By Dr. Grace Rollins, MS, DAc, LAc
Shingles can leave more than a painful rash. For some people, burning, stabbing, or aching pain continues long after the skin has healed. This persistent nerve pain, called post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), is generally defined as pain lasting at least three months after the shingles rash begins. Even clothing brushing against the affected area can become uncomfortable.
For people seeking help with this difficult condition, acupuncture may offer significant relief. Clinical research shows the benefits of acupuncture for post-herpetic neuralgia pain and for increasing quality of life in suffering patients. Basic science demonstrates plausible mechanisms for how acupuncture can help nerve inflammation and normalize signalling. And our experience in treating post-herpetic neuralgia has convinced us of how fast-acting and effective acupuncture can be.
Why Does the Pain Persist?
Shingles results from reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, the virus responsible for chickenpox. In PHN, affected nerves continue to generate abnormal pain signals after the acute infection resolves. Symptoms may include heightened sensitivity, itching, numbness, and persistent pain that interferes with sleep and daily activities.
After the acute phase of shingles, which is often treated with anti-virals and steroids, conventional care for post-herpetic neuralgia often involves the use of drugs like Gabapentin or other painkillers. While Gabapentin can in some cases be helpful for pain, patients report side-effects such as drowsiness, dizziness, poor coordination, gastrointestinal symptoms, swelling, and impaired cognition. Therefore, medication is not always a long-term option for post-shingles pain.
How Might Acupuncture Help?
Acupuncture involves inserting very thin needles at selected locations on the body. Research suggests it can influence nervous-system activity, including the release of the body’s own pain-regulating chemicals and activity in brain regions involved in processing pain. In some cases we use moxibustion, electroacupuncture, passive microcurrent technology, and pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) therapy to complement standard acupuncture, further increasing the pain-inhibitory and anti-inflammatory effects of the needling.
In addition to working on pain inhibition, acupuncture and electro-acupuncture acts directly on normalizing the firing of nerves. It can reduce inflammation in the nerve cell body itself and improve signaling throughout the nerve, reducing feelings of itching, burning, allodynia (hypersensitivity) and other abnormal sensation.
Acupuncture, particularly electro-acupuncture, can also normalize glial cell dysfunction. Glial cells are immune cells located in ganglionic tissue that can over-activate, spurring inflammation in the nerve segment long after an infection is over. Electroacupuncture has been found in research to inhibit abnormal signaling in glial cells and reduces the downstream inflammatory cytokines from chronic glial cell activation. This is likely one of the mechanisms underlying acupuncture’s efficacy for post-herpetic neuralgia.
Acupuncture’s effects across different types of nerve tissue, at the spinal segment and even at the brain level for pain inhibition, are why it’s such a powerful, multi-modal method for nerve pain.
What Does the Research Show for Acupuncture Treatment of Post-Herpetic Neuralgia?
A 2019 systematic review and meta-analysis by Pei et. al., published in the Journal of Pain Research, found that acupuncture-related treatments reduce PHN pain. The authors also reported improvements in anxiety and quality of life.
In addition, a 2026 evidence-mapping study in the Journal of Pain Research examined 40 systematic reviews of acupuncture interventions for PHN. Most reported favorable outcomes, particularly for pain. The authors noted: “Acupuncture could be a valuable adjunct to standard PHN treatment, offering benefits in overall efficacy, pain management and treatment safety. However, high-quality clinical trials and systematic reviews are needed to confirm these preliminary results and guide clinical practice.”
I personally hope that more research funding is devoted to the study of acupuncture treatment for post-herpetic neuralgia, because as an acupuncture doctor specializing in nerve conditions, I have personally observed on many occasions how effective of a tool it can be for my patients with this condition. The basic science already demonstrates numerous mechanisms for how acupuncture can be effective for neurogenic pain and inflammation, immunomodulation, and chronic pain. With the evidence so far supporting the use of acupuncture for PHN, we need funding for larger studies that can help convince policymakers and insurance companies to make acupuncture a first-line care option for patients with chronic post-shingles pain.
Part of a Broader Care Plan
Acupuncture should not replace medical assessment or prescribed treatment for a serious condition like shingles. But for someone with post-herpetic neuralgia— especially whose relief is incomplete, who does not wish to simply take pain management medications, or whose medication options are limited by side effects—acupuncture is a valuable, evidence-backed, nonpharmacological approach. Don’t wait! In my experience, the sooner you can be seen by an acupuncturist, the better your PHN outcome is likely to be.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can be of help for your case here at Bridge Acupuncture, located at 264 W. State Street, Doylestown, Bucks County, Pa, or Book Online.