Effectiveness of Warm Acupuncture in Patients with Postherpetic Neuralgia

NCT ID: NCT06893172

Last Updated: 2025-03-25

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

36 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-04-01

Study Completion Date

2025-08-29

Brief Summary

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Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is the most common clinical complication of herpes zoster. PHN can persist for months to years, and in some cases, the pain may last for more than five years. Patients suffering from severe, prolonged pain endure significant distress, which seriously affects their quality of life and daily activities. Moreover, PHN can lead to insomnia, anxiety, depression, or even suicide. Currently, the treatment of PHN primarily focuses on pain management. First-line treatment options include gabapentin, pregabalin, tricyclic antidepressants, and 5% lidocaine patches.

Acupuncture is a widely used non-pharmacological therapy. A large number of clinical trials have demonstrated its effectiveness in treating various neuropathic pain conditions, including PHN. Acupuncture not only reduces pain perception but also alleviates anxiety and improves the quality of life for PHN patients. Among different acupuncture techniques, Warm Acupuncture (WA) is considered the most effective for treating peripheral neuropathic pain. Clinical case reports have also shown its pain-relieving effects in PHN patients.

However, there has been no study in Vietnam on the effectiveness of WA in pain reduction for patients with PHN. Therefore, this study is conducted to evaluate whether WA is effective in reducing pain and ensuring safety for treating PHN patients with Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis syndrome. The findings will serve as a basis for the broader application of WA in the treatment of PHN.

Detailed Description

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Patients with Postherpetic neuralgia in the trunk area, belonging to the Blood Stasis syndrome. They will be treated with a combination of Warm Acupuncture and Gabapentin.

The intervention period is four weeks. Warm Acupuncture will be performed five times a week and Gabapentin is administered daily for 4 weeks.

Data on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and side effects of Warm Acupuncture and Gabapentin will be recorded before the study and weekly for 4 weeks.

Conditions

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Postherpetic Neuralgia ( PHN )

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Study Group

The study group used gabapentin 300mg per tablet, twice a day, for a treatment period of 4 weeks, combined with Warm acupuncture at the Ashi point, EX-B2, LI4, TE6, PC5 and SP6, five times a week for 4 weeks.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Warm acupuncture and Gabapentin

Intervention Type OTHER

This group used gabapentin 300mg per tablet, twice a day, for a treatment period of 4 weeks, combined with warm acupuncture at the Ashi point, EX-B2, LI4, TE6, PC5 and SP6, five times a week for 4 weeks.

Control Group

The control group used gabapentin 300mg per tablet, twice a day, for a treatment period of 4 weeks

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Gabapentin

Intervention Type DRUG

This group used gabapentin 300mg per tablet, twice a day, for a treatment period of 4 weeks

Interventions

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Warm acupuncture and Gabapentin

This group used gabapentin 300mg per tablet, twice a day, for a treatment period of 4 weeks, combined with warm acupuncture at the Ashi point, EX-B2, LI4, TE6, PC5 and SP6, five times a week for 4 weeks.

Intervention Type OTHER

Gabapentin

This group used gabapentin 300mg per tablet, twice a day, for a treatment period of 4 weeks

Intervention Type DRUG

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Individuals with a history of herpes zoster in the trunk area.
* Individuals diagnosed with Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) by a dermatologist, based on PHN diagnostic criteria, with pain persisting for 3 months or more after the skin lesions have healed.
* Individuals with a pain intensity score of ≥ 3, assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS).
* Individuals diagnosed with Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis syndrome by a Traditional Medicine doctor.
* Individuals aged 18 years or older.
* Individuals who volunteer to participate in the study and sign a consent form.

Exclusion Criteria

* Active herpes zoster lesions, confirmed by the dermatologist treating the patient.
* Pregnant or breastfeeding women.
* Patients with severe cognitive impairment who cannot understand the study protocol.
* Patients with a history of allergy to Gabapentin.
* Currently participating in another interventional study.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Dang Ngoc Ha Phuong

Investigator

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Central Contacts

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Quyen Le Bao Nguyen

Role: CONTACT

+84981864951

References

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Zhao H, Nie W, Sun Y, Li S, Yang S, Meng F, Zhang L, Wang F, Huang S. Warm Needling Therapy and Acupuncture at Meridian-Sinew Sites Based on the Meridian-Sinew Theory: Hemiplegic Shoulder Pain. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2015;2015:694973. doi: 10.1155/2015/694973. Epub 2015 Oct 1.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26495023 (View on PubMed)

Li X, Han Y, Cui J, Yuan P, Di Z, Li L. Efficacy of Warm Needle Moxibustion on Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Meta-Analysis. J Evid Based Complementary Altern Med. 2016 Oct;21(4):311-9. doi: 10.1177/2156587215605419. Epub 2015 Sep 15.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26378088 (View on PubMed)

Wang L, Qiu L, Zheng X, Ouyang J, Zhang M, He L, Zeng S, Liu B, Peng J. Effectiveness of electroacupuncture at Jiaji acupoints (EX-B2), plus moxibustion and intermediate on postherpetic neuralgia: a randomized controlled trial. J Tradit Chin Med. 2020 Feb;40(1):121-127.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 32227773 (View on PubMed)

Pei W, Zeng J, Lu L, Lin G, Ruan J. Is acupuncture an effective postherpetic neuralgia treatment? A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Pain Res. 2019 Jul 16;12:2155-2165. doi: 10.2147/JPR.S199950. eCollection 2019.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31410050 (View on PubMed)

Zhao W, Huang H, Liu K, Wang S, Lin S, Long W, Li L, Zeng J, Lin G. Acupuncture and Moxibustion for Peripheral Neuropathic Pain: A Frequentist Network Meta-Analysis and Cost-Effectiveness Evaluation. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2022 Mar 16;2022:6886465. doi: 10.1155/2022/6886465. eCollection 2022.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 35341147 (View on PubMed)

He K, Hu R, Huang Y, Qiu B, Chen Q, Ma R. Effects of Acupuncture on Neuropathic Pain Induced by Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2022 Aug 19;2022:6297484. doi: 10.1155/2022/6297484. eCollection 2022.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 36034938 (View on PubMed)

Johnson RW, Rice AS. Clinical practice. Postherpetic neuralgia. N Engl J Med. 2014 Oct 16;371(16):1526-33. doi: 10.1056/NEJMcp1403062. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 25317872 (View on PubMed)

Lin CS, Lin YC, Lao HC, Chen CC. Interventional Treatments for Postherpetic Neuralgia: A Systematic Review. Pain Physician. 2019 May;22(3):209-228.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31151330 (View on PubMed)

Zhang M, Gao CX, Ma KT, Li L, Dai ZG, Wang S, Si JQ. A Meta-Analysis of Therapeutic Efficacy and Safety of Gabapentin in the Treatment of Postherpetic Neuralgia from Randomized Controlled Trials. Biomed Res Int. 2018 Jul 4;2018:7474207. doi: 10.1155/2018/7474207. eCollection 2018.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 30069477 (View on PubMed)

Du J, Sun G, Ma H, Xiang P, Guo Y, Deng Y, Li S, Li X. Prevalence and Risk Factors of Anxiety and Depression in Patients with Postherpetic Neuralgia: A Retrospective Study. Dermatology. 2021;237(6):891-895. doi: 10.1159/000512190. Epub 2020 Dec 16.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33326962 (View on PubMed)

Putri Mellaratna W, Jusuf NK, Yosi A. The impact of pain intensity on quality of life of postherpetic neuralgia patients. Med Glas (Zenica). 2020 Aug 1;17(2):439-444. doi: 10.17392/1111-20.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 32253903 (View on PubMed)

Yang F, Yu S, Fan B, Liu Y, Chen YX, Kudel I, Concialdi K, DiBonaventura M, Hopps M, Hlavacek P, Cappelleri JC, Sadosky A, Parsons B, Udall M. The Epidemiology of Herpes Zoster and Postherpetic Neuralgia in China: Results from a Cross-Sectional Study. Pain Ther. 2019 Dec;8(2):249-259. doi: 10.1007/s40122-019-0127-z. Epub 2019 Jun 19.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31218562 (View on PubMed)

Harpaz R, Ortega-Sanchez IR, Seward JF; Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Prevention of herpes zoster: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR Recomm Rep. 2008 Jun 6;57(RR-5):1-30; quiz CE2-4.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 18528318 (View on PubMed)

Lin YH, Huang LM, Chang IS, Tsai FY, Lu CY, Shao PL, Chang LY; Varicella-Zoster Working Group; Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, Taiwan. Disease burden and epidemiology of herpes zoster in pre-vaccine Taiwan. Vaccine. 2010 Feb 3;28(5):1217-20. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2009.11.029. Epub 2009 Nov 26.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 19944790 (View on PubMed)

Chen LK, Arai H, Chen LY, Chou MY, Djauzi S, Dong B, Kojima T, Kwon KT, Leong HN, Leung EM, Liang CK, Liu X, Mathai D, Pan JY, Peng LN, Poblete ER, Poi PJ, Reid S, Tantawichien T, Won CW. Looking back to move forward: a twenty-year audit of herpes zoster in Asia-Pacific. BMC Infect Dis. 2017 Mar 15;17(1):213. doi: 10.1186/s12879-017-2198-y.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28298208 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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1705/DHYD-HDDD

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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