Getting rid of the "Snake"

My wife came down with shingles, the colloquial "snake" coiling around the body recently.
She had been experiencing some discomfort at her left posterior lumbar region (area just above her waist) for a few days, before appearance of non-specific red rashes in that area. I thought it was some allergic rashes initially, until some vesicles began to surface the next day. It then dawned on me that it was shingles (herpes zoster infection)!
The infection coincided with our impending family holidays to Australia in 2 days' time. I hurried to local Guardian pharmacy at Yew Tee Point to purchase Acyclovir (antiviral agent to treat herpes zoster infection). Anticipating that the vesicles would develop into blisters and might bursts in the midst of our holiday, I had also purchased antiseptic cleansing solution, antiseptic cream/ antiviral cream (acyclovir cream), gauze; and specific analgesic (neurontin) for possible post-herpetic neuralgia which could be quite debilitating at times.
True enough, she had several blisters which erupted in the midst of our holiday. I helped her with daily cleansing of the wound. Fortunately, my wife handled the infection quite well despite the pain and discomfort.
It was only upon our return to Singapore that she started to experience excruciating neuralgic pain (burning, tender to light touch, and at time intense itch). I had to resort to Morphine + Lyrica (as Neurontin seemed to be ineffective), in addition to amitriytiline to help in pain relief. The excruciating pain was quite unbearable still despite the above medicines. Hence we had to resort to traditional remedies: she consulted Chinese physician to "catch the snake", applied some herbal solution (which supposedly might help to relieve the pain from shingles), and last but not least, I had to make a trip to the one and only hot spring in Singapore (at Sembawang Camp) to collect the hotspring water. Supposedly the sulphur content of hotspring could help to get rid of the "snakes".
Traditionally, it has been a myth in local Chinese community that a person may die from shingles if the rashes managed to "coiled" completely around the trunk of the infected person (as if being asphyxiated by the tight squeeze of python). The truth is the rashes merely spread according to the distribution pattern of sensory nerves, which happens to be wrapping around the trunk of  a person. It is the neuralgic pain that can be so unnerving and relentless, that potentially may drive one to suicides.

Even though I am a medical doctor, my philosophy is that as long as the traditional remedies do not cause any harm, and may help to alleviate psychological torments, why not ?

ON THE TRAIL TO HOTSPRING

Walking towards the Hotspring

Piped hot sprinng... the pungent smell permeates the air 

Collecting the water ... it is quite hot!

An elderly person cleansing himself with the hotspring water

And what was the outcome? My wife's still had some residual pain over the dermatomal distribution of the shingles infection, but it was not as bad as last week. Considering that it is only second week that she experienced the pain, I must say the improvement was quite encouraging. 

Which remedies had helped? I leave it for you to decide ....