Patients with herpes zoster may experience nociceptive pain — wound pain — at the affected site. Systematic analgesic management of this pain is a defined treatment priority, guided by pain intensity.
This protocol targets herpes zoster-associated nociceptive pain, specifically wound pain arising in the context of active or recent herpes zoster. Analgesic treatment follows a structured, stepwise approach based on the patient's pain intensity.
At mild pain intensity, the recommended first step involves non-opioid analgesics. The complete protocol defines which agents are appropriate for each pain level and specifies the full decision pathway — including steps for moderate and severe intensity — which is available via the link below.
The aim is optimal pain relief, or at minimum, pain reduction to a level the patient can tolerate.
VAS / NRS 0–10 — tolerable for the patientDOI: 10.1111/ddg.14013
Analgesic treatment of nociceptive pain based on the WHO's pain relief ladder is recommended (Figure 2).
The treatment goal with respect to herpes zoster-associated pain should be optimal pain relief or at least pain reduction down to a level tolerable for the patient.
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