New breakthrough on postherpetic neuralgia treatment

Jianxiong An ,MD, PhD. one of the most famous pain specialists in China and Director of the Multidisciplinary Center of Pain Medicine, Aviation General Hospital of China Medical University announced his team’s path-breaking progress on postherpetic neuralgia (PHN )treatment recently. The new therapy may offer a cure on PHN. PHN, one of the most refractory pain diseases in the world, is the sequel of the cure of shingles, which commonly occur on the face or trunk and could cause severe nerve pain. The symptoms may include burning, tingling, lancinating or pricking pain, and could last for a long time. Studies shows that people over 60 years old are at a higher risk of catching PHN, Moreover, its incidence increases with age.The morbidity among the elderly over 80 years is up to 75%, and some may suffer a prolonged pain for decades. Dr.An and his team has made a new breakthrough on PHN treatment after years of research. He said that they utilize the ozone therapy to reactivate and strengthen the immune system of patients, increasing the cytokines and interferon ect.. Then, perform the micro-invasive intervention surgery to block the skin lesion, nerve root and ganglion, combinating with restorative nutrition. The whole treatment cycle takes about six weeks to eight weeks. 87.3%of the patients have achieved satisfactory improvement according to the statistics. Dr.Jianxiong An studied as a research fellow at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center since 2001-2004, He was appointed as Adjunct Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, in 2012.