Objective: To observe the therapeutic effect of peripheral nerve adjustment for the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN).
Methods: One hundred and two patients with PHN were randomly assigned to three groups; the control group (A), the experimental group (B), which was subjected to peripheral nerve adjustment, and patients who received a sham peripheral nerve adjustment, thus serving as a positive control group (C). The patients' Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and total oral rescue dosage for pain management were recorded at days 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 following treatment. Quality of life (QOL), 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), and side effects were recorded following treatment.
Results: We observed that the average VAS score was significantly lower in the treatment group (B) than in the control groups A and C following treatment (P < 0.05). In addition, the QOL and SF-36 scores for group B improved substantially following treatment compared to groups A and C, and this effect was maintained up to 180 days after treatment (P < 0.05). The average dosage of pain medication was also lower in group B, compared to groups A and C, following treatment (P < 0.05).
Conclusions: We conclude that peripheral nerve adjustment can relieve PHN pain and improve patients' quality of life. The possible mechanisms involved may include the reduction of both peripheral and central sensitization, the modulation of nerve plasticity, and an increase in endogenous analgesic molecules.
Keywords: Peripheral Nerve; Plasticity; Postherpetic Neuralgia; Sensitization.
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