Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31410050›Full record

ArticleJournal of pain research2019

Is acupuncture an effective postherpetic neuralgia treatment? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Wenya Pei, Jingchun Zeng, Liming Lu, Guohua Lin, Jingwen Ruan

3 registry-linked trialsOpen access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of pain research, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 3 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 32 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
32citing papers in PubMed, 8 pooled it
4.8field-weighted citation impact, top 5% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT04560361 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2020, after this paper: background citation

The Analgesic Effect of Electroacupuncture on Postherpetic Neuralgia: a Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorNanjing University of Traditional Chinese MedicineRan2020 to 2022Enrolled448ConditionsPostherpetic NeuralgiaArmsElectroacupuncture treatment, Sham electroacupuncture treatment
NCT04594226 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2020, after this paper: background citation

Efficacy of Electroacupuncture Therapy in Patients With Postherpetic Neuralgia: a Multicentre Randomised Controlled Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorThe Third Affiliated hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical UniversityRan2020 to 2021Enrolled132ConditionsPostherpetic NeuralgiaArmsEA combined with medication, Medication
NCT06893172 nanot yet recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Effectiveness of Warm Acupuncture for Postherpetic Neuralgia in the Context of the Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis Syndrome: a Randomized Controlled Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh CityRan2025 to 2025Enrolled36ConditionsPostherpetic Neuralgia ( PHN )ArmsWarm acupuncture and Gabapentin, Gabapentin
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

32 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 46 citations in OpenAlex.

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  10. Immunoinflammatory mechanisms and emerging therapies for postherpetic neuralgia.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Wenya PeiDepartment of Acupuncture, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
Jingchun ZengDepartment of Acupuncture, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Liming LuClinical Medical Center, South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Guohua LinDepartment of Acupuncture, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Jingwen RuanDepartment of Acupuncture, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine · CNSun Yat-sen University · CNGuangzhou University of Chinese Medicine · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPostherpetic neuralgia (PHN) refers to pain which remains after the healing of rashes from herpes zoster. Previous literatures have shown that acupuncture has potential benefits for PHN, but evidence remains lacking. Thus, we have performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify the effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of PHN.

methodsSix databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to assess the effects of acupuncture on PHN. After selecting the studies, extracting the data, and assessing study quality, meta-analysis was performed on several of the studies with RevMan 5.3. The GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment Development and Evaluation) system was used to assess the overall quality of the evidence.

resultsAcupuncture helps relieve pain intensity (standardized mean difference [SMD]: -1.78, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -2.36 to -1.21). For other intervention types, electroacupuncture (SMD: -1.28, 95% CI: -2.51 to -0.05), fire needle (SMD: -2.23, 95% CI: -2.62 to -1.84), bloodletting and cupping (SMD: -2.46, 95% CI: -2.95 to -1.97) have better effects on pain intensity relief. To date, no study has reported on the onset of pain relief time. The Hamilton Anxiety Scale score (SMD: -18.94, 95% CI: -37.37 to -0.52) was lower for the acupuncture group than for the control group. It was also found that acupuncture can improve quality of life (QOL) (SMD: 3.78, 95% CI: 2.50 to 5.06). The quality of evidence for acupuncture for PHN pain intensity was moderate according to the GRADE system.

conclusionAcupuncture may reduce pain intensity, relieve anxiety and improve quality of life in patients with PHN. Further randomized trials with larger sample sizes and of higher methodological quality are needed to confirm these results.

Indexed as

acupuncturepostherpetic neuralgiasystematic review

Identifiers

PMID31410050
PMCPMC6643066
OpenAlexW2961702922

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.