Important Note: Although the information in this section was written by Healthphone.com's Healing Centre Panel of professional Chinese doctors, licensed acupuncturists, herbalists and other experts, Healthphone.com accepts no legal responsibility nor liability for any errors or omissions. The information in this section is presented as is, for educational purposes only. As with any medical matter, always consult your healthcare professional before acting on any health-related information.
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1.
Overview and Causes|
Shingles, also called "herpes zoster", is produced by a virus which causes chicken pox in children. The virus affects the course of a nerve producing severe pain and small yellowish blisters on the skin. Often the affected areas are the abdomen, back, face and chest and although the disease subsides after about three weeks, the blisters form scabs which eventually drop off and the pain can persist for months. This is known as "post-herpetic neuralgia". Rare recurrence after recovery is also one of the characteristics. |
2. Symptoms|
(a)
It is mostly found on one side of the waist, or on the chest, face
and neck.
(b) Before the onset, there are often symptoms of mild fever, lassitude, general discomfort, local stabbing pain in the skin and itching, burning heat sensation. An abrupt onset may also be possible. (c) Initially, the affected area exhibits patchy erythema (redness), followed by clusters of red papular eruptions (raised lesions), which soon become grouped. Each group contains five to seven blisters. The herpes blisters are arranged in a band form along the unilateral (one sided) nerve trunk, and normal skin can often be found between the herpes blisters. (d) The course of the disease lasts two to three weeks. But among some elderly and weak patients, even after the skin lesion has disappeared, the neuralgia may still last for several months or years. Return To Top |
3. TCM Effectiveness
and Evaluation
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Herbal remedies can reduce the viral infection and acupuncture
therapy is a very effective way to relieve the severe pain of herpes
zoster in its later stage. The herbal remedies are frequently used
in combination with acupuncture as well as with other types of healing
for shingles. |
4.
Common Syndromes and Treatments in TCM
This ailment, according to TCM,
has different syndromes. The treatment for these syndromes using herbal
medicine and acupuncture is shown below.
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(a) Qigong and other therapies
For effect of Qigong on the Nervous System Function, click here. Generally speaking, Qigong is good for healing effect of this specific ailment, however individual results may vary. It improves the flow of the qi and the circulation of the blood, so you'll experience more energy, but, you won't see/ feel any immediate effects, as with many exercises and therapies, it takes a few weeks or even months of practice before you'll see any significant improvements. The following types of Qigong may help:
For the information of different types of Qigong ,just click a link above. This information is for education purpose only. We strongly advise you seek a licensed Qigong master to learn the correct ways to conduct these exercises before attempting them. 1. Apply the herbal paste made by fresh portulacae (machixian) onto affected area. 2. Apply the herbal paste made by the mixture of powder of phellodendron (huangbai) and rhubarb (dahuang) in equal amount with water. 
(b) Medicated diet 1. Gentianae
(longdancao) 6g, Cape Jasmine Fruit (zhizi) 6g. Decoct the herbs
for 20-30 minutes, drink the soup as tea. 1. Scratching should be avoided; during acute onset, the affected part should not be bathed in hot water. 2. Refrain from eating seafood, beef, mutton, and pungent food. Alcohol and soft drink should be avoided. 3. Manage the stress. Return to Top Acknowledgments:
We also greatly acknowedge Ms. Najaf Munir, MBBS, for her editorial support. Ms. Munir simplified the highly technical medical documents into easy-to-read documents, for the enjoyment and education of our numerous visitors. |
5. Healing by
Other Therapies
