A Non-Drug Treatment for Post–Herpetic Neuralgia (PHN): A Case Report

Abstract

This report demonstrates the therapeutic efficacy of a non-drug treatment modality (shortwave diathermy – SWD) in the management of a patient who had suffered post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) with poor response to drugs.
Shortwave diathermy (pulsed mode – Us x 100 Hz) was administered to the spinal cord at the level of the posterior horn cells (dorsal root ganglia) involved in the infection on alternate days for an approximate period of three weeks.
The difference in the level of pain perception before and after treatment was remarkable and clinically significant. The patient reported after the last treatment that she had great improvement and correspondence with her 2 months later indicated that she was pain-free.
The remarkable decrease in pain perception experienced by this patient is therefore, an indication that SWD therapy may be a treatment of choice for PHN. Based on the therapeutic benefit of this report, it is therefore, presented with the hope that a more detailed and rigorous study would be attempted to investigate the efficacy of SWD therapy in the management of PHN. This will encourage regular and wide clinical use of SWD therapy in preference to analgesic drugs.


The Journal of Medicine in the Tropics Vol. 9 (1) 2007: pp. 41-44