| 1 ObjectiveComparing with the western medication, the research is to study the clinical effects of the e-lectro-acupuncture with blood-letting puncturing and cupping therapy on the acute herpes zoster by a randomized controlled clinical test. It is also to find out the impacts of the therapy to the postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), and to provide clinical evidance for its effeciency.2 MethodThe propective randomized controlled study chose 70 cases from the No.1 Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine during September 2009 to June 2010, which were in accordance with the diagnostic and indrawing standards, to be the subjects of the study. The patients were randomly divided into 2 groups, with 37 cases in the treatment group and 33 cases in the control group. The treatment group was given electro-acupuncture treatment, and blood-letting puncturing and cupping in the local area, one time per day. The control group was given Aciclovir Sodium (300mg bid) and Vitamin B1 (10mg tid) for oral use. Ten days a course, both groups received one course in total. During the test, the situations of the pain and the herpes of both groups were recorded. Before and after the treatment, each group took haemanalysis, urinalysis and the blood tests for liver and kidney functions. Besides, the analgesic effects including the onset time and the duration of the treatment group were recorded. After the 10-day treatment, the incidence of the PHN was observed in the follow-ups in the 30th,60th and 90th testing 3 Results3.1 Physical datasAmong the 70 cases,3 of them dropped off, including one in the treatment group and two in the control group. The number of the cases accomplishing the whole tests was 36 in the treatment group and 31 in the control group. There were no significant differences in the age, gender compositon, temperature, as well as the course of disease-the duration of the unwell feeling, herpes existence and the pain happening (P>0.05). The two groups were comparable.3.2 Pain evaluationComparing the VAS score before and after treatment, significant difference can be seen in both groups(P<0.01). Having no significant differece in the two groups before the test(P>0.05), the VAS score of the 7th testing day was obviously dropped in the treatment group (P<0.01), showing a significant difference to the control group, while in the 11th day of the therapy, the decrease of the VAS score has no significant differece (P>0.05). Comparing the time of the pain releasing over 30%, no significant difference was shown (P>0.05). But in the contrast of the time of pain free, there was significant differece between the two groups, indicating that the treatment group was free of pain sooner than the control group (P<0.01). Moreover, the rate of patients who could get rid of the pain in treatment group is significantly higher than the control group (P<0.01)3.3 Skin lesions improvement:There was no significant differences between the two groups in the blisters-stop time, crusted scab≥50% and off time (P> 0.05). Lesion areas of the two groups before treatment were with no significant difference (P> 0.05); before and after therapy, skin lesions area of the treatment group had a significant difference (P<0.01); the reduction of lesion area between the two groups before and after treatment was statistically significant different (P<0.01).3.4 Comprehensive efficacy score:Before and after treatment the comprehensive efficacy scores in both groups were significant different (P<0.01). There was no significant difference in the comprehensive efficacy score before therapy. On the 7th day of the therapy, the improvements of the Comprehensive efficacy scores of the two groups were significant different (P<0.05) while on the 11th day they were with no significant difference (P>0.05)3.5 The incidence of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN):On the 30th day of follow-up, the incidences of PHN between the two groups were significantly different (P<0.01), but on the 60th and 90th day of the follow-up, there was no significant difference(P>0.05).3.6 Analgesic effects of acupuncture:The mean response time of analgesic effect of acupuncture treatment group is 4.69±4.84 min, and the the average duration for the analgesic effect is 611.3±423.3 min.3.7 Safety evaluation and assessment of tolerance:The safety and tolerability of both groups are good.4 ConclusionElectro-acupuncture with blood-letting puncturing and cupping therapy can relieve the pain of herpes zoster patients sooner and shorten the duration of herpes zoster pain, which is superior to western medicine; the reduction and intervention of the natural course of herpes zoster were equivalent to western medical therapy; at the one-week time of the therapy, the treatment group had better effects than western medicine integrated group; at the early stage(about 1 month), the incidence of PHN was significantly lower than that of western medicine group; the tolerance and safety of both methods are good. |
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