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Acupuncture compared with placebo in post-herpetic pain
George T Lewith1, Jennifer Field, David Machin
1Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, SouthamptonGreat Britain.
Pain
|December 1, 1983
Summary
Acupuncture provided no significant pain relief for post-herpetic neuralgia compared to placebo. The study suggests acupuncture has limited value for this condition, but the methodology may inform future research.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pain Management
- Alternative Medicine
Background:
- Post-herpetic neuralgia is a chronic pain condition following shingles.
- Effective treatments for post-herpetic neuralgia are limited.
- Acupuncture is explored as a potential analgesic therapy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of auricular and body acupuncture versus placebo for post-herpetic neuralgia pain relief.
- To assess patient-reported pain reduction during and after treatment.
Main Methods:
- A single-blind, randomized controlled study.
- 62 patients with post-herpetic neuralgia were enrolled.
- Acupuncture was compared against mock transcutaneous nerve stimulation (placebo).
Main Results:
- No significant difference in pain relief was observed between the acupuncture and placebo groups.
- Seven patients in each group reported significant pain improvement post-treatment.
- Acupuncture demonstrated limited analgesic value for post-herpetic neuralgia.
Conclusions:
- Acupuncture is unlikely to be an effective analgesic therapy for post-herpetic neuralgia.
- The study's methodology, including the placebo control, may be valuable for future acupuncture research.
- Further investigation into acupuncture's role in other conditions is warranted.
