• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.15-28
• /
• 2011

Objectives : To understand the strength and weakness of traditional warm needle acupuncture based on existing research outcomes in Korea mostly and to suggest how to build the desirable warm needle acupuncture apparatus by overcoming demerits of traditional and currently existing ones. Methods : We searched warm needle relating papers in Korean with the key words of '온침, 화침, 열자극' by using DBpia, Journal of Korean Oriental Medical Society, Journal of Korean Acupuncture & Moxibustion Society and Journal of Society for Meridian and Acupoint. Degree dissertations in Korean were also searched with the same words through the search engine of Library of Kyung Hee University. We also searched with words of 'warm, thermal, heat, needle, acupuncture, temperature' via Pubmed and found a small number of English written papers and large number of Chinese written ones. To find english translated version of those papers, we googled with the same words with no success. Results : About 20 papers on warm needle acupuncture written in Korean were found and analyzed with respect to experimental factors that affected the thermal properties or the amount of heat stimulus of the acupuncture. More rigorous descriptions seemed to be required on the insertion depth, duration and manipulation of warm needle treatment. A basic heat transfer model was presented for the clarification of heat loss through the needle of warm needle acupuncture. Environmental factors such as air flow on the properties seems to be considered for the warm needle acupuncture. Conclusions : Papers on warm needle acupuncture were reviewed and analyzed based on their thermal properties and tools such as needles and moxa cones. Several suggestions were made on the descriptions relating the properties. Necessary specifications were introduced to aim modernized warm needle systems.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• v.37 no.2
• /
• pp.69-78
• /
• 2020

Although there have been studies investigating the clinical effects of warm needling (WN) for specific diseases, a comprehensive review of WN is needed. Four Korean internet databases were used in the review of WN treatment performed in Korea. The search terms used to retrieve articles were "warm needling (in Korean; 온침)," "warm acupuncture," and "warm needle." A total of 29 articles were reviewed. The following aspects of WN were investigated: language and terminology, study design, use of Standards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture, research ethics, moxibustion types, number of moxa used, moxa combustion time, needle retention time, treatment time and frequency, acupoints, meridians, acupuncture size and depth, disease classification, pattern identification, outcome measures, and adverse effect. More sophisticated and precise studies on WN are required.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• v.36 no.3
• /
• pp.131-139
• /
• 2019

Background: This study aimed to investigate the correlation between heat transmission and intervention factors for warm acupuncture (such as features of acupuncture material and moxa, the treatment method, and clinical symptoms). Methods: Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese databases were analysed. Experimental studies that explored the association between thermal stimulation delivery and warm acupuncture intervention factors were included. The peak temperature, time to reach the peak temperature, and time of the effective stimulus, were set as the major parameters and analysed. Results: A total of 12 studies were included. Two studies were associated with the acupuncture needle material, 4 studies associated with the moxa mass, 1 study associated with the moxa density, 2 studies associated with the location of ignition, and 1 study associated with treatment environment were reviewed. The reporting quality of the 12 studies was low. Conclusion: This study provided limited information because of the heterogeneity of materials and parameters depending on each experiment. Further studies should clarify the correlation between heat transmission and intervention factors for warm acupuncture.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• v.37 no.1
• /
• pp.19-27
• /
• 2020

The effectiveness of fire needling or warm needling treatment in clinical studies for the treatment of ankle sprains was reviewed using 4 international (PubMed, Cochrane library, EMBASE, CNKI) and 5 Korean databases (NDSL, RISS, KISS, OASIS, KTKP). Randomized controlled trials, that performed fire needling or warm needling treatment for ankle sprains until October, 2018 were retrieved (n = 8). All studies were performed in China, and 7 out of 8 studies were published within the last 5 years. There were 4 studies that used fire needling treatment, 3 studies used warm needling treatment, and 1 study used fire and warm needling treatment. The ashi-points and gallbladder meridian were the most frequently selected acupoint and meridian each. All intervention groups in the 8 studies showed statistically significant beneficial effects compared with control groups. The results of this study could provide preliminary data as the basis for well-designed randomized controlled trials on fire needling or warm needling treatment for ankle sprains.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.35-47
• /
• 2010

Objectives : To characterize the thermal properties of traditional warm needle and new warm needle with various air flows as an important environmental factor and to suggest the necessity of maintaining suitable environment of clinics to maximize their efficacy. Methods : We measured the temperature characteristics of traditional moxa warm needle and new moxa charcoal warm needle by applying an automatic temperature acquisition system with thermocouples while external various air flows were supplied. Temperatures of two positions at the needle body were measured while a moxa cone burned. Typical temperature characteristics like peak temperature, duration, curve shape and the efficiency of the heat stimuli by heat amount analysis were executed. Results : Both warm needles showed similar temperature curve with an increase in the air flow. Peak temperature and duration of effective heat decreased with the air flow, as shown in indirect moxibustion on garlic. The temperature change pattern by the air flow became more apparent when the total combustion heat was compared with the effective heat. The values from two positions on the needle body were significantly different, showing a distance dependency from the heat source of warm needle acupuncture. Conclusions : Thermal properties of warm needle acupuncture was observed variously with surrounding air flow of 0.0 - 0.7 m/s. It emphasized the importance of environmental control as well as the warm needle itself such as heat source and needle. The latter has already been known to deliver designated heat to subjects. It also indicated the importance of education and skill of the practitioners of warm needle acupuncture.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.43 no.3
• /
• pp.150-163
• /
• 2022

Objectives: This research aimed to develop a guideline for evaluating safety and performance of electronic warm-acupuncture apparatus. With the development of medical devices like electronic warm-acupuncture apparatus with improved performance, convenience and safety measures compared to traditional warm-acupuncture needling, safety and performance guideline is a necessity. Methods: By referring to existing standards and guidelines of other electronic devices for Korean medicine with heating function, guideline for safety and performance assessment of electronic warm-acupuncture apparatus was drafted Results: The guideline, presents explanation for adequate temperature and settings of the apparatus, and safety measurements providing against thermal runaway situations along with guidelines for the manual. Guideline for detailed test method for the performance of the apparatus such as accuracy of temperature increase and the timer, and safety unit was also provided. The test items and suggested test methods for the requirements of biological, electrical and electromagnetic safety were referred to Korean approval documents of ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Conclusion: We proposed the relevant items to verify performance and safety of warm-acupuncture apparatus to assure patient safety and improve the quality of currently developing devices for application in clinical field.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.64-72
• /
• 2013

Objectives : The aim of this study was to investigate whether warm-needling is more effective than acupuncture in relieving the pain and improving the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis(OA). Methods : 76 volunteers with knee OA participated in the study. The subjects were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group received warm-needling(n=38), while the other group received acupuncture(n=38). Sixteen sessions of warm-needling or acupuncture were conducted on the pain region of each problematic knee over a period of 8 weeks. The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index(WOMAC) scores, physical health score based on the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey(SF-36) and the Global Assessment(PGA) was measured. Results : Compared to the acupuncture group, the warm-needling group showed a significant decrease in pain, function, and total WOMAC scores according to the Mann-Whitney U-test. The PGA scores of the warm-needling group also showed a significant improvement compared to the acupuncture group. Conclusions : Warm-needling showed a greater pain relief effect on knee OA compared to the acupuncture group. These findings suggest that warm-needling may be a promising alternative therapy for treating knee OA.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
• /
• v.36 no.4
• /
• pp.210-220
• /
• 2019

Objectives : Warm needling is a combined treatment technique of acupuncture and moxibustion. In this study, we aimed to find out the components related with the thermal stimulation of the warm needling and to provide basic data for the guideline of the warm needling technique in the clinic. Methods : In this study, we measured thermal change of 3% agarose phantom embedding K-type thermocouples in depths of 0, 1, 2, 4, 8 and 16 mm. The warm needling was performed with acupuncture needles of various specifications (0.50×30, 0.50×40, 0.30×30, 0.30×40, 0.20×30 and 0.20×40 mm). A linear regression analysis was performed to find out the major component and quantify the effectiveness of the thermal stimulation during warm needling. Results : As a result of the measurement of temperature change, we could observe the thermal change pattern from the surface of the phantom to the 16mm deep part of the phantom. The thermal pattern was similar among the needles of different specifications. The regression analysis pointed the distance between the moxa cautery and the skin surface as the main component for the thermal stimulation of the warm needling. Conclusions : The authors suggest considering the distance between moxa cautery and the skin rather than the diameter of the acupuncture needle in accordance to the result of the study.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.301-316
• /
• 2022

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of heat stimuli (e.g., fire needling, warm needling) in acupuncture for acute gout. Methods: Four international online databases (PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure) were searched to identify randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) that used fire needling and warm needling for acute gout. The methodological quality of the RCTs was evaluated using the Cochrane risk-of-bias (RoB) tool. Thirteen RCTs (840 patients) were included and analyzed. Three evaluation tools (total effective rate, uric acid level, and pain score) were mainly used. Comparisons were made between Western medicine (WM) and i) fire needling or warm needling treatment alone, ii) fire needling and bloodletting combination treatment, iii) combination of fire needling, bloodletting, and herbal medicine, iv) warm needling (concurrently). Heat stimuli in acupuncture alone or in combination treatment were more effective in terms of the total efficacy rates, uric acid levels, and pain scores than WM alone. Results: In all the evaluation tools, the treatment effects in the fire needling alone or warm needling alone treatment group and the fire needling and bloodletting combination intervention group were significantly better than those in the WM control group. The warm needling and WM combination intervention groups also experienced significantly better treatment effects in terms of total efficacy rates and uric acid levels. Only the pain scores in the fire needling, bloodletting, and herbal medicine combination groups demonstrated significant improvement. Only four studies mentioned adverse reactions: one reported loss of appetite; three studies reported none. According to the Cochrane RoB tool, most studies showed either high or uncertain RoB. Conclusion: Heat stimuli during acupuncture could be effective for acute gout. However, as the included studies were regionally biased, more high-quality studies are needed to confirm the level of evidence.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.40 no.3
• /
• pp.112-138
• /
• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to organize the research methods and results of studies related to the temperature of the warm needle for systematic utilization of warm needling technique. Methods: This study used the databases of nine (Pubmed, Science Direct, Cochrane Central, 4 Korean databases, CNKI, CiNii) to analyze temperature-related studies of the warm needle from 2000 to June 2019. Results: A total of 19 papers were included. Of these, 15 were used for mugwort, 2 for high frequency, and 1 for both mugwort and high frequency, and the other one for a ceramic heater. The maximum temperature rises as the amount of moxibustion increases. It is also affected by the density of moxa and the ignition part. There were 16 papers using stainless steel needles and 4 papers using a needle made of gold or silver to compare. In the area of the needle, the closer it is to moxibustion, the hotter it is. Compared to stainless steel needles, gold and silver needles showed almost twice the temperature. The effects of environment and radiant heat should be considered during warm needle procedures. Conclusions: There are various experimental methods such as warm needle technique materials, methods, measuring parts, measuring instruments, etc. The results were also very diverse. When setting the heating source, ignition part, size of moxibustion, etc. of warm needles, it should be implemented in a way that takes safety and validity into account. Considerations for temperature characteristics, radiant heat, etc. of warm needles will be needed when making warm needle apparatus.