Objective To analyze the application rules of the red-hot needle therapy to the treatment of neurological dysfunction related diseases in the ancient and modern clinical practice by data mining.Methods Modern literature data about the red-hot needle therapy in medical journals and partial medical books were collected to establish a"red-hot needling literature network database"

followed by manually selecting its applicable illness spectrum of neurological dysfunction.Then

the application rules of the red-hot needling for neurological dysfunction related diseases

including selection of acupuncture needle types

acupoints

operation methods

etc.were analyzed.Results A total of 17categories of neurological dysfunction related diseases treated by red-hot needle therapy were collected from medical journals

ten categories of diseases collected from medical cases

and five categories of diseases collected from medical books.The most frequently seen diseases were herpes zoster/residual neuralgia of herpes zoster

facial paralysis

facial neuritis(prosopodynia)

and stroke/stroke sequelae

etc.During acupuncture treatment

doctors(acupuncturists)usually selected Ashi points

performed spot pricking or quick insertion and withdrawal of the red-hot needle

or adopted additional surrounded needling around the focus of infection according to syndrome differentiation in some cases.Conclusion Red-hot needle therapy has a good curative efficacy in relieving symptoms of neurological dysfunction related diseases

being worthy of promotion in clinical practice.