Clinical research on postherpetic neuralgia treated by floating-acupuncture combined with collateral-bloodletting puncture and cupping

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy of treating postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) by combining floating-acupuncture laser with cupping following collateral bloodletting, and to analyze its mechanism.MethodOne hundred and thirty cases of PHN were randomly divided into a floating-acupuncture laser with cupping following collateral bloodletting group (group A) and an electroacupuncture group (group B) based on the treatment sequence and according to the random number table, with 65 cases in each group. In the group B, G-6805 electroacupuncture apparatus was adopted after the arrival of qi through even reinforcing and reducing (even method) in such acupoints as Hégu ( LI 4), Taìhōng ( LR 3), Zhīgōu ( TE 6), Qūchí ( LI 11) and Zùsānli ( ST 36); in the group A, the treatment combining floating-acupuncture laser with cupping following collateral bloodletting was adopted, and the score of VAS and clinical efficacy before and after treatment in the two groups were compared.ResultThe differences of VAS scores of the two groups between the time points of after one course of treatment, after the entire treatment, follow up visit three months after the treatment and before treatment were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The rate of significant efficiency and total effective rate in the group A were respectively 37.8% and 98.5% (64/65), and 11.1% and 78.5% (51/65) in the group B. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant after Ridit analysis (P<0.05).ConclusionThe efficacy of treating PHN by combining floating-acupuncture laser with cupping following collateral bloodletting was significant.