| ObjectiveComparing with the western medication, the research is to study the clinical effect of the fire acupuncture therapy on the acute herpes zoster by a randomized controlled clinical test. It is also to find out the mechanism of the theory of removing the stagnation of fire, and to provide clinical evidence for its efficacy.MethodsThe prospective randomized controlled study chose60cases from the No.1Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine during December2010to February2012, which were in accordance with the diagnostic and indrawing standards, to be the subjects of the study. The patients were randomly divided into2groups, with30cases in the treatment group and30cases in the control group. The treatment group was given fire acupuncture therapy one time per day. The control group was given Aciclovir Sodium (300mg bid) and Vitamin B1(10mg tid) for oral use. With ten days a course, both groups received one course in total. During the test, blister-stop time, scab off time, duration of lesion clearance, zoster associated pain and posttherpetic neuragia, pain duration, pain intensity, comprehensive efficacy scores of herpes zoster were recorded. Besides, the analgesic effects including the onset time and the duration of the treatment group were recorded. After the10-day treatment, the incidence of the PHN was observed in the follow-up visits in the30th, the60thand the90th testing days. Results1. Physical dataAmong the70cases, none of them dropped off. There were no significant differences in the age,gender composition, general condition (pre-treatment body temperature, heart rate, respiration), as "well as the basic disease at diagnosis (discomfort, pain and blister-existing to the visiting time, the occurrence of hyperalgesia) were not statistically different (P>0.05). The two groups were comparable.2. Evaluation of PainAmong all the acupuncture treatments with initial pain before the therapy,84.33%person-time treatments had immediate analgesic effect. The mean response time of analgesic effect of acupuncture treatment group was10.06±7.807min, and the average duration for the analgesic effect was726.92±483.952min.Comparing the VAS scores before and after treatment, significant differences could be seen in both groups (P<0.01), with no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). The VAS score was obviously dropped in the test group since the1st treatment day (P<0.01), comparing the2nd treatment day in the control group (P<0.01). There were significant differences in the VAS score in the4th,5th,6th,8th,11th treatment day (P<0.05).Comparing the every day pain relieving effect, there were significant differences in the1st and5th treatment day (P<0.05).That is to say, the pain-relieving effect of the test group was better than the control group in1st treatment day, but worse than the5th treatment day. There were no significant differences in VAS score changes before and after therapy (P>0.05), so the total pain relieving effect of the two groups was similar. But there were significant differences in the VAS score changes in the1st,2nd,3rd,4th,5th and7th treatment day between the two groups (P<0.05).It means that pain relieving effect of the test group was better than the control group in the early stage.Comparing the time of the pain releasing over30%, significant difference was shown (P<0.05). In the contrast of the time of pain free, there was significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05). Moreover, the rate of patients who could get rid of the pain after10-day treatment in test group was significantly higher than the control group (P<0.05) 3. Evaluation of Herpes:Both groups can improve the lesion effectively after the therapy with equal efficacy (P>0.05). The lesion area was obviously reduced since the3rd treatment day in both groups (P<0.01).In the contrast of the accumulation effect on improvement of the lesion, significant difference was shown in the9th and10th treatment day (P<0.05). There were significant differences between the two groups in the blister-stop time, the scab≥50%time and scab off time(P<0.05). Both groups could improve the lesion effectively after the therapy with equal efficacy (P<0.05)4. Comprehensive efficacy score:Before treatment the comprehensive efficacy scores in both groups were significant different (P>0.05). There was significant difference in the comprehensive efficacy score before and after the2nd treatment day between the test group (P<0.01). Therefore, the comprehensive situation of patients can be improved in the2nd treatment day in the test group, while in the4th treatment day in the control group (P<0.05). In the contrast of the comprehensive efficacy scores in both groups, significant difference was shown since the3rd treatment day (P<0.05)5. The incidence of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN)On the30th day, the60th day and90th day of follow-up, the incidences of PHN between the two groups were significantly different (P<0.05).6. Efficacy:Total effective rate in the test group and the control group was96.7%and76.67%, respectively. No significant difference was shown in total effective rate between the two groups (P>0.05). Therefore, the cure rate of the test group and the control group were almost the same.7. Safety evaluation and assessment of tolerance:The safety and tolerability of both groups were good.ConclusionThere were significant differences in relieving the pain of herpes zoster between the fire acupuncture therapy and western medication, but analgesic effect of the test group was much better than the control group in the early stage. The fire acupuncture therapy can significantly shorten the duration of herpes zoster pain, speed up the herpes to form scab, increase the pain-off ratio after10-day treatment. The comprehensive situation of patients can be improved through these two treatments, but the test group was superior to the control group. The incidence of PHN was significantly lower than that of western medicine group. The two methods were effective to cure the herpes zoster. The safety and tolerability of both groups were good. |
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