Mechanism of electrothermal acupuncture in alleviating postherpetic neuralgia

Purpose To investigate the mechanism of electrothermal acupuncture in alleviating postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Patients and methods A rat model of PHN was created with RTX injection, and electrothermal acupuncture (ETA) was applied at trigger points. Pain sensitivity was assessed using the von Frey test for PWT. ATP levels were measured colorimetrically, ROS via DCFH-DA fluorescence, and pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF- α , IL-6, IL-1β) in tissues using ELISA. DEGs were identified through RNA s