Shallow Fire-needle Acupuncture Stimulation Plus Cupping Relieves Neuralgia and Down-regulates Serum Substance P Level in Patients with Acute Herpes Zoster
10.13702/j.1000-0607.170923
- Author:
Ying ZHANG
1
Author Information
1. People's Hospital of Yuxi City
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Herpes zoster;
Neuralgia;
Serum SP;
Shallow fire needle stimulation plus cupping
- From:
Acupuncture Research
2018;43(8):492-494
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE: To observe the influence of repeated shallow fire-needle acupuncture stimulation plus cupping on local neuralgia and serum substance P(SP)content in patients with acute herpes zoster (AHZ). METHODS: A total of 60 cases of AHZ patients were randomly divided into control (medication) group and treatment (medication plus fire-needle) group (n＝30 in each). Patients of both groups were ordered to take Famciclovir (0.25 g/time, three times a day) and Mecobalamin (0.5 g/time, three times a day) orally for 7 days. In addition, patients of the treatment group were also treated by repeated shallow fire-needle stimulation and cupping, once a day for 7 days. Before and after the treatment, the patient's pain severity was assessed using visual analogue scale (VAS) and serum SP concentration was measured using ELISA. RESULTS: After the treatment, the VAS scores and serum SP concentrations in both groups were significantly decreased in comparison with those of their own pre-treatment (P<0.01), and were significantly lower in the treatment group than in the control group(P<0.01). There was a highly positive correlation between the decreased VAS score and serum SP content in the treatment group(P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Repeated shallow fire-needle stimulation plus cupping can accelerate the relief of local neuralgia in AHZ patients, which may be associated with its effect in down-regulating serum SP level.
