Which Minimally Invasive Therapy is Most Effective for the Treatment of Postherpetic Neuralgia? an Updated Network Meta-Analysis

Review question / Objective: Which minimally invasive therapy is the best choice to alleviate pain for patients suffering from postherpetic neuralgia? Eligibility criteria: The eligibility criteria are interpreted under the PICOS (P, participants; I, interventions; C, comparison; O, outcomes; S, study design) framework. (1) P: ParticipantsInclusion criteria: Patients suffering from postherpetic neuralgia (the pain lasting more than 3 months after the onset of herpes zoster rash eruption or more than 1 month after the vesicles have healed).Exclusion criteria: 1. Patients who had other neuropathic pain; 2. Patients with acute or subacute zoster-related pain.(2) I: Interventions Inclusion criteria: Interventional treatments applied to PHN patients, as follows: 1) nerve block (including epidural block, intrathecal block, dorsal root ganglion block, intercostal nerve block, paravertebral block, erector spinae plane block);2) subcutaneous injection (including subcutaneous injection of normal saline, local anesthetics, corticosteroids, MeB12 as well as local infiltration);3) stellate ganglion block;4) subcutaneous botulinum toxin type A injection;5) pulsed radiofrequency with or without.