Title:Observation and Analysis of Clinical Efficacy of Zhuang Medicine Lotus
Acupuncture Cupping Stasis Therapy on Patients with Postherpetic
Neuralgia
Volume: 26
Issue: 6
Author(s): Jingjing Lai, Meikang Li*, Jie Li, Haitao Han, Jinming Huang, Hongling Qin, Xiujuan Li, Lei Tan, Jing Xu and Jinxiu Peng
Affiliation:
- Department of Zhuang Medicine Acupuncture, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi University of Chinese
Medicine, Guangxi, China
Keywords:
Zhuang medicine, lotus acupuncture cupping stasis therapy, PHN, clinical efficacy, action mechanism, postherpetic neuralgia (PHN).
Abstract:
Objective: To explore the clinical efficacy of Zhuang Medicine Lotus Acupuncture
Cupping Stasis Therapy on patients with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) and its action mechanism.
Methods: 36 patients are randomly divided into Lotus Acupuncture Cupping Stasis Therapy group,
pure cupping group and gabapentin group, with a total of five observation points for the first, fifth,
tenth, fifteenth, and twentieth sessions of therapy (one session every three days). At each observation
point, the venous blood of the patients is taken, and the contents of and changes in WNT3a,
Frizzled8, β-catenin, IL-18, TNF-α, NR2B, NK-1 and SP are tested by ELISA, RT-PCR and WesternBlot,
respectively. The VAS scores and safety of the patients in the three groups are compared.
Results: With increased time spent in therapy, the VAS scores of patients in each group decreased
gradually and there was a significant reduction in pain in patients in the Lotus Acupuncture Cupping
Stasis Therapy group compared to the gabapentin and pure cupping groups (P<0.05). The levels
of IL-18, TNF-α, NK-1, SP, WNT3a, Frizzled 8 and β-catenin in the serum of all patients experienced
a constant decline over time (P<0.05); the levels of the aforesaid factors in the serum of patients in
the Lotus Acupuncture Cupping Stasis Therapy group dropped remarkably after the tenth session of
therapy compared to those in gabapentin and pure cupping groups (P<0.05).
Conclusions: Zhuang Medicine Lotus Acupuncture Cupping Stasis Therapy can significantly reduce
the pain of PHN patients, with a good therapeutic effect, and it is worthy of clinical use.
