Plum-blossom Needle Research Articles

Nursing of a patient with oculomotor nerve paralysis treated with plum-blossom needle tapping therapy

Nursing of a patient with oculomotor nerve paralysis treated with plum-blossom needle tapping therapy

Acupuncture with plum-blossom needling and cupping therapy for a patient with herpes zoster after chemotherapy for lung cancer

Acupuncture with plum-blossom needling and cupping therapy for a patient with herpes zoster after chemotherapy for lung cancer

Plum-blossom needle therapy for Tourette syndrome: A case report

IntroductionTourette syndrome (TS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by the childhood onset of motor and phonic tics, frequently accompanied by behavioral and psychiatric comorbidities. Existing treatments for tics raise safety concerns. In China, acupuncture has been a widely utilized approach for TS, and one specific traditional acupuncture method, plum-blossom needle therapy (PBNT), has exhibited favorable tolerance among pediatric patients. In this report, we present a case of TS treated using PBNT. Case presentationAn 11-year-old boy diagnosed with Tourette syndrome for over five years presented with frequent loud throat clearing, eye blinking, severe abdominal tensing, shoulder shrugging, and upper limb twitching. Plum-blossom needle therapy (PBNT) was administered for 8 weeks, involving two sessions per week. The boy's tic symptoms gradually ameliorated, ultimately becoming minimal following the 8-week treatment period. Specifically, the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS) score decreased from 71 to 20, and the TS Clinical Global Impression Scale of Improvement (CGI-I) score reached 1, signifying 'very much improved' post-treatment. However, the Children and Adolescents' Quality of Life Scale (CAQOL) score exhibited minimal variation, moving from 146 to 150. ConclusionThis case suggests that plum-blossom needle therapy (PBNT) is well-tolerated by children and may be effective in alleviating tics associated with Tourette syndrome (TS). However, further research, particularly large-sample randomized controlled trials, is imperative to establish the efficacy and effectiveness of PBNT.

Plum-blossom needle tapping enhances the efficacy of ALA photodynamic therapy for facial actinic keratosis in Chinese population: a randomized, multicenter, prospective, and observer-blind study

BackgroundPhotodynamic therapy (PDT) with 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) is a reliable treatment for actinic keratosis (AK), but its effect needs to be enhanced in thick lesions. Plum-blossom needle is a traditional Chinese cost-effective instrument for enhancing the transdermal delivery of ALA. However, whether it could improve the efficacy of AK treatment has not yet been investigated. ObjectiveTo compare the efficacy and safety of plum-blossom needle–assisted PDT in facial AK in the Chinese population. MethodsIn this multicenter, prospective study, a total of 142 patients with AKs (grades I–III) were randomized into the plum-blossom needle–assisted PDT group (P-PDT) and control PDT group (C-PDT). In the P-PDT group, each AK lesion was tapped vertically by a plum-blossom needle before the application of 10% ALA cream. In the C-PDT group, each lesion was only wiped with regular saline before ALA cream incubation. Then, 3 hours later, all the lesions were irradiated with light-emitting diode (LED) at a wavelength of 630 nm. PDT was performed once every 2 weeks until all lesion patients achieved complete remission or completed six sessions. The efficacy (lesion response) and safety (pain scale and adverse events) in both groups were evaluated before each treatment and at every follow-up visit at 3-month intervals until 12 months. ResultsIn the P-PDT and C-PDT groups, the clearance rates for all AK lesions after the first treatment were 57.9% and 48.0%, respectively (P < 0.05). For grade I AK lesions, the clearance rates were 56.5% and 50.4%, respectively (P = 0.34). For grade II AK lesions, the clearance rates were 58.0% and 48.9%, respectively (P = 0.1). For grade III AK lesions, the clearance rates were 59.0% and 44.2%, respectively (P < 0.05). Moreover, grade III AK lesions in the P-PDT group required fewer treatment sessions (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the pain score between the two groups (P = 0.752). ConclusionPlum-blossom needle tapping may enhance the efficacy of ALA-PDT by facilitating ALA delivery in the treatment of AK.

Efficacy and Safety of a Novel Plum Blossom Needling with Mild Moxibustion Device for Upper Limb Pain Disorder and Motor Dysfunction in Patients with Stage 1 Post-Stroke Shoulder-Hand Syndrome: Study Protocol for a Multi-Center, Single-Blind, Randomized Sham-Controlled Trial.

Post-stroke shoulder-hand syndrome (PS-SHS), a common neurological comorbidity after stroke episodes, poses a grave threat on patients' functional recovery. Preliminary trials have demonstrated that the acupuncture and moxibustion treatment, including a dermal acupuncture tapping method known as plum blossom needling (PBN) can improve pain and motor dysfunctions in patients with PS-SHS. However, there are few reports describing simultaneous moxibustion treatment in combination with PBN. Hence, a novel plum blossom needle device with mild moxibustion (PBNMM) was developed to evaluate its potential efficacy and safety in patients with stage 1 PS-SHS. This multicenter, sham-controlled, randomized controlled trial (RCT) will recruit 102 eligible patients with stage 1 PS-SHS from three clinical centers, randomly allocated in a ratio of 1:1:1 to the PBNMM group, PBNMM with no moxa smoke (PBNMM-NMS) group and sham control group. Patients in each group will receive a 30-minute treatment once per day for 4 weeks, with 5 consecutive sessions per week, for a total of 20 sessions. The primary outcome measure will be defined as the decreased scores from baseline in the visual analog scale (VAS) assessment at week 4. Secondary outcome measures will include scores on the Fugl-Meyer Assessment of the Upper Extremity Scale (FMA-UE), the Modified Barthel Index (MBI), and the somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) records. All outcomes will be evaluated at baseline and weeks 4, 5, 6 and 10, and the intention-to-treat analysis will be applied. This study aims to provide robust evidence for the efficacy and safety of the PBNMM for PS-SHS treatment, as well as the specific impact of moxibustion smoke itself in dealing with PS-SHS. Chinese Clinical Trial Registry No. ChiCTR2200062441. Registered on 7 August 2022.

Acupuncture for cancer patients with nausea and vomiting: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

Nausea and vomiting are among the most common adverse effects experienced by cancer patients undergoing treatment worldwide. Their treatment with pharmacologic therapy can often be complicated by medication interactions and other unwanted side effects. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis protocol is to assess the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture therapy for treating nausea and vomiting in patients with cancer. Three electronic databases and 2 clinical registry platforms will be searched from inception to May 2022: the MEDLINE via PubMed, Embase via Ovid, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials via the Cochrane Library, the World Health Organisation International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and National Institutes of Health Clinical trials.gov. Search terms will include nausea, vomiting, cancer, and acupuncture. Two researchers will independently select studies, extract data and assess the risk of bias. The primary outcome will be the incidence of nausea and/or vomiting or other validated outcome measures. Meta-analysis will be carried out using RevMan V.5.4. The quality of evidence from randomized clinical trials will be evaluated with the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation System tool. The results will provide a high-quality synthesis of evidence for clinicians in the field of oncology. The conclusion is expected to provide evidence to determine whether acupuncture is an effective and safe treatment for cancer patients with nausea and vomiting.

Nursing care of a case of actinic keratosis treated with Plum-blossom needle combined with photodynamic therapy

Nursing care of a case of actinic keratosis treated with Plum-blossom needle combined with photodynamic therapy

Plum-blossom needle combined with bloodletting therapy and nursing management for a patient with lower limb peripheral neuropathy caused by postoperative chemotherapy of colorectal cancer

Plum-blossom needle combined with bloodletting therapy and nursing management for a patient with lower limb peripheral neuropathy caused by postoperative chemotherapy of colorectal cancer

Current state of research on acupuncture for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A scoping review.

To provide an overview of the range and characteristics of existing evidence, research gaps, and future research priorities in treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) with acupuncture. Clinical studies on acupuncture treatment for ALS were searched in 9 databases and two websites. Two independent researchers screened the literature according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria; extracted the demographic data, interventions, and significant findings of the studies; and comprehensively analyzed the characteristics and limitations of the included articles. A total of 2,326 studies were retrieved, of which 92 were included. Most of the studies were conducted in China, with the number increasing over time. Study designs included case reports, case series, randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and before-and-after studies, among which case reports were the most frequently used. A total of 1,388 patients were enrolled, of whom 1,031 had ALS, 274 had progressive bulbar palsy (PBP), 60 had progressive muscle atrophy (PMA), and 23 had primary lateral sclerosis (PLS). Acupuncture interventions included body acupuncture, electroacupuncture, acupoint injection, scalp acupuncture, acupoint massage, Sa-am acupuncture, needle-embedding therapy, auricular acupuncture, venom pharmacopuncture therapy, plum blossom needling, acupoint paste, electroacupuncture, and needle warming through moxibustion. The most frequently used acupoints were ST36, LI4, SP6, and LI11. Acupuncture is often applied in combination with other treatments, such as herbal or Western medicine. The frequency of treatment ranged from once a month to three times a day, and the duration of treatment ranged from 5 days to 3 years. Clinical symptoms, muscle strength, and effective rates were the most frequently used outcomes. Most studies reported significant efficacy, and only a few studies reported adverse events explicitly. Evidence gaps include poor study design, complex interventions, limited significance of the selected outcomes, and limited study reporting. The promotion of acupuncture treatment for ALS still faces several obstacles. Rigorous study design and conduct, standardized intervention and outcome measurements, and normative reporting are needed to investigate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture treatment for ALS.

Nursing care of a case of juvenile myopia treated by electric plum-blossom needle

Nursing care of a case of juvenile myopia treated by electric plum-blossom needle

Chiropractic plus plum-blossom needling combined with flexibility training on attention deficit in mentally-retarded adolescents

To observe the clinical efficacy of chiropractic plus plum-blossom needling combined with flexibility training for attention deficit in mentally-retarded adolescents. Thirty adolescents with mild mental retardation were randomly divided into a medical rehabilitation plus flexibility training group (10 cases, 2 cases dropped off), a flexibility training group (10 cases, 1 case dropped off) and a control group (10 cases). The patients in the flexibility training group received flexibility training, once every other day, 3 times a week for 12 weeks. The patients in the medical rehabilitation plus flexibility training group received chiropractic and plum-blossom needling at Baihui (GV 20) and Sishencong (EX-HN 1) on the basis of the treatment in the flexibility training group, once every other day, 3 times a week for 12 weeks. The patients in the control group did not receive any targeted physical training and medical rehabilitation. Tobii Pro Spectrum eye movement instrument was used to test the attention concentration (T), attention span (M), attention transfer (γ%) and attention distribution (η). Compared before treatment, T and M in the medical rehabilitation plus flexibility training group and the flexibility training group were increased after treatment (P<0.01, P<0.05), and γ% in the medical rehabilitation plus flexibility training group was increased after treatment (P<0.05). The increasing range of T, M and γ% in the medical rehabilitation plus flexibility training group and the flexibility training group was greater than that in the control group (P<0.01), and the increasing range of T and γ% in the medical rehabilitation plus flexibility training group was greater than that in the flexibility training group (P<0.05). The chiropractic plus plum blossom needling combined with flexibility training can improve the attention deficit in mentally-retarded adolescents.

Clinical Observation of the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus Complicated with Herpes Zoster with Modified Liudihuang Decoction Combined with Plum Blossom Needle and Cupping

Clinical Observation of the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus Complicated with Herpes Zoster with Modified Liudihuang Decoction Combined with Plum Blossom Needle and Cupping

WU Xu's experience of sequential therapy for peripheral facial paralysis

The paper introduces professor WU Xu 's experience of sequential therapy for peripheral facial paralysis. The sequential therapy refers to a staging treatment, but not rigidly adheres to it. With this therapy, the acupuncture- moxibustion regimen is modified flexibly in line with the specific symptoms of illness. At the acute phase of peripheral facial paralysis, warm acupuncture at Wangu (GB 12) is predominated and electroacupuncture is not recommended at the acupoints on the face. At the recovery phase, warm acupuncture at Zusanli (ST 36) is the main therapy and electroacupuncture is applied to the acupoints on the face appropriately. Besides, for the intractable case, the tapping technique with plum-blossom needle or skin needle should be combined and exerted in the local affected region. At the sequelae phase, in order to shorten the duration of illness, depending on the different types of facial paralysis, i.e. stiffness type, spasmodic type and flaccid type, the corresponding needling techniques are provided, i.e. bloodletting and moxibustion, strong stimulation with contralateral acupuncture and the technique for promoting the governor vessel and warming up yang.

Improvement of Acupuncture Therapy on Relapse of Patients with Gouty Arthritis: A Pairwise and Bayesian Network Meta-analysis

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of acupuncture therapy on relapse of patients with gouty arthritis (GA). Methods: "gout OR gouty arthritis" AND "acupuncture therapy OR acupuncture OR moxibustion OR electroacupuncture OR fire needle OR acupotomology OR blood-letting puncture OR plum blossom needle" were used as search strategies for searching related studies. Twenty-two studies involving 2394 patients were enrolled in this research through the analysis of databases of CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library. Results: The results of pairwise meta-analysis and network meta-analysis (NMA) indicated that patients with acupuncture therapy had a significantly lower relapse rate (RR) compared with those without acupuncture therapy (OR = 0.21, 95% CI: 0.16-0.26, P &lt; 0.00001); the follow-up time (TFU) and serum urate concentration (SUA) before treatment had no significant effect on the reduction of RR caused by acupuncture therapy (P &gt; 0.05); and patients treated with acupuncture plus Western medicine (WM) had the lowest RR (surface under the cumulative acupuncture therapy (P &gt; 0.05); and patients treated with acupuncture plus Western medicine (WM) had the lowest RR (surface under the cumulative ranking [SUCRA] = 85.0%), followed by acupuncture plus traditional Chinese medicine (TCM, SUCRA = 73.5%), acupuncture only (SUCRA = 72.8%), fourthly acupuncture plus TCM and WM (SUCRA = 33.0%), then TCM (SUCRA = 28.7%), finally WM (SUCRA = 7.0%). Conclusion: Our finding may facilitate the application of acupuncture therapy in patients with GA. Our research also offered some information for the future research.

Efficacy and therapeutic reactions of tri-needle-pretreatment combined with painless ALA-PDT for the treatment of moderate-to-severe acne vulgaris: A randomized controlled trial

Background: Our clinical experience suggests that pretreatment of the original lesions may be crucial for enhancing the efficacy of 5-aminolevulinic acid-photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) in moderate-to-severe acne vulgaris. We performed this randomized controlled trial (RCT) to validate this observation. Methods: Efficacy and therapeutic reactions between tri-needle-pretreatment with ALA-PDT (TP-PDT) and conventional ALA-PDT without pretreatment (NP-PDT) were compared. In TP-PDT group, tri-needle-pretreatment was performed using comedone extractors, fire needles, or plum-blossom needles, according to the lesion type. In the TP-PDT group, 5% ALA cream was applied to lesions 30 min before illumination (LED red light: 633±10 nm, 40 mW/cm2, 150 J/cm2). In the NP-PDT group, 5% ALA cream was applied 1 h before illumination (60 mW/cm2, 72 J/cm2). Patients underwent four sessions, at 1-week intervals. The efficacy was evaluated as the proportion of patients achieving a remarkable effective rate, based on the reduction in the number of lesions. A numeric rating scale was used to assess the severity of pain, erythema, and edema. Results: Forty-eight patients completed the trial. The proportion of remarkable effective rate was significantly greater and the pain score was significantly lower for the TP-PDT than NP-PDT group. The edema score was significantly higher for the TP-PDT than NP-PDT group. There was no difference in erythema scores between the two groups. Conclusion: The tri-needle-pretreatment can improve the efficacy of ALA-PDT, without an increase in pain, for the treatment of moderate-to-severe acne vulgaris. These qualities make the TP-PDT a promising gold standard pretreatment for ALA-PDT for acne vulgaris.

Efficacy of Photodynamic Therapy for the Treatment of Bowen’s Disease: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Background: Photodynamic therapy is an established treatment option for Bowen’s disease. Our meta-analysis was aimed at evaluating the efficacy and recurrence of photodynamic therapy or other topical treatments (5-fluorouracil, cryotherapy) and of photodynamic therapy alone or in combination with other therapies (ablative fractional CO₂ laser or plum-blossom needle) for the treatment of Bowen’s disease. Methods: Trials that met our inclusion criteria were identified from PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases, and meta-analyses were conducted with RevMan V.5.4. The risk of bias was estimated with the Cochrane Collaboration’s risk of bias tools. Complete response rate, recurrence, pain/visual analogue scale score, cosmetic outcome, and adverse events were considered as outcomes. Results: Of the 2,439 records initially retrieved, 8 randomized controlled trials were included in this meta-analysis. According to our analyses, photodynamic therapy exhibited a significantly higher complete response rate (RR = 1.36, 95% CI [1.01, 1.84], I² = 86%, p = 0.04), less recurrence (RR = 0.53, 95% CI [0.30, 0.95], I² = 0%, p = 0.03), and better cosmetic outcome (RR = 1.34, 95% CI [1.15, 1.56], I² = 0%, p = 0.0002) compared with other treatments. Moreover, there was a significant difference between the complete response rate of photodynamic therapy combined with ablative fractional CO₂ laser and that of photodynamic therapy (RR = 1.85, 95% CI [1.38, 2.49], I² = 0%, p < 0.0001). Photodynamic therapy combined with ablative fractional CO₂ laser or plum-blossom needle also showed significantly less recurrence (RR = 0.21, 95% CI [0.09, 0.51], I² = 0%, p = 0.0005) and a lower visual analogue scale score (RR = 0.51, 95% CI [0.06, 0.96], I² = 0%, p = 0.03) than photodynamic therapy alone. However, there was no significant difference in the complete response rate between photodynamic therapy combined with ablative continuous CO₂ laser and photodynamic therapy combined with ablative fractional CO₂ laser (RR = 1.00, 95% CI [0.54, 1.86], I² not applicable, p = 1.00). Conclusions: This meta-analysis shows that photodynamic therapy can be used in the treatment of Bowen’s disease with better efficacy, less recurrence, and better cosmetic outcomes than cryotherapy and 5-FU. Some methods, including ablative fractional CO₂ laser, can be applied in combination with photodynamic therapy to improve efficacy. However, which laser-assisted photodynamic therapy scheme has the most advantages in the treatment of Bowen’s disease warrants further exploration.

Clinical observation on deep needling at Xiaguan (ST 7) with round sharp needle combined with plum-blossom needle for trigeminal neuralgia of wind and heat

To compare the clinical therapeutic effect between deep needling at Xiaguan (ST 7) with round sharp needle combined with plum-blossom needle and conventional acupuncture in patients with trigeminal neuralgia (TN) of wind and heat, and explore its mechanism. A total of 60 patients with TN of wind and heat were randomized into an observation group (30 cases) and a control group (30 cases). In the observation group, deep needling with round sharp needle was applied at Xiaguan (ST 7), and tapping with plum-blossom needle was applied at Yangbai (GB 14), Quanliao (SI 18), Dicang (ST 4), Sibai (ST 2), etc. of affected side. In the control group, conventional acupuncture was applied at the same acupoints selected in the observation group. The treatment was given once a day, 5 times a week for 4 weeks in the both groups. Before and after treatment, the scores of short-form McGill pain questionnaire (SF-MPQ), TCM syndrome, patient global impression of change (PGIC) and comprehensive symptom were observed, the serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and β-endorphin (β-EP) were detected, and the adverse reaction was observed in the both groups. After treatment, the scores of PRI, PPI, VAS, TCM syndrome, PGIC and comprehensive symptom and the serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α and VIP were decreased compared before treatment in the both groups (P<0.05), and the variations of above indexes in the observation group were larger than those in the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the serum levels of β-EP were increased compared before treatment in the both groups (P<0.05), and the variation of that in the observation group was larger than the control group (P<0.05). No severe adverse reaction was observed in the both groups. Deep needling at Xiaguan (ST 7) with round sharp needle combined with plum-blossom needle can effectively treat the trigeminal neuralgia of wind and heat and relieve pain, its therapeutic effect is superior to conventional acupuncture. The mechanism may be related to the regulation of serum IL-6, TNF-α, VIP and β-EP.

Acupuncture against chronic postsurgical pain in non-small cell lung cancer patients: A protocol of randomized controlled trial.

Introduction:Video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy is the prior recommended treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with the advantages of small trauma, less postoperative pain, and quick recovery. However, a large number of patients may suffer chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP), which makes the patients unwilling to practice pulmonary exercises, and it would directly affect patient's cough, sputum expectoration, and mobility. Opioids could greatly improve the quality of postoperative analgesia and the quality of life after surgery, but it is accompanied with obvious side effects. A number of clinical studies have proved that acupuncture could improve postoperative pain and reduce opioid use. In this study, we try to conduct a randomized controlled study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of plum-blossom needle acupuncture combined with Tramadol in improving CPSP after lobectomy in NSCLC patients.Methods:Patients will be randomly divided into treatment group (acupuncture plus Tramadol) and control group (sham acupuncture plus Tramadol) with a random number table in 1:1 ratio. The patients, outcome assessor, and statistician will be blinded. The outcomes are changes of numerical rating scale, Karnofsky performance score, brief pain inventory, blood routine, liver and kidney function. The data will be analyzed by SPSS 22.0.Conclusions:The results will help to evaluate the efficacy and safety of plum-blossom needle acupuncture in improving CPSP after lobectomy in NSCLC patients.

Add-on effect of plum-blossom needling in alopecia areata: a qualitative evidence synthesis.

Alopecia areata (AA) is highly unpredictable, and therapeutic efficacy remains variable, which often prompts patients to seek alternative therapies. Plum-blossom needling has been widely used for thousands of years. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to critically evaluate the add-on effect of plum-blossom needling in AA and compared it with that of conventional treatment, which would provide guidance for AA therapy. We searched PubMed, Embase, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and WanFang database. We included randomized controlled trials that evaluated the add-on effect of plum-blossom needling treatment compared with conventional treatment alone group for AA. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. We also evaluated the relative risk (RR) and confidence interval (CIs) of response rate (any regrowth, major regrowth, and complete regrowth) between the plum-blossom needling add-on and the conventional control groups. Finally, eleven articles involving 1,192 patients were included in this meta-analysis (632 cases in the plum-blossom needling combination group and 560 in the conventional control group). The quality of these studies was medium or relatively low. The application of plum-blossom needling add-on therapy had consistent beneficial effects in any regrowth (RR 1.220; 95% CI: 1.108-1.343; P<0.01; Q=48.388, I2=79.334%), major regrowth (RR 1.403; 95% CI: 1.180-1.668; P<0.01; Q=68.359, I2=85.371%), and complete regrowth (RR 1.331; 95% CI: 1.104-1.606; P<0.01; Q=31.968, I2=68.718%). Subgroup analysis showed that plum-blossom needling add-on effect remained significant when topical treatment was used. Plum-blossom needling add-on therapy was generally well-tolerated, with no significantly increased risk of Adverse Events (RR 1.391; 95% CI: 0.475-4.073; P<0.01; Q=1.366, I2=0%). Our meta-analysis showed that the combinations of plum-blossom needling provided moderate positive add-one effects in AA patients. Further well-designed research is required to evaluate the optimal plum-blossom needling treatment procedure.

The application of physical pretreatment in photodynamic therapy for skin diseases.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is widely used in skin diseases; the response rate of PDT treatment varies widely. The limited penetration in the tissue of photosensitizers influenced the penetration depth of PDT, which obviously impacts the therapeutic effect. The studies have improved the efficacy of PDT through various pretreatment applications; especially, the physical pretreatment had achieved significant outcomes. We will review the physical pretreatment to optimize the efficacy of PDT in skin diseases by searching the literature on this topic. The types of physical pretreatment commonly used in the clinical practice are discussed: curettage, superficial shaving, laser, surgical resection, plum-blossom needles, and microneedles. Compared with PDT alone, the physical pretreatment before PDT application was generally improved the efficacy and reduced the recurrence, especially in actinic keratoses (AK), Bowen disease (BD), basal cell carcinoma (BCC), and viral warts. The application of the physical pretreatments before PDT may improve the efficacy of PDT in various skin diseases. However, each kind of physical pretreatment has the benefit and shortcoming, and the applicable situation is different.