Moxibustion with heated needle therapy is a method of treating diseases by warming the needle after acupuncture.
This method was first mentioned in the book "Shang Han Lun" by Zhang Zhongjing during the Eastern Han Dynasty. In the Ming Dynasty, Yang Jizhou's "The Complete Works of Acupuncture and Moxibustion" provided a detailed description of this method: "In this method, a round cake made of fragrant white atractylodes is placed on the acupuncture point, and then moxibustion is applied to the needle. This method is often effective for people from poor backgrounds who suffer from diseases caused by wind and cold invading the meridians...This method has been passed down through the generations and is still widely used among the general public."
[Operational Method]
1. All preparations are the same as acupuncture needle therapy.
2. Insert the needle to a certain depth according to acupuncture needle therapy, find the sensation, and apply manipulation techniques to make the patient feel soreness, numbness, heaviness, and distension. Keep the needle still.
3. Wrap moxa wool the size of a jujube pit or small jujube on the end of the needle, ignite it, and heat it. Alternatively, cut a piece of moxa roll about 2 cm long, insert it into the end of the needle, and heat it.
4. Generally, 1-3 moxa sticks are burned to create a warm feeling under the needle.
5. Leave the needle in for 15-20 minutes, then slowly remove the needle.
[Indications]
This method is suitable for wind-cold-damp bi syndrome and some conditions with cold symptoms, such as joint pain, numbness (sometimes feeling cold at the affected area), physical weakness and cold, loose stools, abdominal pain and bloating, premature ejaculation, impotence, spermatorrhea, nocturnal enuresis, prolapse of the rectum or uterus, cold asthma, cold hiccups, cold-induced stagnation and pain during menstruation, increased vaginal discharge, and cold-related stomach disorders, etc. The acupuncture point selection and methods are the same as acupuncture and moxibustion therapy, please refer to "Acupuncture Needle Therapy" and "Moxibustion Therapy" for details.
[Precautions]
1. The moxa wool wrapped on the end of the needle must be secure to prevent burning and causing injury when ignited.
2. If using a silver needle, the wrapped moxa wool should be small, as silver needles conduct heat more effectively.
3. When igniting the moxa wool, it should be ignited from the lower end to enhance the therapeutic effect by allowing the heat to radiate and conduct downwards.
4. If any moxa ember falls, immediately blow it to the ground or extinguish it directly. At the same time, instruct the patient not to move their position to prevent the moxa wool wrapped on the needle from falling and causing additional burns, as well as to prevent bending the needle. To prevent potential burns, a rubber pad, towel, or clothing can be placed around the heated needle on the surrounding skin.
5. For other precautions, please refer to the "Acupuncture Needle Therapy" and "Moxibustion Therapy".
