Abstract: OBJECTIVE To evaluate the clinical effects of cotton-sheet moxibustion therapy and western medicine therapy for the treatment of herpes zoster. METHODS 201 cases with herpes zoster received and cured in 9 institutes in Chengdu， Wuhan， Guangzhou from January of 2008 to June of 2009 were randomized into cotton-sheet moxibustion group (99 cases) and western medicine group (102 cases). The cotton-sheet moxibustion group were given cotton-sheet moxibustion supplemented by acupuncture treatment. The western medicine group were given regular western medicine. RESULTS ①The total effective rate of cotton-sheet moxibustion group was 92.2% and western medicine group 91.2%. There was no statistical difference (P>0.05); ②In the aspects of incrustation time and decrustation time， there was statistical significance when the cotton-sheet moxibustion group were compared with western medicine group (P<0.01); ③As for the duration of pain lasting， there was significant statistical difference between the two groups (P<0.01); ④As for the occurrence of postherpetic neuralgia， there was significant statistical difference between the two groups on the 30th day and 60th day. (P<0.05~0.01). CONCLUSION The cotton-sheet moxibustion therapy has accurate effects on herpes zoster， which has no obvious difference with western medicine regular therapy. In the aspects of promoting incrustation， shortening incrustation time and pain duration and controlling postherpetic neuralgia of herpes zoster， the cotton-sheet moxibustion therapy is better than the western medicine therapy.