Clinical Application of Intelligent Pain Management Program in Patients With Postherpetic Neuralgia Patients

Effective pain management is crucial for treating and caring for individuals with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). A systematic pain management program for this condition has not been established.

To assess the clinical effectiveness of an intelligent pain management (IPM) program for patients with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN).

A randomized controlled trial was conducted, enrolling 92 PHN inpatients from January 2022 to January 2023. The control group (45 patients) received conventional pain management, while the experimental group (47 patients) underwent an IPM program. The study compared the impact of these approaches on clinical symptoms, sleep quality, and pain-catastrophizing cognition between the two groups.

In the experimental group, the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) scores were significantly lower than those in the control group on the 7th and 10th days of hospitalization. The differences in NRS scores, both in terms of treatment effects and time effects, as well as the interaction effect between treatment and time, were statistically significant (p < .05). The experimental group also exhibited a lower average daily frequency of breakthrough pain, a higher total pain relief rate, and better sleep index scores compared to the control group, with statistically significant differences (p < .05). However, the pain catastrophizing scores in the experimental group were lower than those in the control group, but this difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05).

IPM programs can enhance patient pain outcomes and improve sleep quality. Nevertheless, the effect on pain catastrophizing cognition did not reach statistical significance.