Abstract:Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of diffuse shock wave in the treatment of different types of postherpetic neuralgia. Methods 120 patients with postherpetic neuralgia admitted to our pain clinic from January 2017 to September 2018 were selected. According to the type of pain, they were divided into four groups (n = 30), irritable nociceptor type (group A): patients with abnormal sensitization of unmyelinated fibers show hyperalgesia; deafferentation type (group B): patients will have obvious loss of pain and temperature, mild tenderness is not obvious; central reorganization type (group C): both hyperalgesia type and paralysis type in clinical manifestations;normal nociceptor type (group D): patients have obvious pain in the affected area, clinical examination has no obvious changes in sensation or abnormal pain, All patients were treated with basic therapy: calcium channel regulation, opioids, neurotrophy, paravertebral nerve block, and diffuse shock wave once a week. Record the treatment time. The develop of Visual analogue scale (VAS) 、Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) and adverse reactions was before and 7 and 14 days after treatment.Results Compared with before treatment, the VAS score, HAMA total score, somatic anxiety factor total score and mental anxiety factor total score of the four groups decreased after 7 and 14 days of treatment (P < 0.05); compared with the irritable nociceptor type , the VAS score, HAMA total score, somatic anxiety factor total score and mental anxiety factor total score of the central reorganization type after 7 and 14 days of treatment had no significant difference (P > 0.05).compared with the deafferentation type, the VAS score, HAMA total score, somatic anxiety factor total score and mental anxiety factor total score of the normal nociceptor type after 7 and 14 days of treatment had no significant difference (P > 0.05). compared with irritable nociceptor type , VAS score, HAMA total score, somatic anxiety factor total score and mental anxiety factor total score of the normal nociceptor type and deafferentation type decreased 7 and 14 days after treatment (P<0.05); compared with central reorganization type, VAS score, HAMA total score, somatic anxiety factor total score and mental anxiety factor total score of the normal nociceptor type and deafferentation type decreased 7 and 14 days after treatment (P<0.05);Conclusion Diffuse shock wave can be used as an adjuvant therapy for postherpetic neuralgia, especially for irritable nociceptor type and central reorganization type postherpetic neuralgia in the long term, and improves the curative effect of conventional treatment.