Objective: The discuss the effects of Tongluo Zhitong decotion combined with electro-acupuncture to treat primary trigeminal neuralgia and influence to plasma substance P(PS) and β-endorphin(β-EB). Method: Ninety-four patients with PNT were randomly divided into control group (46 cases) and observation group (48 cases)by random number table.Patients in control group taken carbamazepine tablets

the first agent 100 mg

2 times/day

after 3 days

Every 1 days to increase 100 mg

until the relief of pian(maximum should be less than 600 mg·d-1)

and then cut down the dose gradually and kept the effective dose at 400 mg·d-1. Course of treatment were 4 weeks.Patients in observation group received therapy of electro-acupuncture and Tongluo Zhitong decoction.Before and after treatment

pain was measured by visual analogue scale(VAS)

self rating anxiety scale(SAS)

self rating depression scale(SDS) and pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQL)

the level of plasma PS and β-EB were detected by radioimmunoassay. Result: After treatment the total effective rate of clinical effects in the observation group was 93.75%

control group78.26%

in the control group(P<0.01).Compared with the time before treatment

both groups' scores of VAS

SAS

SDS and PSQL decreased(P<0.01)

and those scores in the observation group were lower than the control group(P<0.01).And both groups' levels of plasma PS decreased and which in the observation group was lower than in the control group(P<0.01).And both groups' levels of β-EB increased and which in the observation group was higher than in the control group(P<0.01). Conclusion: Needle medicine can reduce patients' pain in primary trigeminal neuralgia

its mechanism may be associated with raising level of β-EB and reducing level of PS.And it can ameliorate patients' anxiety

depression and sleeping and it's beneficial to improve patients' quality of lives.