Israel Defense Force, Medical Corps, Jerusalem, Israel.
Department of Physical Therapy, Recanati School for Community Health Professions, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel.
Acupunct Med. 2020 Dec;38(6):435-439. doi: 10.1177/0964528420912255. Epub 2020 Mar 30.
To review current scientific knowledge as to the efficacy of dry needling of scars on pain and other related symptoms and explore the possible physiological mechanisms of action.
A narrative review of scientific literature published in English.
Two randomized controlled trials found that dry needling of scars (using the classic "surrounding the dragon" technique in one study and intradermal needling in a second study) was more effective than sham or control interventions with respect to scar appearance and pain. Two case reports have suggested that scar needling generates a rapid decrease in pain and improvement of mobility in scarred tissues. Another two case reports have reported positive effects of scar needling on the wound healing process. These findings are supported by an animal study examining the effect of needling on the wound healing process and the physiological mechanisms of action underlying the technique.
There is preliminary evidence that the "surrounding the dragon" needling technique is a beneficial treatment for patients suffering from scar pain and other scar-related symptoms and can facilitate wound healing and make this process less painful. Further high-quality studies should be conducted to verify/quantify the efficacy of this method, to better understand the underlying mechanisms of action underlying the effects of scar needling and to establish an effective intervention protocol.
回顾瘢痕内针刺治疗疼痛及其他相关症状的有效性的现有科学知识，并探讨其可能的作用机制。
对英文发表的科学文献进行叙述性综述。
两项随机对照试验发现，与假针刺或对照干预相比，瘢痕内针刺（在一项研究中采用经典的“围刺针法”，在第二项研究中采用皮内针刺）在瘢痕外观和疼痛方面更有效。两项病例报告表明，瘢痕针刺可迅速减轻疼痛并改善瘢痕组织的活动度。另外两项病例报告报告了瘢痕针刺对伤口愈合过程的积极影响。一项动物研究检查了针刺对伤口愈合过程的影响以及该技术的作用机制，为这些发现提供了支持。
有初步证据表明，“围刺针法”是治疗瘢痕疼痛和其他瘢痕相关症状患者的有益疗法，可促进伤口愈合并减轻该过程的疼痛。应进行更多高质量的研究来验证/量化该方法的疗效，以更好地了解瘢痕内针刺治疗效果的作用机制，并制定有效的干预方案。
