Analysis on the laws of acupoint selection and therapeutic operations with acupuncture based on the characteristics of postherpetic neuralgia

Abstract

Postherpetic neuralgia is manifested as drastic lingering pain, which seriously impacts the survival quality of patient. In the paper, focusing on the time of postherpetic neuralgia and in association with the characteristics of symptoms such as the location and nature of pain and skin lesion, the etiology, location of sickness, nature of sickness and pathogenesis were differentiated, and the laws of acupoint selection and therapeutic operations were explored in the treatment with acupuncture. Regarding the apparent pain at night, especially during 23:00 to 3:00, Ashi points (Extra) and Jiaji (EX-B 2) were selected in terms of location differentiation. The acupoints on the liver and gallbladder meridians were specially selected and the supplementary acupoints were used according to general symptoms based on syndrome and symptom differentiation to improve the therapeutic effects. Regarding the therapeutic operation, the bloodletting puncture was used in terms of blood stagnation in collaterals. Additionally, the other operations were selected individually, such as filiform needle therapy, fire needling therapy, plum-blossom needle therapy and bleeding and cupping therapy.