Cutaneous needle

An instrument traditionally made by binding five or seven sewing needles to a bamboo stick (traditionally called plum-blossom needle and seven-star needle, now made by mounting needles on a metal or plastic hammer), and used to tap the skin to move qì and quicken the blood in the affected area or on the pathway of an affected channel. The cutaneous needle is especially suitable for treating children and others where pain or fear of needle insertion may be a necessary consideration. The tapping can be light (no bleeding) or heavy (slight bleeding) depending on the patient’s condition and the disease being treated. Nowadays in China, heavy tapping is employed to move stagnant blood in a local area. Cupping can be used to treat a number of internal medical diseases including digestive disorders, headache, menstrual pain and some skin diseases. Legal factors limit the applicability of this method in the West since cutaneous needles are difficult to sterilize.

Method: The needle should be held about two inches above the skin and manipulated by a loose movement of the wrist. The needle must strike the skin perpendicularly and without excessive force to prevent bleeding. In general, tapping is performed from the top downward and from the medial toward the lateral aspect. Cutaneous tapping is contraindicated on ulcerations or external injuries. The two most common types of cutaneous needle now used are the plum blossom and the seven-star needle.