[Clinical observation of fire needle for facial spasm]

To compare the effects between fire needle combined with acupuncture and simple acupuncture for facial spasm.

Sixty patients with facial spasm were randomly divided into a fire needle group and an acupuncture group, 30 cases in each one. In the two groups, acupuncture was used at Fengchi (GB 20), Baihui(GV 20), Shenting (GV 24), Zusanli(ST 36) and Yanglingquan(GB 34). The needles were retained for 30 min. In the fire needle group, ashi points in the spasm areas were pricked by fire needles without retaining. In the acupuncture group, acupuncture was retained at ashi points. In the first two weeks,the treatment was given once a day, totally 10 times, and there were two days to have a rest after 5-day treatment. But patients were treated once every other day, three times a week, and totally 20 times from the third week. Fire needle and acupuncture were applied at ashi points until spasm was relieved. The facial spasm degree and frequency were observed after the 15th treatment and the 30th treatment,and the clinical effects were assessed in the two groups.

After treatment the facial spasm degree and frequency were relieved than those before treatment in the two groups (all P < 0.05). Ones in the fire needle group were declined more apparently than those in the acupuncture group (both P < 0.05). After the 15th treatment and the 30th treatment,the cured rates and the total effective rates in the fire needle group were better than those in the acupuncture group [after the 15th treatment: 20.0% (6/30) vs. 10.0% (3/30), 80.0% (24/30) vs. 63.3% (19/30), both P < 0.05; after the 30th treatment: 33.3% (10/30) vs. 20.0% (6/30), 93.3% (28/30) vs. 80.0% (24/30), both P < 0.05].

The efficacy of fire needle is superior to that of simple acupuncture for facial spasm.