Postherpetic Neuralgia

Postherpetic neuralgia is treated with neuropathic pain medications such as pregabalin, gabapentin, and tricyclic antidepressants, but sufficient pain control is not achieved in about half of the patients. Topical treatments such as lidocaine patches and capsaicin cream are also used in conjunction, but there are limitations to their long-term use. In such cases, interventional procedures such as nerve blocks or spinal cord stimulation are sometimes considered. Korean traditional medicine is utilized as an integrated approach in parallel with these standard treatments. Modern research has elucidated the mechanism by which acupuncture in Korean medicine resolves qi and blood stagnation in the meridians to improve local blood circulation and promote the secretion of endogenous analgesic substances such as enkephalins and serotonin. In the case of post-herpetic neuralgia, acupuncture needles are inserted simultaneously into acupoints that release congested qi and blood, as well as into the painful areas surrounding the affected nerve ganglion. At Dongjedang, we further apply a stepwise approach using pharmacopuncture to directly access damaged nerve pathways to regulate residual heat toxins and inflammation, while creating an environment for nerve regeneration through thread embedding therapy. Our goal is to fill the gaps in nerve recovery that medication cannot reach.