Electroacupuncture Reduces Pain in Postherpetic Neuralgia Patients, New Trial Finds
China: A multicenter randomized clinical trial published in JAMA Neurology has reported that electroacupuncture may offer meaningful pain relief in patients with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), a chronic and often difficult-to-treat neuropathic pain condition.
The study, led by Lu Chen from the Department of Acupuncture and Rehabilitation, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, and colleagues, evaluated whether a short course of electroacupuncture could reduce pain severity compared with a sham procedure and assess its safety in affected patients.
PHN is a persistent complication of herpes zoster and is known for causing long-lasting nerve pain that often responds poorly to standard treatments. Given the limited therapeutic options, researchers have been exploring non-pharmacological strategies such as acupuncture-based interventions.
In this trial, 448 adults aged 45 to 75 years with moderate to severe PHN pain were enrolled across seven tertiary hospitals in China between October 2020 and July 2022. Participants were randomized to receive either electroacupuncture (n=225) or sham electroacupuncture (n=223). The intervention consisted of 20 treatment sessions administered over four weeks, followed by a one-month post-treatment follow-up period.
The primary outcome was the change in pain intensity measured using the 11-point Numeric Rating Scale (NRS-11) from baseline to week 4. A clinically meaningful response was defined as at least a 30% reduction in pain scores.
The following were the key findings:
- At 4 weeks, the electroacupuncture group showed greater pain reduction compared with the sham group (mean change −1.52 vs −0.99), with a statistically significant adjusted difference of −0.53.
- Responder rates were significantly higher in the electroacupuncture group, with 46.68% achieving ≥30% reduction in pain versus 24.28% in the control group.
- The observed benefits were sustained during the one-month post-treatment follow-up period.
- Although the average reduction in pain intensity was modest, a higher proportion of patients in the electroacupuncture group achieved clinically meaningful pain relief.
- No clinically significant adverse events were reported during the study.
- Minor local reactions such as bruising were more frequently observed in the electroacupuncture group, but these did not meaningfully affect the overall outcomes.
The researchers noted that while electroacupuncture demonstrated statistically significant benefits, the mean reduction in pain did not exceed predefined thresholds for clinical importance in some analyses. They also highlighted limitations, including the relatively short follow-up period, potential placebo effects in the sham group, and limited generalizability beyond the studied population in China.
Overall, the findings suggest that electroacupuncture may serve as a useful non-pharmacological adjunct in the multidisciplinary management of postherpetic neuralgia, particularly by improving responder rates and sustaining pain relief in a subset of patients. Further studies are needed to assess long-term outcomes and the underlying mechanisms of benefit.
Reference:
Chen L, Liu Q, Pei L, et al. Effect of Electroacupuncture on Postherpetic Neuralgia: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Neurol. Published online May 26, 2026. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2026.1443
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