Citation Format: Zheng Xiancheng, Hui Zhiyuan, Jia Jingnan, Wang Jun. Treatment of 29 Cases of Postherpetic Neuralgia with Filiform Acupuncture Combined with Seven Star Needling [J]. Chinese Acupuncture, 2022, 42(7): 765-766.
Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is the most common type of neuropathic pain and the most frequent complication of herpes zoster (HZ), with an incidence rate of 3.9 to 42.0 per 100,000. The clinical presentation is primarily pain, often accompanied by sleep disturbances and emotional disorders such as anxiety and depression, severely impairing the quality of life of patients, with over 50% of persistent PHN patients having suicidal tendencies. Currently, Western medicine primarily focuses on pain control for PHN, but adverse reactions are significant, leading to drug dependence or iatrogenic injuries.
Treatment Methods
(1) Filiform Acupuncture
Acupuncture Points: Tai Chong (Liver 3), Zu San Li (Stomach 36), Zhong Wan (Ren 12), Guan Yuan (Ren 4), San Yin Jiao (Spleen 6), Shen Men (Heart 7).
Procedure: After the patient empties the bladder, they lie supine. The local area is disinfected with 75% ethanol, and a disposable sterile acupuncture needle of 0.25mm×40mm is selected. Tai Chong and San Yin Jiao are needled perpendicularly to a depth of 15-25mm, Zu San Li, Zhong Wan, and Guan Yuan to a depth of 25-35mm, and Shen Men to a depth of 5-10mm. After obtaining deqi (the sensation of needling), a small amplitude twisting technique is applied for even tonification and sedation, leaving the needles in for 25 minutes.
(2) Seven Star Needling
Acupuncture Points: Local Ah Shi points.
Procedure: The patient is positioned appropriately to fully expose the PHN area, and the local area is disinfected with iodine. The Seven Star needle is used with light wrist force to tap until the local skin becomes slightly reddened.
Sessions are performed once every other day, three times a week, for a total of four weeks, constituting one treatment course.
Treatment Results
(1) Comparison of VAS, DLQI, HAMA, HAMD, and PSQI Scores Before and After Treatment
After 2 weeks and 4 weeks of treatment, the VAS, DLQI, HAMA, HAMD, and PSQI scores of patients were all lower than before treatment (P < 0.01), as shown in Table 1.
(2) Clinical Efficacy
After 4 weeks of treatment, 4 cases were cured, 16 cases showed significant improvement, 7 cases were effective, and 2 cases were ineffective, resulting in a total effective rate of 93.1% and a significant improvement rate of 69.0%.
Experience
The pathogenesis of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is often due to a deficiency of the body’s vital energy, insufficient righteous qi, retention of damp-heat and toxic blood stasis, leading to qi stagnation and blood stasis, resulting in pain; or due to prolonged illness, consumption of righteous qi, deficiency of qi and blood, and empty channels, leading to insufficient nourishment, hence pain. Although the disease is located in the meridians and skin, its occurrence and progression are closely related to the dysfunction of the liver, heart, spleen, and stomach. The nature of the disease is a mixture of deficiency and excess, with deficiency being the root and excess being the manifestation.
The author employs the principle of “supporting the righteous and expelling the evil, unblocking the meridians and alleviating pain” to treat PHN with filiform acupuncture combined with Seven Star needling. Filiform acupuncture targets the source and transport points of the Foot Jueyin Liver Meridian, Tai Chong, to soothe the liver, regulate qi, invigorate blood, unblock the meridians, and alleviate pain; it also targets the lower he-sea point Zu San Li and the front-mu point Zhong Wan to tonify the spleen and stomach, nourishing the source of qi and blood production, while also reinforcing the meeting point of the Ren Meridian and the Foot Three Yin Meridians Guan Yuan and San Yin Jiao to replenish vital energy, soothe the liver, tonify the kidneys, strengthen the spleen, nourish blood, and moisten the skin and meridians, thus supporting the righteous to expel the evil; according to the “Su Wen: The Great Discussion on True Essentials”, “all pain and itching belong to the heart”, the source point of the Hand Shaoyin Heart Meridian, Shen Men, is selected to calm the heart and alleviate pain.
The “Ling Shu: Official Needling” states: “Needling the surface treats skin bi-syndrome”, the method of superficial needling excels in treating bi-syndrome located in the skin by stimulating the skin’s meridian qi, harmonizing the local wei qi and ying blood, which can restore the promoting and warming functions of wei qi, expel blood stasis and toxic evils, and promote the regeneration of new blood, thereby unblocking the local meridians, allowing the skin to receive the nourishment of qi and blood, ultimately eliminating pain or numbness. The Seven Star needling technique falls under this category, thus using the Seven Star needle to lightly tap the local Ah Shi points, causing slight redness of the skin, this method is less painful, more acceptable to patients, and can harmonize the ying and wei, expel evil, unblock the meridians, and invigorate blood to alleviate pain.
Recommended Reading:
① Zhu Lian’s Clinical Research on Type I Needling Combined with Zhuang Medicine Point Moxibustion for Acute Phase Herpes Zoster
② [Operation Video] Zheng’s “Cool Purging” Needling Method for Treating Herpes Cases
③ [All Practical Content, Comprehensive Needling Techniques] Sun Shentian’s Clinical Acupuncture Features
-
The content of this article is for reference only and does not represent the views of this journal. Non-acupuncture professionals should not attempt this without guidance.
-
For purchasing the Chinese magazine, please add Alipay as a friend first.
Alipay Account: [email protected]. Please transfer after communication.
-
WeChat Original Submissions: [email protected]
Click “View” to give me a little yellow flower
Have you discovered “Share” and “Like”? Click to see!