Efficacy of Acupuncture for Herpes Zoster: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> This study aimed to assess the efficacy of acupuncture in patients with herpes zoster (HZ) based on current randomized clinical trials (RCTs). <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Five databases were screened for RCTs published until August 2019. Studies that assessed the efficacy of acupuncture when used as an independent intervention for HZ were included. The outcomes of interest were pain intensity, as assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS), incrustation time, decrustation time, and incidence of post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN). <b><i>Results:</i></b> In total, 21 RCTs were included in this research. Compared with antiviral therapy, acupuncture was associated with a reduction in VAS score by 16.13, incrustation time by 1.86 days, decrustation time by 2.19 days, and incidence of PHN by 83%. According to a meta-regression analysis, the main sources of heterogeneity were sample size and duration of treatment. There was no publication bias except on decrustation time. A sensitivity analysis showed that the outcomes were relatively stable and reliable. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Acupuncture may be effective for patients with HZ. Nevertheless, this finding should be validated by conducting high-quality trials with a larger sample size.

Evaluating the Evidence Quality Supporting the Role of Acupuncture for Herpes Zoster Pain: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses

“…According to the retrieval strategy, a total of 77 related articles were selected, 36 duplicates were removed, 3 studies were excluded after record screening, and 19 studies were included (13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31). The entire process and results are shown in Figure 1.…”

“…The 318 included studies involved 13490 cases. Among them, 3 articles (14-16) included RCTs and CCTs, and 16 articles (13,(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31) were RCTs. Thirteen articles (13,15,18,19,(21)(22)(23)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31) used the bias risk assessment tool recommended by Cochrane.…”

Potential mechanisms of acupuncture for neuropathic pain based on somatosensory system

“…These methods were not the only ones that physicians also made determinations based on their clinical experience. With the deepening of clinical research, the efficacy of acupuncture on neuropathic pain has been confirmed by several systemic reviews and meta-analyses, which were listed in Table 2 ( Heo et al, 2013 ; Dimitrova et al, 2017 ; Hu et al, 2019 ; Liu et al, 2019 ; Pei et al, 2019 ; Yun et al, 2020 ; Cui et al, 2021 ; Yu et al, 2021 ). A study described the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.…”

Traditional Chinese Medicine For HIV-Associated Acute Herpes Zoster: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials

“…Wet cupping [30] , Longdancao (Gentiana scabra Bunge. )single herb formula [31] and acupuncture [32] may decrease the rate of PHN. Acupuncture using independently [31] and Acupuncture plus moxibustion [33] may reduce VAS score of pain.…”