Acupuncture for Herpes Zoster (Shingles) - Treatment Protocols

Below you will find some of the more common tcm diagnoses and acupuncture treatment protocols for herpes zoster (shingles). There are many ways to treat this condition with Eastern Medicine and our presentation is only one of many possible options.

• • Herpes Zoster is treated as an overall wind-heat condition, with points then added based on the channels a/or areas effected.
  • Wind-Heat treatment points
  • Treatment according to channel(s)/area(s) effected
  • Channel/Area Related treatment points
  • Huatuojiaji treatment points
• Wind Heat
  • Treatment Points:
    • Valaskatagis Point Selection:
    • UB 40 - clear blood heat
    • SP 10 - clear blood heat
    • LI 11 - clear heat
• Channel/Area Related
  • Treatment Points:
    • Valaskatagis Point Selection:
    • Sides of the body, intercostal area: TH 6, GB 34, GB 41
    • Head a/or face: LI 4, LI 11, TH 5
    • Abdomen: SP 9
    • Posterior aspect of head a/or neck, back: UB 40
    • Local lesions: Insert 3-5 needles around each major skin lesion with the needles inserted obliquely, towards/under the lesion.
• Huatuojiaji
  • Treatment Points:
    • Needle the huatuojiaji points as well as the huatuojiaji of the vertebrae above and the vertebrae below for each nerve root that is effected.

The information on our site is drawn from our own lecture notes and clinical experience. The following lecture notes were consulted within this section:

• St. John, Meredith: New England School of Acupuncture, Etiology and Pathology Lecture Notes
• Valaskatgis, Peter: New England School of Acupuncture, Etiology and Pathology Lecture Notes