Intractable hiccups pose a significant impact on patients' quality of life and mental well-being, yet effective nonpharmacological interventions remain limited. Fu's subcutaneous needling (FSN), a novel acupuncture technique targeting myofascial trigger points (MTrPs), has not been previously reported in treating intractable hiccups. The patient developed intractable hiccups (30-40 episodes/min) following treatment for allergic cough, unresponsive to medications and conventional acupuncture. Intractable hiccups. FSN was applied to MTrPs in rectus abdominis, psoas major, erector spinae, and adductor magnus muscles. The needle was inserted subcutaneously toward tightened muscles, followed by fan-shaped sweeping for 2 minutes per session. Hiccup frequency decreased from 6/10 to 1/10 on the Hiccup Assessment Instrument after 7 sessions. Symptoms resolved completely with no recurrence at 1-month follow-up. FSN may be a safe and effective alternative for intractable hiccups by inactivating MTrPs and modulating fascial tension. Further randomized controlled trials are warranted.
Dou et al. (Fri,) studied this question.
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