Health · Medical Research · 1 hr ago
Electroacupuncture reduced post-shingles pain in a clinical trial
A clinical trial tested electroacupuncture for postherpetic neuralgia, persistent pain that can remain after shingles.
Shingles occurs when the virus that causes chickenpox becomes active again, and the pain can last for months or years after skin sores heal.
The trial included 448 patients and compared electroacupuncture with a simulated treatment.
After four weeks, 46.7% of those receiving electroacupuncture had pain reduced by at least 30%, compared with 24.3% in the simulated-treatment group.
That level of improvement can be noticeable, but it does not mean the patients were pain-free.
Electroacupuncture uses needles connected to a device that sends small electrical pulses, and the study found no clinically important adverse events.
The benefits continued during the month after treatment, but the available information does not say what happened beyond that follow-up.
A clinical trial of 448 patients found electroacupuncture reduced post-shingles pain more often than a simulated procedure.
After four weeks, 46.7% of electroacupuncture patients had at least a 30% reduction in pain, compared with 24.3% in the simulated-procedure group.
The treatment involved 20 sessions over one month, using low-frequency electrical current for 30 minutes per session.
The reported benefits persisted during the month after treatment, and the study recorded no clinically important adverse events.
Post-herpetic neuralgia can persist for months or years after shingles, and existing treatments may provide only partial relief.
- Who
- 448 patients with post-herpetic neuralgia took part in the trial.
- What
- The trial compared electroacupuncture with a simulated procedure for persistent pain after shingles.
- When
- Treatment lasted four weeks; benefits were reported during the following month.
- Where
- Not stated.
- Why
- The trial investigated electroacupuncture as a way to help control pain after shingles.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
A reduction of 30% is considered clinically relevant in chronic pain studies because it represents a moderate improvement that the patient can perceive.
But this does not mean that 47% of participants became pain-free: they had a reduction of at least 30% in pain compared with what they felt at the start.
The results suggest a greater effect on the way the nervous system processes pain than on the nerve injury itself.
Patients received 20 electroacupuncture sessions, five times a week, with each session lasting 30 minutes.
At least 30% pain reduction was reported by 46.7% of the electroacupuncture group and 24.3% of the simulated-procedure group.
The reported benefits persisted during the month of follow-up after treatment.
- Trial participants
- 448 patients
- Pain reduction after four weeks
- 46.7% with electroacupuncture; 24.3% with simulated procedure
- Treatment course
- 20 sessions over four weeks
- Session length
- 30 minutes
- Follow-up
- Benefits persisted during the month after treatment
Sources
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