The First Clinical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
The First People's Hospital of Xiaogan City, Xiaogan City, Hubei Province, China.
Medicine (Baltimore). 2021 Aug 6;100(31):e26785. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000026785.
There are still controversies between the curative effect of acupuncture combined with cupping therapy and western medicine for post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN). Our meta-analysis fully incorporates the research of acupuncture combined with cupping therapy versus Western medicine for PHN, aiming to explore the difference in the efficacy of the 2 therapies, so as to provide guidance for clinical treatment.
We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang, CQVIP, CBM, from establishment of the database to September, 2020. Include studies that are clearly defined as PHN or herpes zoster, and exclude duplicate publications; studies with no full text, incomplete information, or inability to extract data; the definition of exposure is quite different from most literature; animal experiments.
The total effective rate (relative ratio [RR] = 1.21, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.12-1.31) and the rate of remarkable effect (RR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.30-1.63) of acupuncture and moxibustion combined with cupping in the treatment of PHN were significantly higher than that of conventional western medicine. The visual analogue scale score of acupuncture and moxibustion combined with cupping for PHN was significantly lower than that of conventional western medicine treatment (WMD = -1.77, 95% CI [-2.79, -0.75]). In addition, acupuncture and moxibustion combined with cupping therapy significantly reduced the occurrence of PHN compared with conventional western medicine treatment after treatment of acute herpes zoster (RR = 0.30, 95% CI: 0.20-0.45). In order to explore the differences in the efficacy and preventive effects of different types of acupuncture and cupping therapy, we have further conducted a subgroup analysis.
The effect of acupuncture and moxibustion combined with cupping in the treatment of PHN is significantly higher than that of conventional western medicine, and it can significantly prevent the occurrence of PHN. Chinese medicine should be used more widely in the treatment of PHN.
针灸联合拔罐疗法与西药治疗带状疱疹后神经痛（PHN）的疗效仍存在争议。本研究的荟萃分析全面纳入了针灸联合拔罐疗法与西药治疗 PHN 的研究，旨在探讨两种疗法的疗效差异，为临床治疗提供指导。
我们检索了 PubMed、Embase、Cochrane 图书馆、中国知网、万方、维普、中国生物医学文献数据库，检索时间从数据库建立至 2020 年 9 月。纳入明确诊断为 PHN 或带状疱疹的研究，排除重复发表的文献；全文缺失、信息不全或无法提取数据的研究；暴露定义与多数文献相差较大的研究；动物实验。
针灸联合拔罐疗法治疗 PHN 的总有效率（RR=1.21，95%CI：1.12-1.31）和显效率（RR=1.46，95%CI：1.30-1.63）均显著高于常规西药组。针灸联合拔罐疗法治疗 PHN 的视觉模拟评分显著低于常规西药组（WMD=-1.77，95%CI：-2.79，-0.75）。此外，与常规西药治疗相比，针灸联合拔罐疗法在治疗急性带状疱疹后可显著降低 PHN 的发生（RR=0.30，95%CI：0.20-0.45）。为进一步探讨不同针灸联合拔罐疗法的疗效和预防作用的差异，我们进行了亚组分析。
针灸联合拔罐疗法治疗 PHN 的疗效显著优于常规西药，且能显著预防 PHN 的发生。在 PHN 的治疗中，应更广泛地应用中医药。
