[Tongyuan acupuncture for postherpetic neuralgia: a randomized controlled trial]

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Acupuncture Research
• Pain Management

Background:

• Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a chronic neuropathic pain condition.
• Current treatments for PHN have limitations in efficacy and side effects.
• Novel therapeutic approaches are needed for effective PHN management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the clinical efficacy of Tongyuan electroacupuncture for treating postherpetic neuralgia (PHN).
• To compare the effectiveness of Tongyuan electroacupuncture with conventional electroacupuncture in PHN patients.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 106 PHN patients divided into Tongyuan and conventional electroacupuncture groups.
• Treatment involved daily electroacupuncture sessions for 30 minutes over four courses.
• Pain, sleep quality, anxiety, and depression were assessed using standardized questionnaires (SF-MPQ, PSQI, HAMA, HAMD).

Main Results:

• Both groups showed significant pain reduction (SF-MPQ, VAS, PPI) after treatment (P<0.05).
• Tongyuan electroacupuncture group exhibited greater improvements in pain scores, sleep quality (PSQI), anxiety (HAMA), and depression (HAMD) compared to the conventional group (P<0.05).
• The Tongyuan group had higher effective rates (90.0%) and lower recurrence rates (2.2%) than the conventional group (74.5%, 17.1%; P<0.05).

Conclusions:

• Tongyuan electroacupuncture is effective in alleviating pain, improving sleep, and reducing emotional distress in PHN patients.
• Tongyuan electroacupuncture demonstrates superior short-term and long-term clinical efficacy compared to conventional electroacupuncture for PHN.
• This study supports Tongyuan electroacupuncture as a promising treatment for postherpetic neuralgia.