Fire needle therapy for recurrent skin and soft tissue infections: a case report and literature review

Recurrent skin and soft tissue infections (RSSTIs) are challenging infectious diseases with a clinical incidence ranging from 7% to 45%, imposing sustained physical and psychological burdens and significant economic pressure on healthcare systems. For purulent infections, current Western medicine primarily relies on antibiotics and incision and drainage. Still, it faces limitations including increasing antibiotic resistance and surgical trauma, which further elevate the risk of RSSTIs. Fire needle therapy, as an external treatment in Traditional Chinese Medicine, may improve local microcirculation, facilitate drainage of purulent material, and promote wound healing. Due to its operational simplicity and lack of drug dependency, it offers a novel approach for treating RSSTIs.

A 70-year-old male patient presented with recurrent redness, swelling, and pus discharge on the back for 6 months, with exacerbation over the preceding 2 days. The patient was diagnosed with RSSTIs and had previously undergone surgical incision and drainage, but with poor efficacy and recurrent episodes. After 3 sessions of fire needle therapy, the wound healed completely, with no recurrence during the 1-year follow-up period and no adverse events throughout the treatment.

This case suggests that fire needle therapy may represent a potential adjunctive approach for the management of RSSTIs in selected patients. However, conclusions regarding efficacy and safety cannot be drawn from a single case, and further controlled clinical studies are required.