Treatment of postherpetic neuralgia is based on pain relief and antiviral therapy is usually not necessary. Antiviral medications are commonly used for herpes zoster and are most often started within 24 to 72 hours of the rash onset. Postherpetic neuralgia, on the other hand, is the most common complication of herpes zoster. It is neuralgia that lasts for more than 1 month after the herpes zoster rash has healed, and manifests itself as a localized paroxysmal or persistent burning and tingling pain, which can seriously affect the patient’s sleep and quality of life. Postherpetic neuralgia is usually not treated with antiviral drugs. Its treatment mainly focuses on pain relief, and can be applied as early as possible with sufficient amount and course of medication, and supplemented with physical and psychological treatment to control the symptoms of pain and improve life treatment. Commonly used medications for postherpetic neuralgia include lidocaine patches, opioid analgesics (e.g. morphine, fentanyl, etc.), calcium channel modulators (e.g. pregabalin), and tramadol. Physiotherapy such as neurointerventional techniques, ultraviolet light irradiation, and ultrashort wave irradiation can also be used to relieve the patient’s painful symptoms and achieve the purpose of treatment. It is recommended that patients with postherpetic neuralgia should seek timely and standardized treatment, and specific medication should be prescribed by the doctor.