Fu's subcutaneous needling: a traditional acupuncture radiating new therapeutic potentials

Fu's subcutaneous needling (FSN) is a brainchild of conventional acupuncture and modern medicine. It is initially used to mask pain in musculoskeletal conditions by directly stimulating the subcutaneous tissue using a special trocar needle. Currently, the modern clinical indications for FSN are gradually expanding.

Through literature review of FSN in treating pain and non-pain conditions published from 1^st January 2020 to 31^st December 2025 in both Chinese and English databases, including the CNKI, Wanfang, PubMed, and Cochrane, this article thoroughly described the evolution of FSN from the 1.0 (soft tissue pain) and 2.0 (postoperative pain, neuralgia pain, cancer pain) eras to the 3.0 era (lower gastrointestinal disorders) in clinical settings. Evidence from case reports, clinical trials and animal experiments was summarized.

FSN is initially created to relieve pain conditions through the core mechanisms of tightened muscle and reperfusion approach. It is now radiated into the treatment of non-pain conditions like lower gastrointestinal disorders by indirectly manipulating a neuro-endocrine-immune network, possessing high efficacy and safety profile.

This review provides new insights into FSN in alleviating pain and non-pain conditions, especially in treating lower gastrointestinal and/or anorectal diseases.