abstracted & translated by
Bob Flaws, L.Ac., FNAAOM (), FRCHM ()
On page 120 of issue #5, 2008 of Si Chuan Zhong Yi (Sichuan Chinese Medicine), Liu Xiao-juan published an article titled “The Treatment of 58 Cases of Post-herpetic Neuralgia by Acupuncturing the Paravertebral Points.” A summary of this article is presented below.
Cohort description:
Among these 58 case, there were 32 males and 26 females aged 56-86 years. Twenty-five of these cases had had an outbreak of herpes zoster in their waist region, 12 on their chest and rib-side, five on their forehead, three on their cheeks and ear region, five on their upper extremities, and eight on their lower extremities. All suffered from some degree of post-herpetic neuralgia.
Treatment method:
If the herpes had occurred on the forehead, cheeks, or ear region, then paravertebral points T2-4 were chosen along with:
Yang Bai (GB 14)
Zan Zhu (Bl 2)
Tai Yang (M-HN-9)
Tou Lin Qi (GB 15)
Shuai Gu (GB 8)
Yi Feng (TB 17)
Xia Guan (St 7)
He Gu (LI 4)
If the herpes had occurred on the chest and rib-side region, paravertebral points T4-8 were chosen along with:
Qi Men (Liv 14)
Da Bao (Sp 21)
Yuan Ye (GB 22)
Xiong Xiang (Sp 19)
Tai Chong (Liv 3)
Zu Lin Qi (GB 41)
If the herpes had occurred in the waist region, paravertebral points T8-12 were chosen along with:
Zhang Men (Liv 13)
Dai Mai (GB 26)
A shi points
Tai Chong (Liv 3)
Zu Lin Qi (GB 41)
If the herpes had occurred on the upper extremities, paravertebral points C5-T2 were chosen along with:
Jian Yu (LI 15)
Jian Zhen (SI 9)
Bi Nao (LI 14)
Qu Ze (Per 3)
Nei Guan (Per 6)
He Gu (LI 4)
If the herpes had occurred on the lower extremities, paravertebral points L1-5 were chosen along with:
Bi Guan (St 31)
Fu Tu (St 32)
Liang Qiu (St 34)
Zu San Li (St 36)
Yang Ling Quan (GB 34)
Tai Chong (Liv 3)
Nei Ting (St 44)
Paravertebral points were needled with 40 millimeter long fine needles with the tip of the needles angled towards the spine at approximately a 75 degree angle to the skin and to a depth of 25 millimeters.
Even supplementing/even draining hand technique was used and a heavy, distended sensation was produced in the local area. The needles were retained for 30 minutes per treatment, with one treatment per day and 10 treatments equaling one course of therapy. A three-day rest was allowed between successive courses.
In addition, after removing the needles, a three-edged needle was used to prick to bleed points in the affected area. Then 2-4 cups were applied over this area and 0.5-1 milliliter of blood was allowed to exit before removing these cups. In general, the cups were retained in place for 10-15 minutes per time, and this was done once every other day.
Study outcomes:
All patients were cured within 25 treatments and there were no recurrences on follow-up within three months. Ten cases (17.24%) were cured within 10 treatments. Sixteen (27.58%) were cured within 15 treatments. Twenty-five (43.1%) were cured within 20 treatments, and seven cases (12.07%) were cured within 25 treatments.
Discussion:
According to Dr. Liu, herpes zoster lesions are referred to in traditional Chinese medicine as winding low back fire toxins and snake string sores. They mostly occur in the spring and fall seasons and are worse in elderly patients. The disease begins with damp heat fire toxin blazing and exuberance which consumes the qi and damages the fluids. In the elderly, the righteous qi is insufficient, the qi and blood are depleted and vacuous, and there tends to be blood vacuity with liver effulgence. Hence, even after the lesions have healed on the outside, damp heat toxins continue to brew and lead to qi and blood congelation and stagnation, qi stagnation and blood stasis. The channels and network vessels are obstructed and blocked and not freely flowing and thus there is severe pain as well as a long disease course.
In the above protocol, the main points are the Hua Tuo Jia Ji or paravertebral points. Needling these points can free the flow and spread the governing vessel channel qi, and the governing vessel and the six yang channels all flow into or communicate with one another. Therefore, needling these points has the effect of regulating the yang channel qi of the whole body, freeing the flow of and spreading the yang qi and balancing yin and yang. Once the flow of the qi and blood is regulated and freed, then free flow leads to an absence of pain.
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