ABSTRACT
Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture plus ozone injection in treating neuralgia due to acute herpes zoster.Method Sixty patients with neuralgia due to acute herpes zoster were randomized into a treatment group and a control group, 30 cases in each group. The control group was intervened by intravenous injection of Acyclovir, muscular injection of Mecobalamin, and external application of Acyclovir cream. The treatment group was intervened by acupuncture plus zone injection in addition to the treatment given to the control group. The time taken for the blisters to cease, crust, and decrust was observed, as well as the change of Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and the clinical efficacies were compared between the two groups. Result There were significant inter-group differences in comparing the time for the blisters to cease, crust and decrust (P<0.01, P<0.05). The VAS scores were significantly changed after treatment in both groups (P<0.01). After treatment, the VAS score in the treatment group was significantly different from that in the control group (P<0.01). The total effective rate was 96.7% in the treatment group versus 83.3% in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05).Conclusion Acupuncture plus zone injection is an effective method in treating neuralgia due to acute herpes zoster.