Observing the Clinical Outcome of Electroacupuncture When Integrated With Oral Valacyclovir Hydrochloride and Vitamin B1 Among Individuals Suffering from Acute Herpes Zoster

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture combined with oral valacyclovir and vitamin B1 for acute herpes zoster. Method Through a retrospective search of the electronic medical record system, 117 patients with acute herpes zoster were identified and divided into two groups based on their actual treatment: an observation group (electroacupuncture plus oral valacyclovir and vitamin B1, n = 60) and a control group (oral valacyclovir and vitamin B1 alone, n = 57). Comparisons between the two groups covered clinical efficacy, visual analog scale (VAS) scores, time to cessation of new blister formation, time to crust formation, time to pain relief, postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) incidence, and adverse events. Results The total effective rate in the observation group (90.0%) was significantly higher than that in the control group (75.4%, P < 0.05). At all post-treatment time points, VAS scores in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group ( P < 0.05). The time to cessation of new blister formation, time to scab formation, and time to pain relief in the observation group were all significantly shorter than those in the control group ( P < 0.05). The incidence of PHN at 3 months in the observation group (6.7%) was significantly lower than that in the control group (21.1%, P < 0.05). No significant difference was observed in adverse events between the two groups ( P > 0.05). After adjusting for confounders, the electroacupuncture combination therapy was independently associated with a lower risk of PHN (odds ratio = 0.29, P = 0.033). Conclusion Electroacupuncture combination offers faster pain relief, shorter disease course, and lower PHN risk with good safety; however, prospective multicenter randomized trials are needed to confirm these findings.