Whether Fire-needle Therapy Benefits Plaque Psoriasis: A Multicenter, Randomized, and Controlled Trial

Area of Science:

• Integrative Medicine
• Dermatology
• Traditional Chinese Medicine

Background:

• Plaque psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin condition.
• Current treatments have limitations, necessitating exploration of alternative therapies.
• Fire-needle therapy is an external Chinese medicine approach.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of fire-needle therapy for plaque psoriasis.
• To compare fire-needle therapy combined with oral medication and topical cream against standard care.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 151 participants with plaque psoriasis.
• Participants received either fire-needle therapy plus oral Huoxue Jiedu Decoction (HXJDD) and vaseline cream, or HXJDD and vaseline cream alone.
• Outcomes included Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA), and Chinese medicine (CM) syndrome scores.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in PASI scores between the fire-needle group and the control group.
• Significant improvements observed in CM syndrome scores and quality of life (DLQI) in the fire-needle group.
• Fire-needle therapy was found to be safe in this study population.

Conclusions:

• Fire-needle therapy appears safe and may offer benefits for plaque psoriasis patients.
• Improvements in quality of life and CM syndrome scores suggest potential therapeutic value.
• Limitations include short treatment duration and small sample size, warranting further investigation.