What are the characteristics of floating needle therapy?

Many people must have heard of floating needle therapy, but not many people know about it in detail. In fact, this therapy is a combination of acupuncture and modern medicine, and it is very effective in treating pain caused by many diseases. It has also been recognized by many doctors and patients. So how much do you know about the characteristics of floating needle therapy? Let us learn more about this therapy today.

Efficacy characteristics

1. It is mainly used to treat pain caused by various diseases; it also has a good effect on abnormal sensations such as numbness and fullness.

2. It takes effect quickly. When treating pain, the effect can be seen as soon as the needle is inserted.

3. The therapeutic effect can be maintained when the needles are left in place, and the therapeutic effect can also be maintained after the needles are removed after a certain period of time.

4. It is safe and has no side effects. Not only does it not have the toxic side effects of drug treatment, but because the needle body is only in the loose connective tissue under the skin, the phenomena of broken, bent and stuck needles caused by traditional acupuncture no longer exist, and needle dizziness is less likely to occur than in traditional acupuncture therapy.

5. It has good long-term efficacy for diseases such as soft tissue pain; but for pain caused by malignant tumors (paraneoplastic syndrome), the long-term efficacy is not very ideal, but it is still a good analgesic method;

6. Because the patient can move freely and go home during the needle retention period, there is no need to leave the needles on the treatment bed or chair like traditional acupuncture therapy, so the space utilization rate of the treatment site is higher;

7. Low cost. Because floating needle therapy requires fewer treatments, although the cost of one treatment is higher than traditional acupuncture therapy, it saves money overall.

8. Because the operation time is short, floating needle therapy requires lower indoor temperature and has advantages over traditional acupuncture in cold weather.

Preparation before needle

1. Choose a body position

If the body position is not chosen properly, the patient will be nervous during the operation, which will make it inconvenient for the doctor to insert and move the needle, causing pain to the patient. Therefore, during treatment, the appropriate body position must be selected according to the specific location of the needle insertion point selected for treatment, so that the patient can relax and the operation can be performed more easily. The commonly used positions in clinical practice are mainly the following:

(1) Supine position is suitable for needle insertion points on the head, face, chest, abdomen, and upper and lower limbs.

(2) Lateral position: suitable for treatment on the side of the body and parts of the upper and lower limbs.

(3) Prone position: Suitable for needle insertion in the head, neck, back, waist and buttocks, dorsal side of lower limbs and part of upper limbs.

(4) Prone sitting position: suitable for needle insertion in the neck and back.

Patients who are undergoing first diagnosis, are under mental stress, or are elderly, weak, or seriously ill should be placed in a supine position as much as possible.

2. Identify the pain points

In the clinical treatment of soft tissue injuries, the pain point refers to the myofascial trigger point (MTRP), which is not only the location of the pain, but also the cause of the pain in most cases. This aspect of the problem is often overlooked by doctors, who pay more attention to imaging data rather than examining their patients themselves. For example, in the case of lumbar disc herniation, people often think that the protruding disc is the culprit. In fact, this understanding is often lacking in thought. There is a large amount of data showing that MTrP is the direct cause of lumbar disc herniation. Identifying the location of MTrP is an important and indispensable aspect of floating needle therapy. Beginners should experience it carefully and grasp the rules seriously.

3. Determine the needle insertion point

The choice of the needle insertion point affects the success of the needling and the effectiveness of the treatment. In the process of selecting the needle insertion point, the following five principles should be clarified:

(1) For small-scale pain, the needle insertion point is close, while for large-scale pain, the needle insertion point is far away.

(2) In most cases, the needle is inserted above, below, to the left or to the right of the painful area. In special cases, such as between the ribs, the needle can be inserted obliquely without being restricted to the upper, lower, left or right positions.

(3) Avoid scars, nodules, damage, depressions, protrusions, etc. on the skin, and try to avoid superficial blood vessels to prevent bleeding during acupuncture.

(4) There should be no joint between the needle insertion point and the painful area.

(5) You do not have to stick to this principle.

Disinfection must be done before acupuncture, including disinfection of the needle insertion site and the doctor's fingers.

(1) Disinfection of the needle insertion site: Wipe the area where acupuncture is required with a cotton ball containing 75% alcohol. When wiping, wipe from the center of the needle insertion point to the surrounding areas. Or first wipe it with a 2.5% iodine cotton ball, and then deiodine it with a 75% alcohol cotton ball. After the injection point is disinfected, avoid contact with dirt to avoid re-contamination.

(2) Disinfection of the Doctor's Fingers Before the operation, the doctor should first wash his hands clean, and then wipe them with a 75% cotton ball after they are dry.