A Randomized Clinical Trial of Acupuncture Versus Oral Steroids for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Long-Term Follow-Up

Yang CP, Wang NH, Li TC, Hsieh CL, Chang HH, Hwang KL, Ko WS, Chang MH · The Journal of Pain · 2011 February

DOI 10.1016/j.jpain.2010.09.001

Objective

To investigate the long-term effects of acupuncture treatment on mild-to-moderate idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) compared to steroid treatment.

Conclusions

Short-term acupuncture treatment may result in long-term improvement in mild-to-moderate idiopathic CTS, making it a potential alternative therapy to other conservative treatments for those who do not opt for early surgical decompression.

Critical Appraisal

Published research can offer valuable insights, but a paper’s conclusions may go beyond what its results support. Critical appraisal examines the methods, findings and limitations to clarify what can reasonably be concluded—and what remains uncertain.

This article has not yet been critically appraised by the Research Hub.

Learn more about Critical Appraisal

Insights

Short-term acupuncture treatment may provide long-term relief in mild-to-moderate idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome patients.

The methodology of this study involved a prospective follow-up of 77 patients with electrophysiologically confirmed mild-to-moderate idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) over a period of 1 year. These patients were divided random into two treatment groups: one recieved 2 weeks of prednisolone 20 mg daily followed by 2 weeks of prednisolone 10 mg daily, and the other received 8 sessions of acupuncture over 4 weeks. The long-term effects of these two treatment methods were then compared using Global symptom score (GSS) assessments and nerve conduction studies which were repeated at 7 and 13 months of the study. The results showed that at 7 and 13 months, the percentages of patients with treatment failure, moderate improvement, and good improvement were significantly different between the two groups. The acupuncture group, in comparison to the prednisolone group, had a significantly higher number of patients showing good improvement throughout the 1-year follow-up period. The acupuncture treatment group also showed significantly better improvement in GSS, distal motor latencies, and distal sensory latencies. Significant correlation was observed between changes of GSS and all parameters of the electrophysiological assessments except for compound muscle action potential amplitude.