THE INTRADERMAL NEEDLE THERAPY

Needle

The intradermal needle is a kind of short needle made of stainless steel wire, especially used for embedding in the skin. There are two types : the thumbtack type and grain - like type. The intradermal needle is also known as " embedding needle, " developed from the ancient method of needle retaining. It can exert the continuous stimulation produced by the implanted needle.

• The thumbtack - type needle, which is about 0.3 cm long with a head like a thumbtack
• The grain - like needle ; about 1 cm long with a head like a grain of wheat. It is mostly used in clinic to treat some chronic or painful diseases which need long time retaining of the needle, such as headache, stomachache, asthma, insomnia, enuresis, abnormal menstruation, dysmenorrhea, etc.

Manipulation

The grain - like needle is applied to points or tender spots on various parts of the body while the thumbtack - type needle is generally applied to the ear region. Embed the sterilized needle into the point, leaving its handle lying flat on the skin surface, and fixing it with a piece of adhesive tape.

Precautions

• The duration of implantation depends on the pathological conditions in different seasons. In summer, the needles are generally retained for one to two days because of excessive sweating which is likely to cause infection. In autumn or winter, the retaining duration may be longer according to the need in specific cases
• Try to avoid embedding the intradermal needle at the joints to prevent pain on motion
• In the purulent infected area or skin ulcers it is not allowed to embed the needle
• During the embedding period, keep the area around the needle clean to prevent infection