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This randomised controlled trial, published in Frontiers in Endocrinology, investigated whether combining press needle embedding with plum blossom needle tapping could improve outcomes for patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and explored the anti-inflammatory mechanisms involved.
A total of 225 participants were divided equally into three groups: a treatment group receiving press needle plus plum blossom needle therapy alongside standard oral medication; a sham needle group receiving simulated needle procedures with blunt, non-stimulating needles plus the same medication; and a control group receiving only the standard medication. The trial ran for six months. The primary outcomes were blood levels of three pro-inflammatory markers — interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, and tumour necrosis factor-α. Secondary outcomes included nerve conduction velocity, nerve action potential amplitudes, and validated neuropathy symptom scores.
After six months, the treatment group showed significantly greater reductions in all three inflammatory markers compared with both other groups, with effect sizes approximately one-and-a-half to two times larger. The treatment group also demonstrated statistically superior improvements in both sensory and motor nerve conduction velocities across multiple nerve pathways, as well as markedly better scores on neuropathy assessment scales. No notable safety concerns were reported.
The researchers suggest that the therapy’s benefits may stem from suppression of sustained neuroinflammatory processes in peripheral nerves.
Conclusion: Combined press needle and plum blossom needle therapy significantly reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines, improved nerve conduction, and alleviated neuropathy symptoms in diabetic peripheral neuropathy patients, supporting its potential as a safe adjunct to conventional treatment.
Source: Zhang Y, Nan X, Chu L. Frontiers in endocrinology (2026). View on PubMed (PMID 42755651) · doi:10.3389/fendo.2026.1956686