Acupuncture for shingles
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1. Overview
Shingles rash (herpes zoster) is caused by the chicken pox virus. In traditional Chinese medicine it is a latent pathogen that wasn't treated correctly before.
2. Symptoms
Symptoms of shingles includes postherpetic neuralgia (chronic pain), redness in the upper body and face, tingling, painful skin and headaches.
3. Causes
It's generally caused by a weak immune system, which is unable to keep the virus (varicella zoster virus) under control. It's therefore seen in weak people such as the elderly or those age 60 or over .
4. Treatment of shingles
Generally, antiviral drugs are prescribed to people with shingles in the hope of killing off the zoster virus.
Acupuncture can help people suffering from shingles by boosting their immune system and energy levels. Dietary and lifestyle advice as well as Chinese herbs can also boost the body's immune system helping it fight the virus.
References
Arkady Kotlyar, et al. (2010). Use of Traditional Chinese Acupuncture for Treatment of Pain and Skin Rash Associated with Shingles in a 67-Year-Old Patient: A Case ReportFallbericht: Klassische chinesische Akupunktur als Therapie gegen Herpes-zoster-assoziierte Schmerzen und Effloreszenzen bei einer 67-j�hrigen Patientin. Deutsche Zeitschrift f�r Akupunktur; Volume 53, Issue 3, Pages 27-30.
