Efficacy and Safety of Fire Needle Therapy Combined With Cortex Phellodendri Compound Fluid Wet Compress for Acute Herpes Zoster: a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Summary

Herpes zoster (HZ) results from a reactivation of varicella-zoster virus (VZV), which causes primary infection leading to chickenpox and remains latent in the ganglia. Fire needle therapy is a non-pharmacological treatment that combines heat therapy with traditional acupuncture. This technique involves heating sterilized needles and swiftly inserting them into specific points or areas of the skin. Chinese herbal wet compress therapy is directly delivering medications to the lesion site, facilitating rapid transdermal absorption. This method ensures stable local drug concentrations and effectively alleviates pain, swelling, and other clinical symptoms. In this study, we conducted a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of fire needle therapy combined with CPCF wet compress for the treatment of acute HZ. 32 acute HZ patients were randomized into control (standard antiviral and analgesic therapy) and treated groups (standard therapy plus fire needle \[5 sessions, every other day\] and CPCF wet compress \[3 times/day, 10 days\]). After 10 days of treatment, fire needle combined with CPCF wet compress significantly enhances symptom relief, pain reduction, and quality of life in acute HZ, with favorable safety.

Timeline

Start

2024-01-01

Primary completion

2024-08-31

Completion

2024-08-31

Publications

• Results Zeng JC, Liao YZ, Li JJ, Lu LH, Li HZ, Lu LM, Li QJ, Li LX, Wang SX, Lin GH. [Clinical efficacy of fire needling combined with cupping therapy on herpes zoster of acute stage and the effect on Th17/Treg cellular immune balance]. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2023 Oct 12;43(10):1128-33. doi: 10.13703/j.0255-2930.20221005-k0004. Chinese.
• Results Zhang Y, Li SH, Yang L, Xu QN, Pei WY, Liang ZH, Liu XH, Yang JJ, Lin GH. [Shallow Fire-needle Acupuncture Stimulation Plus Cupping Relieves Neuralgia and Down-regulates Serum Substance P Level in Patients with Acute Herpes Zoster]. Zhen Ci Yan Jiu. 2018 Aug 25;43(8):492-4. doi: 10.13702/j.1000-0607.170923. Chinese.
• Results Huang SX, Mao M, Pu JJ, Chen YH, Deng L, Zhao H, Geng MJ, Zhong RF, Guo YJ, Liu ZS, Wang YH, Ye YM, Liu J, Yang T, Zhao AM, Chen XH, Zhu HY, Du YC. [Clinical research on fire filiform needle combined with mild moxibustion for postherpetic neuralgia]. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2014 Mar;34(3):225-9. Chinese.
• Results Chen J, Luo C, Ju P, Tu S, Shi S, Wang Z, Wu H. A bibliometric analysis and visualization of acupuncture and moxibustion therapy for herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia. Skin Res Technol. 2024 Jun;30(6):e13815. doi: 10.1111/srt.13815.
• Results Dai YX, Yeh FY, Shen YJ, Tai YH, Huang N, Chang YT, Chen TJ, Li CP, Wu CY. Cigarette smoking and risk of herpes zoster: a population-based cohort study in Taiwan. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2021 Oct;46(7):1293-1298. doi: 10.1111/ced.14650. Epub 2021 May 11.
• Results Patil A, Goldust M, Wollina U. Herpes zoster: A Review of Clinical Manifestations and Management. Viruses. 2022 Jan 19;14(2):192. doi: 10.3390/v14020192.

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Indications