Effectiveness of press needle treatment and electroacupuncture in patients with postherpetic neuralgia: A matched propensity score analysis

Patchara Ruengwongroj; Sombat Muengtaweepongsa; Jayanton Patumanond; Phichayut Phinyo

doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2020.101202

Effectiveness of press needle treatment and electroacupuncture in patients with postherpetic neuralgia: A matched propensity score analysis

Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2020 Aug:40:101202. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2020.101202. Epub 2020 May 25.

Authors

Patchara Ruengwongroj¹, Sombat Muengtaweepongsa², Jayanton Patumanond³, Phichayut Phinyo⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Chiang Rai Regional Hospital, Chiang Rai, 57210, Thailand. Electronic address: PATCHARA.RE@cpird.in.th.
² Center of Excellence in Stroke, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, 12120, Thailand. Electronic address: musombat@staff.tu.ac.th.
³ Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Clinical Statistics, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand. Electronic address: jpatumanond@gmail.com.
⁴ Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Clinical Statistics, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand; Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand. Electronic address: phichayutphinyo@gmail.com.

PMID: 32891279
DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2020.101202

Abstract

Background and purpose: Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a well-known painful syndrome. Acupuncture is a treatment for PHN. We aimed to compare the effectiveness of pain control between press needle and electroacupuncture (EA) in PHN patients.

Materials and methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study by a review of PHN patients treated with the press needle and the EA and compared the Pain visual analogue scale (VAS) before and after treatment. Propensity score matching was applied to adjust the confounding.

Results: 48 patients in each group had a matched propensity score. The absolute reduction of VAS in the press needle and the EA groups were not different (5.4±2.8 vs. 5.4±2.9, p=0.971). The VAS score improvement was not statistically different between groups.

Conclusion: The Press needle and the EA are equally effective in the treatment of PHN.

Keywords: Acupuncture; Electroacupuncture; Postherpetic neuralgia; Propensity score.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Electroacupuncture*
Humans
Neuralgia, Postherpetic* / therapy
Pain Measurement
Propensity Score
Retrospective Studies