Characteristics and key to manipulation of fire needle

To explore the characteristics and key to manipulation and of traditional fire needle in China. Fire needle refers to a therapy with red-hot needle inserting into the skin. Special requirements are proposed in terms of selected acupoints, to burn needle body, fire needle manipulation, needle withdrawal disposal and other aspects. The therapy is characterized by “paying equal attention to needling and scorching, and laying emphasis on warming and unblocking”, “rapid needle insertion and withdrawal with coherent manipulations”, and “performing needling based on pattern differentiation”. In the process of applying red-hot needling with fire needles, normalized and unified manipulations, accurate point selection and safe stimulus should be emphasized, and the performer should be dedicated and scrupulous, and keep the manipulations coherent in order to achieve the “stable, accurate and rapid” effect. The popularization and application of red-hot needling with fire needles in TCM clinical practice can further enrich the acupuncture therapy, so that this ancient and traditional needling method can give play to its role renewedly.