171: AI Ultrasound-Guided Zhuang Medicine Meridian-Tendon Acupuncture for Postherpetic Neuralgia

Topic: Clinical Science
Subtopic:

Background and Aims: Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is intractable with inaccurate traditional treatments, affecting over 30% of middle-aged and elderly people and often causing emotional disorders. Western medicines like pregabalin have side effects, while Zhuang Medicine acupuncture lacks visualization, leading to low efficacy. This study verifies the efficacy, safety and positioning optimization of AI ultrasound-guided Zhuang Medicine meridian-tendon acupuncture for PHN, clarifies the synergistic mechanism of the combined technology, and establishes a standardized protocol to meet clinical needs for precise therapy and promote ethnic medicine modernization.

Methods: Recruit 96 PHN patients meeting inclusion criteria, randomly assign them to 3 groups via SPSS 26.0. Western medicine group takes pregabalin orally; acupuncture group adds meridian-tendon acupuncture at sacral midline ridge; AI ultrasound group uses portable ultrasound for real-time guided acupuncture. Detect VAS, SDS, AChE, SNCV and infrared thermography at scheduled time points, then analyze data with t-test, chi-square test or rank sum test.

Results: 96 PHN patients were randomized into 3 groups. AI ultrasound-guided Zhuang Medicine acupuncture showed superior efficacy in reducing VAS/SDS scores, improving AChE activity and SNCV, with higher positioning accuracy (98.44%) and lower adverse reaction rate (3.13%) than the other two groups.

Conclusions: AI ultrasound-guided Zhuang Medicine acupuncture outperforms conventional acupuncture and Western medicine in relieving PHN pain, improving mood/nerve function, enhancing positioning accuracy (98.44%), and reducing adverse reactions (3.13%), forming a standardized, minimally invasive protocol.

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Presenting Author: Xiao lin
Submitting Author: lin Xiao

Senior Author: Xiao lin

IASP 2026 Global Year theme of Neuropathic Pain: Yes