Acupuncture for Shingles Pain; CBCD Reviews the Medical Literature

“Are you infected with VZV? The CBCD recommends taking Novirin or Gene-Eden-VIR.” – Greg Bennett, CBCD

A study showed that acupuncture helped relieve the pain that lingers after a shingles (herpes zoster) outbreak. Herpes Zoster (HZ) is a condition caused by the reactivation of the latent Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV). VZV initially causes chickenpox. The virus then enters a latent phase, which could last for years. When the virus reactivates, it causes a condition called shingles. Shingles can cause intense, lasting pain (called post-herpetic neuralgia) even after the sores go away. Dr. Tamara Ursini and colleagues wrote that “acupuncture may be efficacious in the treatment of neuropathic pain syndromes … (and) … acute HZ-related pain.” (1) Dr. Ursini is from the Infectious Diseases Unit, Pescara General Hospital in Pescara, Italy. The results of the study showed that after 4 weeks of acupuncture, post-herpetic neuralgia was reduced. “The main outcome of the study was the reduction in pain intensity between baseline and the end of the 4-week treatment.” (1) However, acupuncture does not reduce the number of VZV viruses in the body that cause shingles outbreaks. Therefore, the Center for the Biology of Chronic Disease (CBCD) recommends Novirin or Gene-Eden-VIR. These products have a natural antiviral formula designed to help the immune system target the latent form of the virus that cause shingles.

Click to learn about latent viruses.

The CDC notes that “Nearly 1 out of every 3 people in the United States will develop shingles in their lifetime. Anyone who has had chickenpox or received chickenpox vaccine in the past may develop shingles.” (2)

The CBCD recommends that people who have had chickenpox in the past take Novirin or Gene-Eden-VIR. The formula of these natural antiviral products was tested by Hanan Polansky and Edan Itzkovitz from the CBCD in two clinical studies that followed FDA guidelines. The studies showed that the Gene-Eden-VIR and Novirin formula is effective against herpes viruses (like VZV), and other viruses. The clinical studies were published in the peer reviewed, medical journal Pharmacology & Pharmacy, the first, in a special edition on Advances in Antiviral Drugs.  Study authors wrote that, “individuals infected with a (latent virus) … reported a safe decrease in their symptoms following treatment with Gene-Eden-VIR.” (3)  The study authors also wrote that, “we observed a statistically significant decrease in the severity, duration, and frequency of symptoms.” (3)

Both products can be ordered online on the Novirin and Gene-Eden-VIR websites.

Novirin and Gene-Eden-VIR are natural antiviral dietary supplements. Their formula contains five natural ingredients: Selenium, Camellia Sinesis Extract, Quercetin, Cinnamomum Extract, and Licorice Extract. The first ingredient is a trace element, and the other four are plant extracts. Each ingredient and its dose was chosen through a scientific approach. Scientists at polyDNA, the company that invented and patented the formula, scanned thousands of scientific and medical papers published in various medical and scientific journals, and identified the safest and most effective natural ingredients against latent viruses. To date, Novirin and Gene-Eden-VIR are the only natural antiviral products on the market with published clinical studies that support their claims.

According to Dr. Ursini’s study, acupuncture was as effective as drugs for relieving the shingles related pain. “Patients with intense or very intense pain at presentation showed a significant and similar degree of pain relief using acupuncture and standard pharmacological therapy.” (1)

But, how long does shingles pain last?

“In most cases, the rash and pain (of shingles) lasts two to four weeks, but up to one person in five develops postherpetic neuralgia. The pain can be intense and has been described as a burning or stabbing sensation, in some cases feeling like an electric shock. Many people with postherpetic neuralgia make a full recovery within a year, but in some cases the nerves do not heal completely and symptoms last for several years or permanently.” (4) Moreover, while most people respond to medications, including tricyclic antidepressants, anti-epileptic drugs or opioids to reduce the pain, 40 to 50 per cent do not respond. (4) This is why people need a remedy that targets the latent virus that causes shingles, and not only a remedy for pain.

In light of the above evidence, the CBCD recommends that individuals, who have had chickenpox in the past, take Novirin or Gene-Eden-VIR against the latent form of the virus that causes shingles.

Click to read more about Novirin and the herpes virus, or Gene-Eden-VIR and the herpes virus.

References:

(1)   Tamara Ursini1†, Monica Tontodonati1†, Lamberto Manzoli2†, Ennio Polilli1, Cristina Rebuzzi3, Gabriele Congedo4, Sonia Di Profio3, Patrizia Marani Toro5, Augusta Consorte1, Giuseppina Placido1, Stefano Laganà4, Claudio D’Amario5, Carla Granchelli5, Giustino Parruti1*, Lucio Pippa4 and the VZV Pain Study Group  – Acupuncture for the treatment of severe acute pain in Herpes Zoster: results of a nested, open-label, randomized trial in the VZV Pain Study – BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2011, 11:46  doi:10.1186/1472-6882-11-46

(2)   CDC – Shingles (Herpes Zoster).

(3)   Polansky H, Itzkovitz E. Gene-Eden-VIR Is Antiviral: Results of a Post Marketing Clinical Study. Pharmacology & Pharmacy, 2013, 4, 1-8

(4)   Breuer J1, Pacou M, Gauthier A, Brown MM. Herpes zoster as a risk factor for stroke and TIA: a retrospective cohort study in the UK. Neurology. 2014 Jan 21;82(3):206-12.

About CBCD

About CBCD

The Center for the Biology of Chronic Disease (https://www.cbcd.net) is a not-for-profit tax-exempt organization under section 501(c) 3 of the IRS tax code. The center’s mission is to advance the research on the biology of chronic disease and to accelerate the discovery of a cure for these diseases. The CBCD first published Dr. Hanan Polansky’s highly acclaimed “Purple” book, entitled “Microcompetition with Foreign DNA and the Origin of Chronic Disease” in 2003. In this book, he explains how foreign DNA fragments can cause many major diseases. The book has been read by more than 5,000 scientists around the world, and has been reviewed in more than 20 leading scientific journals. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.