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This review assesses the current evidence on needling therapy for burn injuries and their complications.

January 27, 2026Open Access

Needling Therapy for Burn Injury and Related Complications: A Scoping Review of Experimental and Clinical Studies

SKSung‐A KimKyung Hee University JKJung Won Kang TKTae Hun KimChungbuk National University

Key Points

This review assesses the current evidence on needling therapy for burn injuries and their complications.
A scoping review of studies on needling therapy for burns was conducted.
Nine databases were searched for relevant literature without language or study-type restrictions.
Selection of literature included 46 studies, comprising various designs including experimental and clinical.
Evaluation focused on study design, needling therapy details, and outcomes for burn injuries and complications.
71.7% of studies examined acute-phase burn wound healing, while 28.3% investigated burn-related complications.
Experimental studies showed needling therapy activates wound healing phases including inflammation and proliferation.
Clinical studies demonstrated significant variability in treatment periods and types of needling used.
Overall, gaps exist between experimental findings and clinical applications, indicating the need for further research.

Abstract

ABSTRACT Needling therapy may be a novel alternative therapeutic intervention for burn injuries and related complications. This scoping review aimed to comprehensively evaluate the evidence status of needling therapy for burns and their complications. Studies on needling therapy for burns and related complications were retrieved from inception to 1st June 2024. Nine databases (MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, CNKI, CiNii, RISS, KISS, DBpia and OASIS) were searched without any language or study‐type restrictions. The study design, details of the needling therapy, and results of needling for burn injuries (or related complications) were evaluated. Of the 1475 articles screened, 46 studies (comprising 16 experimental studies, 12 case studies, four observational studies, 13 randomised controlled trials, and one systematic review) were included in the final analysis. Most studies (71.7%) investigated the acute‐phase burn wound healing process, while the remaining studies (28.3%) focused on the modulation of burn‐related complications. Experimental studies demonstrated that needling therapy activates phases of the wound healing process including the inflammation, proliferation, and remodelling phases and modulates the cholinergic anti‐inflammatory response in burn‐related acute symptoms. Clinical studies exhibited a significant heterogeneity regarding treatment period, patient population, and needling type across different study designs. Experimental studies have primarily focused on the wound healing process itself, whereas clinical studies have investigated short‐term outcomes related to burn complications, with great heterogeneity observed in the methods of needling employed. Further studies are required to strengthen research gaps between experimental and clinical research, with proper treatment and evaluation periods to demonstrate the effectiveness of needling therapy for burns and associated complications. Trial Registration: INPLASY202450102

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