Effect of heat-producing needling technique on the local skin temperature: clinical dataset

Abstract

The heat-producing needling technique is a special compound manipulating procedure on the acupuncture needle which has been recorded to produce a warm sensation in the body in ancient TCM literature. This randomized, subject-blinded clinical study was performed to examine the effect of heat-producing acupuncture treatment on the ST36 local skin temperature. A total of 30 healthy participants received four successive sessions of heat-producing acupuncture treatment, non-acupoint heat-producing acupuncture treatment, normal stable acupuncture treatment, and non-invasive sham acupuncture treatment at the ST36 acupoint in a random sequence. Within each session, the local ST36 skin temperature and basal body temperature of each participant were measured at 1 min before needle insertion, just after needle insertion and manipulation (if any), 5 min after needle insertion with needle removal immediately after temperature taking, and 5 min after needle removal. Furthermore, the participants were also required to declare their needling and heat sensation felt during the acupuncture needling treatment period using a visual analogue scale from 1 to 10 immediately after each treatment session. This data descriptor presents all the clinical data obtained in the above mentioned study.