion in Suzhou TCM Hospital.According to random number table,they were divided into an observation group and a control group,32 cases in each one.In the observation group,pricking technique of fire needling therapy was used at ST1,once every two days.In the control group,acupuncture with filiform needle was applied to Jingming(睛明BL1),Taiyang(太阳EX-HN5),Tongziliao(瞳子髎GB1),Sibai(四白ST2)and Quanliao(颧髎SI18)on the affected side as well as Hegu(合谷LI4)on the contralateral side,once per day.The 10-day treatment was as one 1 course and the consecutive 3 courses of treatment were required in either of the groups.Before and after treatment,Munk grade,clinical effective rate and the number of treatments were observed in the evaluation of therapeutic effect.Results:After treatment,Munk grade was improved in the patients of the two groups(both P<0.05).The improvement range in the observation group was larger than that of the control group(P<0.05).The treatment in either group achieved the obviously therapeutic effect on epiphora as sequela of peripheral facial paralysis.The effective rate in the observation group was 90.32%,higher than 61.29%in the control group(P<0.05).The mean number of treatments of the curative case were 5.11 in the observation group and were 13.73 in the control group,indicating the statistical significance in difference(P<0.05).Conclusion:Pricking technique of fire needling therapy at ST1 achieves the better effect on epiphora as sequela of peripheral facial paralysis as compared with acupuncture at conventional acupoints.

火针围刺联合夹脊电针治疗急性期带状疱疹:随机对照试验

ObjectivesTo investigate the clinical efficacy of surrounding fire needling combined with electroacupuncture (EA) at Jiājĭ (夹脊EX-B2) on acute herpes zoster, and explore the potential mechanism of this combined treatment by measuring the changes of serum inflammatory cytokines and pain mediators.MethodsSixty patients with acute herpes zoster were randomly assigned to either acupuncture plus western medicine group or western medicine group. In the western medicine group, the patients took orally mecobalamin and ganciclovir for 14 consecutive days. In the acupuncture plus western medicine group, on the base of the western medicine, the surrounding fire needling (fire needling was operated swiftly toward the center of skin lesions.) combined with EA at EX-B2 was provided. Acupoints of EX-B2 were selected based on the nerve ganglion corresponding to the skin lesions, as well as two adjacent nerve ganglions(one level upwards and one downwards) to the lesions, and were stimulated with EA once daily for 14 days. The change of symptoms from the blister eruption to scabbing and decrustation were observed. The score of visual analogue scale (VAS), serum inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α) and pain mediators (calcitonin gene related peptide, substance P) before and after treatment, the scores of Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and Hamilton depression scale (HAMD) before and after treatment as well as at 1 month of follow-up, and the overall effective rate and the incidence of post-hepatic neuralgia at 1 month of follow-up were assessed and compared between two groups, respectively.ResultsAfter treatment completion, the time of blister relief, scabbing and decrustation in the acupuncture plus western medicine group was significantly shorter when compared with that of the western medicine group (all P < 0.05). After treatment, VAS score, PSQI score and HAMD score were all reduced significantly when compared with that before treatment within group (P < 0.05). These scores in the acupuncture plus western medicine were reduced significantly compared with the western medicine group at the same time point (all P < 0.05). After treatment, the incidence of post-hepatic neuralgia was 6.89%, lower than that in western medicine group (50.00%, P < 0.05). After treatment, the values of serum inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, TNT-a) and pain mediators (CGRP, SP) were reduced when compared with the those before treatment within group (P < 0.05), and the reduction in the acupuncture plus western medicine group was larger than that in the western medicine group (P < 0.05). The total effective rate was 96.67% in the acupuncture plus western medicine group, higher than western medicine group (86.67%, P < 0.05).ConclusionsSurrounding fire needling therapy combined with EA at EX-B2 on the base of western medicine obtained better therapeutic effect on acute herpes zoster when compared with western medicine. This combined treatment may effectively relieve pain and depressive emotions, improve sleep quality and reduce the incidence of post-hepatic neuralgia. The underlying mechanism may related to regulation of pain mediators and reduction of inflammatory cytokines.

Case of multiple verruca plantaris

A female student,23 years old,suffering from multiple warts scattered on the right sole for 2 years and pain on the bottom of the first metatarsal bone when walking for 1 month.The case was diagnosed as kujinjian(枯筋箭)in traditional Chinese medicine and verruca plantaris in western medicine.At the beginning of treatment,fire needling therapy was applied to local lesions,once every two days.Afterwards,moxibustion with moxa cone was used at the local lesions,once a day,three cones on each lesion till warts were dropped.Simultaneously,in combination,mild moxibustion was given at bilateral Zusanli(足三里ST36)for 15 min,once a day.After three times of moxibustion therapy,a part of warts were crusted and 3 weeks later,all the warts were dropped.No recurrence was found in the follow-up visit.The therapeutic methods of this case are simple in manipulation and satisfactory in therapeutic effect.