Open AccessEfficacy of extracorporeal shockwave therapy in the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia
Author(s) -
Sung Hyun Lee,
Kyung Nam Ryu,
Pyoung On Kim,
Hyo Won Lee,
Eunah Cho,
Joong Kyong Ahn,
Inyoung Youn,
Kyung Seung Yang
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.59
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1536-5964
pISSN - 0025-7974
DOI - 10.1097/md.0000000000019516
Subject(s) - postherpetic neuralgia , medicine , extracorporeal shockwave therapy , anesthesia , visual analogue scale , neuropathic pain , physical therapy , neuralgia
Established conventional treatments for postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) and postherpetic itch (PHI) are difficult and often disappointing. In this study, the authors investigated the effect and mechanisms of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) on pain and itch associated with PHN and PHI. Thirteen patients, 50 to 80 years of age, with symptoms associated with PHN or PHI (duration of persistent pain >3 months) and complaints of pain or itch rated >4 on a numerical rating scale (NRS), were included. ESWT was administered using a shockwave device (Piezo Shockwave 2 , Richard Wolf GmbH, Knittlingen, Germany) to skin areas affected by pain or itch. An energy flux density of 0.09 to 0.16 mJ/mm 2 at a frequency of 5 Hz and 2000 impulses was administered at 3-day intervals for 6 sessions. The NRS, 5D-Itch Scale, and Patients Global Impression of Change (PGIC) scale were used to evaluate the efficacy of ESWT. NRS scores of pain and itch and 5D-Itch Scale scores decreased significantly compared with before treatment and at the end of the treatment sessions ( P < .0001, P = .001, P = .0002, respectively). There was a statistically significant difference between PGIC scores, which were checked every 2 sessions ( P < .0001). ESWT is a noninvasive modality that significantly reduced PHN-associated pain and itch.