Shingles is an infection of a nerve and the area of skin around it, caused by the herpes varicella-zoster virus (VZV). The same virus also causes chickenpox.

While shingles can occur at any age, it mostly commonly occurs in people over the age of 50. Common areas commonly affected are the neck, shoulder, upper back, chest, abdomen, however it can affect any part of the body. It manifests as a painful rash which quickly develops into extremely painful itchy blisters. Even after the rash is gone it can cause severe nerve pain lasting for many months, even years.

A potential main reason for an outbreak of Shingles is a having a lowered immune system and regular Acupuncture and/or Chinese Herbal Medicine can help strengthen and maintain a healthy immune system

Other factors which may contributing an episode of shingles include:

• Fatigue
• Stress
• Ageing
• Weakened Immune system
• Illnesses which affect your immune system, such as cancer, HIV, and so on.
• Chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments which cause low immune system, during the treatment period.

Traditional Chinese medicine explains shingles as occurring due to the presence of pathogenic damp, heat and wind. In Chinese Medicine theory it often occurs along the liver or gall bladder meridians on the exterior of the body, especially when heat and wind are involved, on the other hand if damp is a predominant factor, the rash & blisters are more likely to occur in the lower part of the body, and with greater discharge from the blisters. In the case of heat predominating, blisters radiate more heat & redness and more severe pain, with a risk of post-herpetic neuralgia.

In the Chinese Medicine diagnostic models, acute shingles is typically wind-fire or damp-heat in the liver and gallbladder channels, or damp-heat in the spleen, which leads to stagnation of Qi & blood in those areas. With chronic shingles, the Chinese diagnostic patterns commonly seen are kidney Yin deficiency and Qi & blood deficiency, and commonly also involving Qi & blood stagnation to various degrees.

Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine and Chinese Nutritional (diet) therapy has proven to be very effective in treating shingles, especially when caught in the early stages, not only alleviating excruciating pain and treating the blisters & rash, but may also be able to significantly reduce risk of post-herpetic neuralgia occurring. Chinese Medicine can also help if post-herpetic neuralgia has already occurred