Shingles is a painful skin rash that is caused by the herpes/varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chicken pox. The rash presents with redness, blistering, and the worst of all, a neuralgic pain that lingers even after the skin rash has healed. The cause of shingles is due to the reactivation of the chicken pox virus which may lie dormant in the body for years. However the cause for reactivation is still unknown.
In Chinese medicine, we believe this is due to the decline of one’s immunity, which may be brought on by stress, exhaustion, poor diet or bad sleep. Therefore, the reactivation of the herpes zoster virus is more likely when you are under stress, or taking care of yourself.
For many years, Bill Fung has used acupuncture to treat shingles. He uses the Loo point, which was identified and named after dermatologist Cyrus Loo.
Bill recalls a case of a 9-year boy whom he treated in 1994 while serving in a remote hospital in Taiwan. The boy presented with band-like zone of painful blisters over the lateral aspect and antecubital area of his right upper arm for one week. Systemic analgesic were administered.
This picture is taken on the first day of his visit.
Shingles on first visit 21 May 1994
Shingles rash drying up 23 May 1994
Scab forming on shingles rash 25 May 1994
A happy patient while receiving acupuncture.
This is the happy smile that left a lasting impression on Bill’s mind for years.
In the next post, we will write about a more recent case of shingles treatment.