The purpose of this study is to investigate, whether leech therapy for the treatment of postherpetic pain improves pain and sensory function. Therefore 20 patients with PHN undergoing leech therapy at the investigators outpatient clinic will be included in this observational trial.
see above
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
6
Leech therapy: Using medicinal leeches After piercing the skin and injecting anticoagulants (hirudin) and anaesthetics, they suck out blood of the incision. After 30 to 60 minutes they fall off and the wound -after a short time of after-bleeding- is bandaged up.
Chair of Complementary and Integrative Medicine
Essen, Germany
Pain intensity
Pain intensity measured on a visual analogue scale (0-100mm, 100mm indicating worst pain imaginable)
Time frame: 28 days
Pain intensity
pain intensity on a 100mm Visual Analogue Scale
Time frame: 3 months
Pain quality
sensory and affective dimensions of pain (measured by the McGill Pain Questionnaire)
Time frame: 28 Days
Pain quality
sensory and affective dimensions of pain (measured by the McGill Pain Questionnaire)
Time frame: 3 months
Impairment
functional impairment due to zoster pain, measured bey the zoster brief pain inventory and the zoster impact questionnaire (Coplan P, Schmader K, Nikas A, Chan I, Choo P, Levin M, Johnson G, Bauer M, Williams HM, Kapla KM, Guess HA, Oxman MN. (2004). Development of a measure of the burden of pain due to herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia for prevention trials: adaptation of the brief pain inventory. J Pain, 5(6), 344-356.)
Time frame: 28 days
Impairment
functional impairment due to zoster pain, measured bey the zoster brief pain inventory and the zoster impact questionnaire (Coplan P, Schmader K, Nikas A, Chan I, Choo P, Levin M, Johnson G, Bauer M, Williams HM, Kapla KM, Guess HA, Oxman MN. (2004). Development of a measure of the burden of pain due to herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia for prevention trials: adaptation of the brief pain inventory. J Pain, 5(6), 344-356.)
Time frame: 3 months
Quality of life
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quality of life measured by the SF36
Time frame: 28 days
quality of life
quality of life measured by the SF36
Time frame: 3 months
Sensory perception and pain thresholds
Sensory perception and pain thresholds measured by the quantitative sensory testing battery (Rolke, R., Magerl, W., Campbell, K. A., Schalber, C., Caspari, S., Birklein, F. and Treede, R.-D. (2006), Quantitative sensory testing: a comprehensive protocol for clinical trials. European Journal of Pain, 10: 77.)
Time frame: 28 days
Sensory perception and pain thresholds
Sensory perception and pain thresholds measured by the quantitative sensory testing battery (Rolke, R., Magerl, W., Campbell, K. A., Schalber, C., Caspari, S., Birklein, F. and Treede, R.-D. (2006), Quantitative sensory testing: a comprehensive protocol for clinical trials. European Journal of Pain, 10: 77.)
Time frame: 3 months
Safety
all adverse and serious adverse events
Time frame: 28 days