RESUMEN
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the therapeutic effect between surround needling plus thin cotton moxibustion and western medicine for herpes zoster.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eighty cases were randomly divided into a surround needling plus thin cotton moxibustion group (observation group, n = 42) and a western medicine group (control group, n = 38) with a randomized controlled method. The observation group was treated with surround needling around the herpes and thin cotton moxibustion on the surface of the herpes, and the control group with oral administration of Acyclovir tablet plus topical Acyclovir cream. The scores of pain, quantity of herpes, herpes color, anabrosis and exudation changes of herpes and the markedly effective rate in the two groups were compared before and after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The markedly effective rate was 78.6% (33/42) in the observation group, which was superior to 39.5% in the control group (P < 0.05). All the symptom scores in both the groups were improved obviously after treatment (all P < 0.05), and the observation group was better than the control group (all P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The therapeutic effect of surround needling plus thin cotton moxibustion on herpes zoster is superior to that of routine western medicine.</p>