[Analysis on therapeutic effect of variable-frequency electroacupuncture combined with herbal-moxa moxibustion for post-zoster neuralgia].

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical therapeutic effect of variable-frequency electroacupuncture (EA) combined with herbal-moxa moxibustion for regional neuralgia in herpes zoster (HZ) patients. METHODS: A total of 37 cases of HZ outpatients were randomized into treatment group (18 cases) and medication group (19 cases). For patients of the treatment group, EA (100 Hz for the 1st 10 min, then 2 Hz for 30 min) plus herbal-moxa roll (15 cm in length, containing components of corydalis tuber, astragali radix, myrrh, etc.) moxibustion (till local skin flushing, and the patient's warm feeling penetrated from the skin surface to the deeper subcutaneous tissues, ignited nine times repeatedly) was applied to Jiaji (EX-B 2) and Ashi-point, once daily for 7 days. Patients of the medication group were ordered to take Brufen (0.3 g, b. i. d.), vitamin B 1 (10 mg, t. i. d.) and vitamin E (100 mg, b. i. d). The visual analog scale (VAS) was used to assess the HZ patients' pain reaction before and after the therapy. RESULTS: After one course of treatment, of the 19 and 18 HZ patients in the medication and treatment groups, 1 (5.26%) and 5 (27.77%) were cured, 13 (68.42%) and 12 (66.67%) ameliorated, 5 (26.32%) and 1 (5.56%) invalid, with the total effective rates being 73.68% and 94.44% respectively. The therapeutic effect of the treatment group was significantly superior to that of the medication group (P < 0.05). VAS scores of both groups were decreased considerably following the treatment (P < 0.05), but showed no significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Variable-frequency EA plus herbal-moxa roll moxibustion is effective in relieving neuralgia of HZ patients.