Effect of Electroacupuncture on Postherpetic Neuralgia

Does a 4-week course of electroacupuncture reduce pain intensity in adults with postherpetic neuralgia compared with sham electroacupuncture?In this multicenter randomized clinical trial of 448 patients with postherpetic neuralgia, electroacupuncture reduced pain scores more than sham electroacupuncture at 4 weeks. Electroacupuncture also increased responder rates (≥30% reduction in pain scores), with benefits persisting at 1 month.Despite a modest mean pain score reduction, this 4-week course of electroacupuncture significantly improved responder rates; these findings suggest that electroacupuncture may have a role in multimodal management of postherpetic neuralgia.

Corresponding Authors: Jing Guo, MD, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Medicine Research of Ministry of Education, School of Acupuncture-moxibustion and Tuina, Health and Prevention, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China (janiceguo@njucm.edu.cn); Jianhua Sun, MD, Department of Acupuncture and Rehabilitation, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029, China (fsyy00657@njucm.edu.cn).

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