[Usefulness of nerve block therapy in patients with herpetic pain]

A retrospective study was performed on 230 patients with Herpes zoster. Among these patients, 156 patients (67.8%) were over 50 years old. Ninety-four percent of the patients who received the nerve block therapy within a month from the onset became ultimately free from pain while only seventy-nine percent of the patients upon whom this therapy was started after 2 months or more were relieved of pain. It was suggested that the earlier the therapy and the younger the patients, the more easily herpetic pain could be controlled. In conclusion, it became apparent that early treatment of Herpes zoster with nerve block therapy, is extremely important for prevention of post-herpetic neuralgia.