To evaluate the effect of triple puncture on primary trigeminal neuralgia (pTN), 64 patients with pTN were randomly assigned to two groups: treatment group and control group. The participants in the treatment group received triple puncture treatment of 6 times per week for 4 weeks, and those in control group were given carbamazepine (300-600 mg per day) for at least 1 month. Before and after treatment, the primary outcomes including the total efficiency rate and the VAS pain scores, and the secondary outcomes including the frequency of pain attack and adverse events were observed. Sixty-two participants finished the study (33 in treatment group and 29 in control group individually). After treatment, the symptoms (mainly pain) of the two groups were alleviated. The total efficiency rate in the treatment group and control group was 90.9% and 75.9% respectively. The VAS pain scores and frequency of pain attack were significantly reduced in the treatment group as compared with the control group (P<0.05). The incidence of adverse events in the treatment group and control group was 9.1% and 24.1% respectively. It can be inferred that triple puncture can effectively improve the quality of life of patients with pTN and has less side effects.
Keywords: primary trigeminal neuralgia; randomized clinical trial; triple puncture.