Low energy laser therapy for treatment of post-herpetic neuralgia

Post-herpetic neuralgia is a significant and severe disability that afflicts some patients following the acute manifestation of the disease despite what may be considered adequate pharmacological treatment at the time of onset of the vesicular rash. Surgery in general has little to offer in this condition although dorsal route entry zone lesions may be appropriate in some situations. Low dose laser therapy has been of value in a small series, to date, of cases that the treatment has been used on. This has been both in the early phase soon after the vesicles have cleared and often late, many years after the onset of the pain. Reported is a good improvement rate in approximately 60% of cases. The treatment is non-invasive and consideration of initial laser therapy is advocated.