Ultrasound therapy effect in carpal tunnel syndrome

• Published in: Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation Vol. 79; no. 12; pp. 1540 - 1544
• Main Authors: Oztas, Ozgur, Turan, Betul, Bora, Ibrahim, Karakaya, Munir Kerim
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.12.1998; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Analysis of Variance; Biological and medical sciences; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - diagnosis; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - etiology; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - physiopathology; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - therapy; Diseases of the nervous system; Electromyography; Female; Humans; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neural Conduction; Radiotherapy. Instrumental treatment. Physiotherapy. Reeducation. Rehabilitation, orthophony, crenotherapy. Diet therapy and various other treatments (general aspects); Reaction Time; Risk Factors; Single-Blind Method; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; Ultrasonic Therapy - methods; Performance evaluation; Human; Carpal tunnel syndrome; Nervous system diseases; Compression; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Instrumentation therapy; Incidence; Nerve conduction; Pain; Treatment; Decrease; Peripheral nerve disease; Biological effect; Ultrasound
• ISSN: 0003-9993; 1532-821X
• DOI: 10.1016/S0003-9993(98)90416-6

Objective: To investigate the overall effect of repeated ultrasound treatment in carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Design: Patient-blinded, placebo-controlled, before-after treatment trial. Setting: University hospital PM&R department outpatient clinic and neurology department electromyography laboratory. Patients: Eighteen women with diagnosis of CTS in 30 hands. Interventions: Three groups, each with 10 cases of CTS, were randomly established. Continuous ultrasound therapy, with intensities of 1.5W/cm 2 (group A), 0.8W/cm 2 (group B), and 0.0W/cm 2 (group C), was applied to palmar carpal tunnel area for 5 minutes, 5 days a week, for 2 weeks. Outcome Measures: Patients were evaluated clinically and electrophysiologically before and after the treatment. Results: At the end of treatment, statistically significant improvement was obtained in clinical parameters in all groups: pain ( p < .05), pain/paresthesia at night/day ( p < .05), and frequency of awakening at night ( p < .05). Although there was no statistically significant before-after difference in electrophysiologic studies, slightly decreased motor nerve conduction velocity and increased motor distal latency were noted in groups A and B, but not in group C. Conclusion: Ultrasound therapy in CTS was comparable to placebo ultrasound in providing symptomatic relief, and the probability of a negative effect on motor nerve conduction needs to be considered.