Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical curative effect of different combinations of filiform fire needling and catgut embedding at the stellate ganglion in postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Methods: From July 2020 to December 2021, 120 patients who met the diagnostic criteria for PHN were selected from Huzhou Central Hospital. Patients were randomly assigned to four groups: pregabalin group (Group A), filiform fire needling group (Group B), stellate ganglion catgut embedding group (Group C), and filiform fire needling + stellate ganglion catgut embedding group (Group D). The pain level of patients before and after treatment was assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS). The time to pain relief after the first treatment was recorded. Treatment effectiveness was evaluated using VAS-based criteria. Serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured before and after treatment. Adverse reactions during the treatment period were observed and recorded. Results: After treatment, the VAS score in Group D was significantly lower than those in Groups A, B, and C (all P 0.05). Conclusion: Filiform fire needling combined with stellate ganglion catgut embedding in the treatment of PHN has a good analgesic effect, and the clinical curative effect is ideal. The combination therapy demonstrated superior analgesic efficacy with acceptable safety.
Fei Guo (Fri,) studied this question.