• 대한약침학회지
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• 제25권4호
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• pp.301-316
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• 2022

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of heat stimuli (e.g., fire needling, warm needling) in acupuncture for acute gout. Methods: Four international online databases (PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure) were searched to identify randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) that used fire needling and warm needling for acute gout. The methodological quality of the RCTs was evaluated using the Cochrane risk-of-bias (RoB) tool. Thirteen RCTs (840 patients) were included and analyzed. Three evaluation tools (total effective rate, uric acid level, and pain score) were mainly used. Comparisons were made between Western medicine (WM) and i) fire needling or warm needling treatment alone, ii) fire needling and bloodletting combination treatment, iii) combination of fire needling, bloodletting, and herbal medicine, iv) warm needling (concurrently). Heat stimuli in acupuncture alone or in combination treatment were more effective in terms of the total efficacy rates, uric acid levels, and pain scores than WM alone. Results: In all the evaluation tools, the treatment effects in the fire needling alone or warm needling alone treatment group and the fire needling and bloodletting combination intervention group were significantly better than those in the WM control group. The warm needling and WM combination intervention groups also experienced significantly better treatment effects in terms of total efficacy rates and uric acid levels. Only the pain scores in the fire needling, bloodletting, and herbal medicine combination groups demonstrated significant improvement. Only four studies mentioned adverse reactions: one reported loss of appetite; three studies reported none. According to the Cochrane RoB tool, most studies showed either high or uncertain RoB. Conclusion: Heat stimuli during acupuncture could be effective for acute gout. However, as the included studies were regionally biased, more high-quality studies are needed to confirm the level of evidence.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제37권1호
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• pp.19-27
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• 2020

The effectiveness of fire needling or warm needling treatment in clinical studies for the treatment of ankle sprains was reviewed using 4 international (PubMed, Cochrane library, EMBASE, CNKI) and 5 Korean databases (NDSL, RISS, KISS, OASIS, KTKP). Randomized controlled trials, that performed fire needling or warm needling treatment for ankle sprains until October, 2018 were retrieved (n = 8). All studies were performed in China, and 7 out of 8 studies were published within the last 5 years. There were 4 studies that used fire needling treatment, 3 studies used warm needling treatment, and 1 study used fire and warm needling treatment. The ashi-points and gallbladder meridian were the most frequently selected acupoint and meridian each. All intervention groups in the 8 studies showed statistically significant beneficial effects compared with control groups. The results of this study could provide preliminary data as the basis for well-designed randomized controlled trials on fire needling or warm needling treatment for ankle sprains.

• 한방재활의학과학회지
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• 제27권4호
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• pp.147-154
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to report the effectiveness of Fire needling therapy in patients with a vertebral compression fracture. Three patients with a acute vertebral compression fracture were treated using Fire needling therapy. To evaluate the effectiveness of Fire needling therapy, we checked Numerical rating scale on a daily and Oswestry disability index on admission and discharge. Numerical rating scale decreased as the number of Fire needling therapy increased. Oswestry disability index on discharge improved compared to admission. The limitation of this study is the insufficient number of cases and outcome measurements. Further studies are needed to prove effect and safety.

• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.122-127
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• 2014

Fire needling is an acupuncture procedure involving the swift pricking of diseased part with a red hot needle. The purpose of the present study is to report the therapeutic effect of acupuncture and fire needling combined therapy on the frozen shoulder patients. Each of patient received combined therapy of acupuncture and fire needling. Fire needling was carried out 2 or 3 times a week. Shoulder pain was evaluated by measuring visual analoge scale (VAS), range of movement (ROM), and global assessment and grade. All of the patinets treated with combined therapy exhibited decreasing of VAS and grade, increasing of ROM and global assessment.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제27권3호
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• pp.143-150
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• 2010

Objective : The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of the fire needling therapy treatment on the biceps tendinitis. Methods : Fire needling therapy was administered five times to the patient complaining with biceps tendinitis. The improvement of clinical symptom was evaluated by McGill Pain Questionnaire -Short Form(SF-MPQ), Visual Analogue Scale(VAS) and Shoulder Pain, and Disability Index (SPADI). Result : After fire needling therapy to the biceps tendinitis patient five times, the patient's SF-MPQ score, VAS, and SPADI improved from 24 to 11, from 9 to 4, and from 33.6 to 14.8 respectively. Conclusions : Fire needling for biceps tendinitis should be tested in future randomized clinical trials.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제30권3호
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• pp.87-99
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• 2013

Objectives : The objective of this study is to find out the method and effects of fire needling on frozen shoulder in China. Methods : We searched journals using the China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI) and PubMed. The keywords were a combination of "fire needling", "fire needle", "burning acupuncture", "frozen shoulder", "adhesive capsulitis", "periarthritis". Results : There were 23 studies finally selected, 7 were case control studies and 16 were case series studies. There were 9 out of 14 main meridians and 31 kinds of acupoints. The most frequently adopted meridians were LI, SI and TE. The most frequently used acupoints were $LI_{15}$, $SI_9$ and $TE_{14}$. Adjacent points were used more often than distant points. They usually heated the needle before insertion and needle retention was mostly not done. 7 case control studies showed that fire needling reported better results than the filiform needle or electro-acupuncture treatment. 15 case series studies reported a significant improvement in fire needling on frozen shoulder patients. Conclusions : There have been many studies regarding fire needling on frozen shoulder in China. Further studies should be required and these can be applied to clinical practices in Korea.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제33권2호
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• pp.151-164
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• 2016

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to review clinical studies about the efficacy of fire needling for the treatment of acne vulgaris. Methods and Results : In this review, Oasis, NDSL, CNKI, PubMed, Cochrane, J STAGE and CINII were used as the main databases for searching for medical journals, using the keywords "acne and fire needling"," acne and fire needle"," acne and fire acupuncture", and" acne and red hot needle". The initial search range included only randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and papers not matching inclusion criteria were excluded. Initially a total of 108 studies were found, with ten being excluded during title and abstract screening. After scanning 98 papers, a total of 31 RCTs were selected and analyzed. In the 31 RCTs, patients with acne were randomized into groups for treatment and control. Specifically, the treatment group received fire needling, while the control group were concurrently given other treatments. The results of the completed studies have shown that the treatment group receiving fire needling demonstrated significant improvement compared to the control group. Conclusion : During our study, it was verified that the efficacy of fire needling for the treatment of acne vulgaris was both significant and meaningful. Therefore, fire needling can be a safe and effective alternative treatment for acne. However, to confirm this result, further investigation in a traditional clinic is required, accompanied by high quality studies including randomized, placebo-controlled double-blind trials.

• 한국한의학연구원논문집
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• 제18권3호
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• pp.103-110
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• 2012

Objectives : Fire needling has been applied as the treatment for various diseases and been getting much attention from Oriental medicine due to its excellent effectiveness as the results of clinical studies have reported. However, the research findings on the safety of treatment method, materials for the Fire needling needle materials and the possibility of burn injury during the procedure are still insufficient. Methods : A thermo imaging camera was used to confirm the temperature distribution on acupuncture needle and the treatment area during the fire needling therapy. Then the degree of thermal injury was observed by H&E stain and TUNEL assay. In addition, in order to assess the safety of acupuncture materials, we conducted MTT assay using a L6 cell line. Results : The average temperature of the skin surface was observed at $47{\sim}51^{\circ}C$ after classic fire needling and $30^{\circ}C$ after warming fire needling. Warming fire needling therapy does not induce a burn on the tissue and a third degree burn was observed locally in the muscle and skin layers after classic fire needling treatment. This confirms that hwa-acupuncture therapies do not cause major burns. According to the safety assessment test result, no cytotoxicity was detected in the warming fire needling materials. This confirms the safety of the acupuncture materials Conclusions : Various research results on the biological safety of fire needling. Since fire needling therapy induces a burn locally without leaving any scar, and as other results indicate, it is considered a safe treatment method.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제36권2호
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• pp.104-114
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• 2019

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to review the effectiveness of fire needling treatment for knee osteoarthritis in comparison with manual acupuncture treatment. Methods : Through four foreign online databases (PubMed, Cochrane library, EMBASE, and CNKI) and five domestic online databases (NDSL, RISS, KISS, OASIS, and KTKP), we searched for clinical studies that performed fire needling treatment for knee osteoarthritis until May 10, 2019. Only randomized controlled trials were selected and we assessed the risk of bias according to the Cochrane RoB criteria. This review examined the selected studies into first author, publication year, sample size, outcome measurements, results, acupoints, treatment time & period and so on. Results : A total of 7 RCTs were selected in this review and all were conducted in China. Treatment period of more than 4 weeks and treatment visits of 10 to 20 times were the most common. EX-LE4 and ST35 (=EX-LE5) acupoints were most frequently selected in treatment. Among the evaluation indexes, a total efficacy rate was used the most. Most of fire needling groups showed more significant results compared with the manual acupuncture groups statistically. Conclusions : All studies showed that fire needling treatments for knee osteoarthritis were more effective than manual acupuncture treatments statistically. Therefore, the results of this study could be utilized as a preliminary data for another clinical research on fire needling treatment for knee osteoarthritis. However, further well-designed randomized controlled trials will be needed to develop sufficient evidence about the effectiveness and safety of fire needling treatment for knee osteoarthritis in the future.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제38권4호
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• pp.222-234
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• 2021

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy of fire needling and warm needling for De Quervain Syndrome by reviewing clinical studies for recent 10 years. Methods : Randomized controlled trials, non-randomized controlled trials, and case series containing more than 20 cases about fire needling and warm needling for De Quervain Syndrome published since 2011 were searched through four foreign online databases (CNKI, Pubmed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library) and five Korean online databases (OASIS, Science ON, DBPIA, KISS, RISS). The number and characteristics of participants, treatment points and main treatment methods involving other combination treatments, treatment cycle or total periods of treatments, evaluation indices, efficacy, and adverse events were analyzed. Risk of bias of included randomized clinical trials was assessed using a revised tool for assessing risk of bias in randomized trials (RoB 2). Results : A total of 6 randomized clinical trials and 2 case series involving 471 participants were included. Tender point or 'Ashi point' was the most commonly used treatment point, followed by LU4. Treatment frequency ranged from once a day to once a week. One to three outcome measures were used to evaluate the results of the studies, with the efficacy rate the most frequently used, followed by visual analogue scale. Overall risk of bias of all included randomized clinical trials was judged to have some concerns. Conclusions : All selected studies showed that fire needling and warm needling treatments for De Quervain syndrome were more effective than other clinical methods or acupuncture treatments. However, as the number of clinical studies is still too small and the risk of bias of the studies is not low, it is believed that more systematic and objective studies should be conducted.