Trial reportFrontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland)2025
A randomized controlled trial of acupoint application for postherpetic neuralgia.
Trial report in Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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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.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Manual Massage Therapy for Neuropathic Pain: Clinical Evidence and Mechanistic Insights.Pain research & management · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objective: To assess the clinical efficacy of acupressure application in treating postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) of the qi (vital energy) stagnation and blood stasis type, as well as its impact on blood inflammatory factors, T-cell subpopulations, and neurotransmitter levels. Methods: A total of 134 patients diagnosed with PHN characterized by qi stagnation and blood stasis were randomly assigned to either the treatment group (67 patients, including 10 dropouts) or the control group (67 patients, including 7 dropouts). In addition to standard health education, the treatment group received treatment with anti-swelling and analgesic patches in combination with Chinese medicine fine powder acupoint patches. The control group, on the other hand, received placebo anti-swelling and analgesic patches along with placebo Chinese medicine fine powder acupoint patches. Both groups underwent treatment at specific acupoints including bilateral Sanyinjiao, Shenque, and Ashi points. The Sanyinjiao acupoint was stimulated for 30 min per session, once every 7 days. The Shenque and Ashi acupoints were stimulated for 6-8 h daily for a single session. Patients in both groups were assessed before and after treatment using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome score, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score, 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) score, inflammatory factors including monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), T-cell subpopulations cluster of differentiation 3 (CD3+), cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4+), cluster of Differentiation d (CD8+), as well as neurotransmitters 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), substance P (SP), and β-endorphin (β-EP). Changes in content were observed, and any adverse reactions were monitored. Clinical efficacy was evaluated after a 4-week treatment period. Results: After 4 weeks of treatment, the VAS score, TCM syndrome score, PSQI score, levels of MCP-1, IL-6, TNF-α, CD8+, 5-HT, and SP in both groups significantly decreased compared to pre-treatment levels ( Conclusion: Acupuncture point paste therapy for PHN of the qi stagnation and blood stasis type has been shown to decrease levels of MCP-1, IL-6, TNF-α, CD8+, 5-HT, and SP in the blood. Simultaneously, it increases levels of CD3+, CD4+, and β-EP. This treatment leads to amelioration of pain symptoms and TCM symptoms and enhancement of sleep quality and overall quality of life. The therapeutic outcomes are both safe and dependable. Clinical Trial Registration: CONSORT ChiCTR2200056614.
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