Qihuang needle therapy improves Tourette syndrome: A case report

Rationale: Tourette syndrome (TS) is a chronic neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by motor and vocal tics, often associated with psychiatric comorbidities. It interferes with psychological development and quality of life. Although acupuncture has been reported as an effective treatment for tic disorders, its use in children is limited due to fear of needles and intolerance to needle retention. Qihuang needle (QH needle) therapy is a newly developed acupuncture modality with advantages of minimal pain, no need for needle retention, and rapid onset of effect. Here, we describe a pediatric case of TS successfully managed with QH needle therapy. Patient concerns: A 10-year-old boy presented with a 2-year history of recurrent multiple motor tics involving the face and limbs, along with vocal tics such as sniffing and throat clearing. The pharmacological treatment yielded suboptimal efficacy, with persistent symptom fluctuations prompting the consideration of complementary and alternative medicine. Diagnoses: The diagnosis of TS was established based on the patient’s medical history, the presence of multiple motor and vocal tics at some point in illness lasting more than 1 year, and age of onset at 8 years. Interventions: The patient was initially treated with pharmacological therapy to alleviate tic symptoms, however, the symptoms remained recurrent and poorly controlled. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation was subsequently attempted for 10 consecutive days but showed limited efficacy and was discontinued due to poor compliance. Thereafter, QH needle therapy was administered over 14 sessions. Outcomes: Significant improvement was observed, with the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale score reduced from 52 to 14. No recurrence was reported during a 6-month follow-up period. Lessons: To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of TS treated with QH needle therapy. The results suggest that QH needle therapy may serve as a major or adjunctive treatment option for tic disorders and could be a promising method in pediatric disease management.